Visas & Entry

Australia’s Backpacker Visa Is Moving to a Lottery for Year Two and Three, Here’s What Changes and Who’s Exempt

Second-year working holiday places drop to 45,000 and third-year places to 5,000, both decided by ballot, starting by the end of 2026. British…

By Kevin Crow · Oct 10, 2026

Australia is turning the second and third working holiday visas into a lottery: second-year places will be capped at 45,000 (down from 57,000 last year) and third-year places at 5,000 (down from 31,000), with the ballots due to begin rolling out by the end of…

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What exactly is changing for backpackers?

The first-year visa was already allocated by ballot for some nationalities; the change is that the extensions are no longer a right once you finish your regional work. Previously, completing 88 days of specified work in regional Australia entitled you to a…

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When does the lottery start?

Home Affairs says the ballots will begin rolling out by the end of 2026, but opening dates and exact rules had not been published at the time of writing. Some elements of the wider package also need legislation. If you are planning to apply for a second or…

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Are British backpackers affected?

British citizens stay exempt from the regional-work requirement, so they can still reach two or three years without doing farm or regional work, because Australia is honouring its free trade agreement with the UK. Coverage differs on whether UK applicants are…

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What if you are already in Australia?

It is unclear how the change treats backpackers who are part-way through their 88 days of regional work. Regional tourism groups are lobbying for a rethink, and Tropical North Queensland operators say people are already leaving. If you are mid-way, keep every…

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