Australia invites 16m Britons to work 'down under' after extending working holiday visa age limit

Millions of Britons are being given a chance to work down under after Australia extended its working holiday visa age limit.

A long-awaited amendment coming into force on Saturday, 1 July, will see the work visa offered to people aged 18-35 – a five-year increase on the original limit of 30.

It is the first change to the visa since it was introduced in 1975, under the UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement (UKFTA).

Further changes to the working holiday visa are expected exactly one year later on 1 July, 2024, when Britons will be able to apply to live and work in Australia for up to three years without any specified work requirements.

The offer is likely to be considered by many young people living in the UK – as new research reveals how 45% of 25 to 34-year-olds regret not taking a gap year when they had the chance.

The data, published by Tourism Australia, the nation’s tourist board, also found that almost one in 10 people surveyed believed they were too old to start again.

Some 43% of people aged 25 to 34 are considering working abroad in the hope of advancing their careers, the figures revealed.

The offer could prove tempting as it emerged the UK jobs market had more candidates going for fewer jobs last month – with wages stagnant and redundancies rising.

A survey of 400 recruitment and employment consultancies said May saw the biggest spike in jobseekers for the past two-and-a-half years.

Australia, which basks in 2,800 hours of sunshine every year, is an attractive option thanks to having a higher minimum wage than the UK, together with one of the lowest unemployment rates in almost 50 years.

Tourism Australia’s regional general manager for UK & Northern Europe, Sally Cope, said the five-year extension would “present a world of openings to young professionals”, as well as an “incredible lifestyle”, with Australia “ready to welcome them”.

In January, Australia announced a review of its entire visa and immigration system after the COVID pandemic left the nation grappling with a shortage of workers.

Meanwhile in the UK, visa rules in the UK were amended last October to allow farmers to hire foreign poultry workers ahead of Christmas turkey rush.

The president of the National Farmers’ Union told Sky News that Brexit and the loss of freedom of movement have contributed to a higher cost for the EU’s seasonal workers.