A British backpacker has taken aim at the Australia’s regional work requirement for visa holders, saying she had been pushed to her wits’ end by the lack of support.
Becky Clements posted on TikTok this week saying she is fed up with how regional visa workers are treated.
“I’ve been told I’ve hit the jackpot with my farm work, and being able to work in a cafe and a restaurant for my regional work in Australia,” Ms Clements said in her TikTok.
“I don’t know how people are working on farms or doing this.”’
Ms Clements said she’s been shocked by the lack of support, and has documented in many of her TikTok videos the conditions she’s lived in while being in Australia.
One video even showed the communal kitchen was left dirty, with spilt milk all over the floor.
“We are being worked to the ground here and living in not very good conditions,” Ms Clements said in the video.
“Why is this happening?
“Honestly I’m considering not staying another year.”
Her social media revealed she’s made the difficult decision to pack in her regional stint and move to the Gold Coast in the hopes of finding accommodation.
Many backpackers turn to regional work as part of their visa requirements, with Aussie farmers relying heavily on seasonal workers to help pick their crops.
An adult casual worker picking fruit or vegetables on an hourly rate should earn at least $26.73 an hour, according to the Fair Work Ombudsman.
It comes as the Albanese government continues to be put under pressure from the states and territories to improve migration numbers.
Some suggestions being floated ahead of the May budget include setting migration targets, overhauling eligibility rules for foreign workers and creating new visa classes to help secure better employment outcomes.