- Proposed second-year places: 45,000, compared with 57,000 previously referenced.
- Proposed third-year places: 5,000, down from 31,000 previously referenced.
- Eligible UK Subclass 417 applicants have held a specified-work exemption since 1 July 2024.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said on November 13, 2026, that he was open to adjusting Australia’s planned backpacker visa restrictions after industry objections, while keeping the overall working-holiday numbers announced in September unchanged.
Background: Immigration Crackdown Threatens Australia’s Wheat Harvest as Backpacker Workers Dwindle
The proposed changes affect people seeking a second or third year in Australia, including applicants for Subclass 417 and Subclass 462 visas. The government expected to announce revised arrangements within weeks, but had not confirmed the ballot’s commencement date.
Burke said he wanted industry input on how the restrictions could meet migration goals without leaving businesses short of workers. He described the total numbers announced in his Press Club speech as fixed.
“We are not quite at a landing place yet, but the ideal landing place, if I can put it in these terms, is this: we get the net overseas migration outcome that I need and Australia needs, and we do it in a way that industry gets the workforce that it needs.”
Regional tourism and agriculture businesses have raised concerns about staffing uncertainty ahead of the summer season. Andrew McKellar, chief executive of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has called for greater certainty as the peak tourism period approaches.
The proposal would put second- and third-year applicants in a ballot
The government announced the proposed ballot reforms on 17 September 2026. Applicants seeking another year would have to enter a ballot, even if they completed the specified work normally required for a further visa.
The proposed annual places contrast with earlier figures referenced by the government. Those earlier numbers were not statutory caps.
| Visa year | Previously referenced number | Proposed ballot places |
|---|---|---|
| Second year | 57,000 | 45,000 |
| Third year | 31,000 | 5,000 |
Under the proposal, completing the required work would not guarantee selection. A ballot would determine who could proceed to a further year, adding an extra step for applicants and creating uncertainty for regional employers that rely on returning workers.
Possible adjustments under discussion include delaying the ballot, increasing the proposed third-year places and changing regional-work requirements. Burke had not confirmed specific figures, and the revised arrangements had not yet reached a final decision.
Eligible UK applicants still have a specified-work exemption
Eligible UK passport holders applying for second and third Subclass 417 visas have been exempt from the usual specified-work requirements since 1 July 2024. The UK arrangement sits within the broader free trade agreement between Australia and Britain.
Burke said he wanted to revise the backpacker arrangements without putting other parts of the agreement at risk. Discussions with the United Kingdom are continuing.
“We can find a way to bring that back to something more sensible and in the national interest, without jeopardising the other parts of the free trade agreement.”
The number of British backpackers in Australia rose from 47,238 in 2023–24 to 79,412 in 2024–25. The growth comes as the government considers how the UK-specific exemption fits with its proposed limits on longer stays.
The proposed ballot had not started by the last assessment
The proposed second- and third-year ballot had not commenced as of 17 October 2026, and existing application arrangements remained in place at that point. The government has not confirmed commencement or transitional arrangements for the ballot.
That leaves applicants planning a further year under the existing process while the government considers revisions. Regional employers are also waiting for details that would clarify the workforce available for upcoming seasons.
No formal revised package has yet been set out. The government is expected to announce its updated arrangements within weeks.
