Tasmanian farmers welcome fast-track WHM visa deal as harvest labour concerns ease
Tasmanian farmers welcome a fast-track WHM visa deal that could speed up urgent backpacker worker approvals for harvest and planting, as the NFF and federal government strike a short-term labour fix.
OPINION & VOICES
Tasmanian growers have greeted a new agreement between the National Farmers’ Federation and the federal government that will allow certain Working Holiday Maker visa applications to be fast-tracked when urgent farm labour is needed for planting and harvesting.
The arrangement lets the NFF submit eligible WHM visa applications for workers in specific agricultural roles where their timely arrival is critical to activities such as grain harvesting and fruit picking, with TasFarmers acting as the key state contact to support visa applications under the new process.
The deal comes after the government slowed processing of first-year WHM visas, prioritised second-year and third-year visas, and announced plans to cap how many backpackers can enter Australia, with Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke revealing a ballot system for those wanting to stay beyond a year and caps of 45,000 for second-year stays and 5,000 for third-year stays.
TasFarmers CEO Nathan Calman described the agreement as a promising development that primary producers urgently needed, saying skilled backpacker visas are important for shorter horizon needs like grain harvesting and particular types of fruit picking and urging the federal government to engage with both the NFF and state farming organisations to understand critical skill gaps that cannot be met through the local workforce.
“For shorter horizon needs like grain harvesting and particular types of fruit picking, skilled backpacker visas are important,” Calman said.
“The federal government really needs to engage with both the NFF and state farming organisations like us to understand the critical skill gap needs on the ground that can’t be met through the local workforce that isn’t available and then to design visa pathways around that.”
NFF CEO Michael Guerin said the fast-track visa deal was a practical, good-faith process to help address genuine and urgent workforce shortages facing farm businesses, stressing that the arrangement is intended only for genuine, urgent cases and relies on industry and government working together in good faith to support Australia’s food and fibre production.
“The arrangement is intended only for genuine, urgent cases and relies on industry and government working together in good faith to support Australia’s food and fibre production,” Guerin said.
“While this process may provide some short-term relief, it is not a long-term solution.”
“Australian agriculture relies on access to both skilled and unskilled workers, and the NFF will continue advocating for workforce and migration settings that support farm businesses, regional communities and national food security.”
The deal is not a special visa pathway and does not guarantee visa approval or expedited processing, with all applications remaining subject to the Department of Home Affairs’ normal assessment processes and eligibility requirements.
“We also recognise agriculture is not the only sector affected by current WHM processing changes,” Guerin said, adding that the NFF will continue working alongside other industries for a longer-term solution that supports regional businesses and communities.
A Department of Home Affairs spokesperson said the number of WHMs in Australia was at a record high and that the government would now manage first-year WHM processing to deliver an average processing time of approximately three months, describing the approach as balanced to provide greater control over the impact of WHMs on net overseas migration while supporting regional labour market needs.
“The Government will now manage first-year WHM processing to deliver an average processing time of approximately three months,” the spokesperson said.
“This balanced approach will provide greater control over the impact of WHMs on net overseas migration, while supporting regional labour market needs.”
The department said a small group of WHMs head straight to the regions and use their particular skills to support the agriculture sector, and that it would work with the NFF on identifying and prioritising people with specific skills in the agricultural sector who have applied for a WHM visa, have contracted with an employer to provide their skills to undertake agricultural work and need to be here inside three months.
“Consistent with the balanced approach the Government is taking to WHMs, the Department will work with the National Farmers Federation on identifying and prioritising people with specific skills in the agricultural sector who have applied for a WHM visa, have contracted with an employer to provide their skills to undertake agricultural work and need to be here inside 3 months.”
Industry reporting suggests the new process could see some applications processed within days when they meet the urgent criteria, though priority referral does not guarantee faster processing or visa approval because applications remain subject to Department of Home Affairs assessment procedures.
State farming bodies such as the Victorian Farmers Federation will submit eligible requests to the NFF, which will forward them to the Department of Home Affairs, with the mechanism available only to those who have already submitted a WHM visa application, are contracted to undertake agricultural work on a specific farm, and whose arrival is considered necessary for the operation of the business.
The agreement follows warnings from agricultural industries that changes to the WHM program could threaten crops and Australia’s food security, with concerns that visa caps and slower processing could disrupt harvests if labour shortages materialise during critical planting and picking windows.
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