Recent visa changes have sent the number of working holiday makers in Australia to an all-time high with British backpackers leading the charge.
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00:00Working holiday makers are back in a big way.
00:06It's amazing, coming here, obviously beautiful beaches, beautiful places.
00:12It took me at least three weeks to meet someone who was actually Australian.
00:15206,000 called Australia home by December, a record haul.
00:21And almost a quarter of those arrivals are from the United Kingdom.
00:25Are we going to Venezuela?
00:27The break in arrivals has been boosted by concessions negotiated several years ago
00:32in a free trade agreement with the UK, which came into effect in July.
00:37As a Brit, coming over and knowing that you don't have to do that rural farm work,
00:41so the 88 days in order to extend your visa for the second year,
00:45I think it allows people to work more in their comfort zone.
00:50Now Brits can also stay longer and be older, 35 instead of the previous age limit of 30.
00:57I think it is encouraging a lot more of us to come over.
00:59But it's not welcome news for all, particularly beyond the holiday hotspots.
01:04We would not like to see this replicated to other nations
01:07and we do need to have an incentive put in place to ensure that we are getting that workforce
01:13that's vitally required during either those peak harvest periods or filling those service jobs.
01:18We've seen a hierarchy created in the Working Holidaymaker program
01:22whereby nationals, applicants from the UK, have one set of rules that allows them to work anywhere.
01:30Migration experts say the record number of working travellers puts pressure on annual migration targets
01:37at a time when Australia is trying to reduce arrivals.
01:41Many businesses say Working Holidaymakers, who now come from 50 countries, are vital to their operations.
01:48Like this hotel at Byron Bay, where they make up 40% of staff.
01:53Now that there's more in the country and more available, then you can pick and choose a little bit more
01:59and subsequently find people that are more suited to your establishment.
02:03A temporary workforce in major demand.
02:11Working Holidaymaker