New criteria that makes moving to Australia easier for millions of Brits comes into force today

Australia is much beloved by Brits and when British people think about moving abroad, they often think of the Land Down Under as an appealing alternative.

After all, it gave us Kylie Minogue, didgeridoos and boomerangs.

And it's a popular spot for Brits looking to relocate out of their home country.

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From today, relaxed rules about immigration mean that it's easier than ever before for Brits to ditch the rain for a sunny life in Oz.

The age limit for British nationals looking for a 'working holiday' visa has been raised up to 35, meaning that millions more people are now eligible.

This means that British nationals will be able to live and work in Australia for up to three years. Previous restrictions around the type of work that can be done have also been lifted, meaning that more industries are now available.

Before this, anyone looking to come into the country on this visa had to commit to 88 days of agriculture work a year. This was also done for every additional year that someone wanted to stay in Australia.

Sally Cope, UK regional general manager for Tourism Australia, told the BBC: "It's an exciting time and these big sporting events, like the FIFA women's football world cup and Olympics in Brisbane in 2032, offer the temporary contract type work that young visitors want."

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Data from Tourism Australia suggests that as many as 35,000 British people arrive in Australia each year on the working holiday visa. Many of these people do choose to stay on.

The number of British people moving overseas has increased since 2016. According to the Office of National Statistics, 557,000 people emigrated from the UK in 2022, with 92,000 of them being British nationals leaving the UK.

With higher wages and a higher standard of living than the UK, it's not surprising that Australia is a popular choice for UK nationals.

There's also the absence of a language barrier which is handy for the UK, in which only around one in three people claim to speak a second language according to data from the European Commission.

And there are some shared interests culturally when it comes to cricket, beer and rugby.

With the new visa rules Down Under - and things not looking so great in the UK - this new change in laws may be the prompt some need to pack their bags and become an Aussie.