Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will seek to reverse an exemption from regional work requirements for British working holiday-makers when he meets UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua this week, seeking to change the Morrison-era free trade agreement.
The number of British backpacker visas has doubled to almost 80,000 per year since the 2021 decision to exempt British backpackers from regional and rural work. The government has already imposed a lottery system to stem the flow and issued a go-slow on processing UK backpacker visas to reduce net overseas migration.
The meeting will be the first official bilateral discussion between Albanese and Burnham. While the free trade agreement is already law, regional work rules could be reimposed on British working holiday-makers if the UK government agrees to the change.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The outcome of the talks could directly affect British working holiday-makers and Australia's regional labour supply.
- The meeting marks the first bilateral between Albanese and Burnham, setting the tone for future UK-Australia relations.
- The push signals a willingness to renegotiate trade terms, with implications for other aspects of the free trade agreement.
Background
The Morrison government's free trade agreement with the UK, signed in 2021, exempted British backpackers from requirements to work in regional areas, a condition applied to other nationalities. The Albanese government has since sought to manage the rapid growth in British backpacker visas through measures like a lottery system and processing slowdowns. The current proposal would require UK consent to reverse the exemption.
What to Watch
- Whether Burnham agrees to renegotiate the FTA to allow reimposition of regional work rules.
- The outcome of the CHOGM meeting and any joint statement.
- Potential impact on UK-Australia relations and the broader trade deal.
Checked
10 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 10 supported.
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- SupportedAlbanese will push for tighter UK backpacker visa rules at CHOGM.Just In: “Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will seek a tightening of rules for British backpackers coming to Australia when he meets his UK counterpart this week at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Antigua.”
- SupportedAlbanese seeks to reverse the Morrison-era exemption from regional work requirements for British backpackers.Just In: “Albanese will seek to reverse part of the Morrison-era UK free trade agreement (FTA) that exempts British backpackers from regional and rural work.”
- SupportedAlbanese will meet UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham at CHOGM in Antigua this week.Just In: “when he meets his UK counterpart this week at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Antigua.”
- SupportedThe Morrison-era free trade agreement exempts British backpackers from regional and rural work.Just In: “the Morrison-era UK free trade agreement (FTA) that exempts British backpackers from regional and rural work.”
- SupportedThe number of British backpacker visas has doubled to almost 80,000 per year since the 2021 decision.Just In: “The number of British backpacker visas has doubled to almost 80,000 per year since the 2021 decision.”
- SupportedThe government has imposed a lottery system to stem the flow of working holiday-makers.Just In: “The government has already imposed a lottery system to stem the flow of working holiday-makers”
- SupportedThe government has issued a go-slow on processing UK backpacker visas to reduce net overseas migration.Just In: “and issued a go-slow on processing UK backpacker visas to reduce net overseas migration.”
- SupportedThis will be the first official bilateral discussion between Albanese and Burnham.Just In: “In what will be his first official bilateral discussion with UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham”
- SupportedThe free trade agreement is already law.Just In: “While the FTA is already law”
- SupportedRegional work rules could be reimposed on British working holiday-makers if the UK government consents.Just In: “it's understood regional work rules could be reimposed on British working holiday-makers with the consent of the UK government.”