ON THE weekend it was revealed at a press conference that the Federal Government had paused the processing of Working Holiday Maker (WHM) visas from 24 countries, a move that threatens agriculture and regional communities according to industry bodies.

“Working holiday visas are still being processed, but they are being processed more slowly than they were previously,” Tony Burke, Minister for Home Affairs and Immigration told the press conference.

However, the Department of Home Affairs website has the status of applications from the following 24 countries as ‘paused’.

The countries are: Argentina, Austria, Brazil​, Chile, Czech Republic, Ecudaor, Greece, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand and Uruguay.

Shadow Minister for Tourism David Littleproud said the Government had let net migration blow out to 1.4 million people since coming to office, and instead of targeting the areas actually putting pressure on housing, infrastructure and services, it was now taking a sledgehammer to a visa program regional tourism and agriculture depend on.

“Working holidaymakers aren’t the ones putting pressure on housing, infrastructure and services in our cities,” Mr Littleproud said.

“Backpackers keep regional pubs, farms and tourism operators running through the peak season, and this is not the area the Government should be targeting.

Mr Littleproud said the pause, introduced without notice and just weeks after annual visa caps reset, would smash a tourism industry already under pressure.

“Regional tourism operators rely on backpackers arriving in time for the summer season. Cutting off that pipeline with no warning and no consultation will leave businesses short-staffed right when they need workers most.”

Mr Littleproud said the sector deserved certainty, not policy made on the run.

“Industry needs proper consultation and certainty so they can actually plan their workforce. Instead, they’ve been left to find out through migration agents that the rules have changed overnight.

“When Canberra fumbles migration policy, it’s always the regions that pay the price. If this pause continues without a clear plan, regional communities that rely on this workforce will be decimated.”

Mr Littleproud called on the Government to immediately clarify its intentions for the working holidaymaker program and consult directly with tourism and agricultural bodies before making any further changes.

“Labor needs to come clean on what it’s actually planning here. Regional tourism can’t run on guesswork.”

Minister Burke argued the principal visa for agriculture was the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme and it would continue as it was.

“One of the things that happened when we started to improve the worker protections under PALM, was some of the worst operators said ‘well if we have to have better standards for PALM workers we will switch to backpackers’ and that is not the way this system is meant to work.”

Minister Burke said further work on migration policy was still underway.

Shane Love, Nationals WA Leader.

Regional WA will be hit hard by these changes

The Nationals WA has renewed concerns about the impact of WHM visa changes on regional Western Australia industries, following reports that the Australian Government has paused visa applications from 24 countries and delayed processing for a further 19 countries.

The reported changes have raised concerns among regional employers, agricultural producers and tourism operators who rely on backpackers to help fill seasonal workforce shortages.

Nationals WA Leader Shane Love said the WHM visas had long played an important role in supporting regional industries and communities.

“Many businesses rely on seasonal workers to meet labour demands during peak periods, particularly in regional and remote areas where workforce shortages remain a challenge,” Mr Love said.

“Backpackers provide the flexible, short-term workforce relied on by WA’s horticulture, grain and wine industries, particularly in regions such as the South West and Gascoyne. Fewer arrivals would mean fewer workers available for fruit picking and harvests.

“The agriculture industries already have a mountain of roadblocks to navigate: fuel issues, feral animal infestations, drought; so why would the government make things even more difficult?”

Media reports indicate the visa pauses and processing delays form part of the Federal Government’s broader migration management settings.

The Nationals had previously drawn attention to the devastation that cutting back on these visa holders would have on an already suffering agriculture industry, Australia-wide and Mr Love said concerns raised by regional industries mirror warnings that have been made for several years about the importance of maintaining access to seasonal labour.

“Industry groups, including the National Farmers’ Federation, have repeatedly pointed to the role backpackers play in supporting regional economies and helping businesses remain productive,” he said.

The National Farmers’ Federation’s 2024 report on Working Holiday Makers highlighted the significant contribution backpackers make to regional Australia, particularly in sectors experiencing persistent labour shortages.

“What has been covertly released these past few days will no doubt make a present report even more negative. Producers and regional employers are seeking certainty about workforce availability as they plan for upcoming seasons,” Mr Love said.

GPA says grain harvest will be threatened by this delay

Grain Producers Australia (GPA) is deeply concerned by the Federal Government’s confirmation that it is slowing the processing of working holiday visa applications.

In the months leading up to harvest, GPA is alarmed by policy settings that undermine working holidaymakers as part of the seasonal workforce mix that risks undermining critical harvest capacity.

“GPA is aware of the real risk limiting working holiday visa may pose to grain growers and their capability to harvest efficiently and effectively,” stated GPA Chair, Matthew Madden.

“Many of our members rely on working holiday visa holders to meet their staffing capacity needs at critical times, such during as harvest, and this policy position could see them struggle unnecessarily.

“The issue of Federal Government changes related to the employment of working holiday visa holders was recently discussed at the GPA Policy Council meeting as one that can have a real impact on grain growers, with this announcement over the weekend compounding the issue for growers.

“The Australian grain sector has been facing monumental challenges recently, including fuel and fertiliser supply and prices challenges caused by the Iran war, we don’t need any further burdens imposed by the Government.

“We know there is significant political pressure on the government in relation to migration numbers, but this shouldn’t lead to a problem for our hard-working grain growers.

WA Grains Group Chair and GPA Policy Council representative Alastair Falconer, farms in the northern Wheatbelt of WA and regularly seeks out extra labour to support the property in busy periods.

“We’ve been recruiting lately, with noticeably less working holiday visa holders around to potentially help us for harvest,” he said.

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