Boris Johnson backs easing of visa restrictions for Australians

Australians will soon have an easier route to work and study in the UK if Boris Johnson gets his way.

UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson with Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop in London.

Australians may soon have an easier route to work and study in the United Kingdom after “positive and constructive” informal visa talks today.

The political breakthrough in easing tough visa restrictions is being pushed through by British foreign secretary Boris Johnson, who encouraged the Home secretary Amber Rudd to discuss the issue with Foreign minister Julie Bishop during her two-day visit to London.

Johnson — whose love of lolly gobble bliss bombs, Australian rules football and beer earned him the 2014 honorary Australian of the year title by the Australian High Commission — has been a loud advocate of loosening current tough visa rules.

The number of Australians working in Britain has plummeted to less than 15,000 a year because the country has attempted to limit non-European entry to offset open borders with European Union countries.

Ms Bishop spoke of a very warm relationship with her British counterpart and said the “entertaining, charming” man was to Australia’s benefit.

“I believe he is a great friend of Australia, he has a particular attachment to our country; he has lived in Australia and that augers well for a strong bilateral relationship,’’ Ms Bishop said.

“He is very good company but also takes this (Australia-UK) relationship very seriously and it is to Australia’s benefit to have someone of the calibre of Boris Johnson as foreign secretary of the UK.’’

Ms Bishop said she discussed the visa hurdles with Ms Rudd.

“We had a very positive and constructive discussion about the opportunity to see more young Australians living and working in London, and likewise for more young Britons to come to Australia under various visas,” Ms Bishop said.

“There was a very positive discussion about it. Boris Johnson related stories about his time as a young man in Australia, and he hoped those opportunities for young Australians and young Britons will continue.”

Mr Johnson has previously written in his Telegraph column about the bizarre restrictions on Australians and how the British are more deeply connected with Australians — culturally and emotionally — than with any other country on earth.

He said of the current visa policy: “It just seems so peculiar to me. We fought together in two world wars. There’s huge cultural affinities, ties of blood relations, God knows what. I just think it’s bizarre. It has not been a great policy, in my view.”