Young travellers planning a multi-year Australian working holiday will soon have to roll the dice. Time Out Australia reports that the government’s migration reset will introduce a ballot system for second- and third-year Working Holiday Maker (WHM) visas, with quotas cut by up to 84 per cent. From late 2026 only 45,000 second-year and just 5,000 third-year places will be on offer, down from 57,000 and 31,000 respectively. The lottery replaces the long-standing requirement to complete 88 days (or six months) of specified regional work, a pathway that has delivered a reliable stream of pickers, packers and hospitality staff to rural areas. British passport holders are exempt under the Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement and can still stay for up to three years without regional work, a carve-out that has irked growers and tourism operators who rely heavily on Europeans from other countries. Officials argue the ballot gives the government tighter control over numbers and deters “permanent backpackers” from chaining provisional visas together. Critics counter that the uncertainty will discourage first-year visitors from coming at all, worsening labour gaps in farming, hospitality and adventure-tourism hubs already struggling with cost-of-living pressures and housing shortages. Businesses in regional Australia may need to adjust recruitment strategies, turning to the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme, local retirees or automation to fill roles once covered by backpackers. Migration agents say prospective WHM visitors should prepare early: gather documents, complete medicals and stay alert for ballot opening dates to maximise their chances. The Department of Home Affairs has yet to clarify whether backpackers already part-way through their regional work qualify for transitional concessions. Industry groups are pushing for an interim buffer year to avoid a cliff-edge departure of experienced staff.
Source: Time Out Australia
