Pollyana

Working visa rules relaxed to fill vital farm jobs

https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/queensland-government/working-visa-rules-relaxed-to-fill-vital-farm-jobs/news-story/8994292706e5fb23e9a002c7bb036ac0

Article is unfortunately behind a paywall, but the salient points of the forthcoming changes appear to be: (copied from the article)

Annual working holiday visa caps will be lifted, the age limit raised to 35 for some countries, and backpackers will be able to triple the length of their stay in Australia if they agree to an extra six months’ agricultural work.
In a series of changes to visa rules, backpackers will no longer need to leave jobs every six months and also will be permitted to stay with the same employer for up to a year.
A current rule forcing some backpackers to work in northern Australia to extend their visas will be dumped in favour of guidelines allowing them to work in a wider range of regions anywhere in the country.
Backpackers spent $920 million in regional areas last year but the number of those willing to do farm work to get a second year in Australia has fallen by almost 30 per cent since 2013.
The Prime Minister, who will announce the changes during a visit to a farm in southeast Queensland today, said the aim was to deliver immediate help to farmers.

Pacific Islanders doing seasonal work will also be allowed to stay up to three months longer as the Government tries to placate angry farmers who warn crops will rot because they cannot find staff.

TeeTMI

From the media release made by:
THE HON MICHAEL MCCORMACK
Deputy Prime Minister
Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development
Leader of the Nationals
THE HON DAVID LITTLEPROUD MP
Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources
THE HON DAVID COLEMAN MP
Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs

MEDIA RELEASE
5 November 2018
MORE SUPPORT FOR FARMERS AND REGIONAL ECONOMIES
Farmers in regional and rural areas around Australia will now receive more support to resolve labour
shortages with new changes to two visa programs.
We don’t want fruit rotting on the vine or crops left in the field and it’s vital our farmers maximise
their hard work and economic returns.
We will make a number of changes to the Working Holiday Maker (WHM) visa program to target
genuine workforce shortages in regional Australia without displacing Australian workers.
We will increase the number of visa holders and allow them to extend their time in Australia by
undertaking agricultural work in new areas across the country.
We will also make a number of changes to the Seasonal Worker Program, making it easier for
farmers to access workers for a longer period with less administration costs.
This work builds on the changes we made last month to get more Australian job seekers into work by
filling farm shortages through the National Harvest Labour Information Service.
We want Australians filling Australian jobs but when this isn’t possible action was needed to ensure
farmers weren’t left high and dry.
Our action today means our farmers will get immediate support, helping them reap the economic
returns of their hard work.
We also know the vast majority of holiday makers spend big in our regions, delivering a return to
small businesses and jobs.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael
McCormack said agriculture was a critical industry which underpinned regional economies and
empowering a flexible work-force to meet varied labour demands was critical to success.
Mr McCormack said the WHM visa changes represented another pragmatic solution to address the
problem of filling work-force shortages in the Australian farm sector.
“Our considered and measured approach ensures we continue to back farm businesses and
communities to continue producing and supplying the world’s best food and fibre,” he said.
“We remain focused on addressing this issue by providing more workforce options and flexibility to
help our farmers pick their fruit and harvest their crops.”
Minister for Agriculture David Littleproud said farmers had been calling for action in this space for
some time.
“These are good steps towards getting farmers better access to labour,” Minister Littleproud said.
Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs David Coleman said the changes to the
WHM visa program would help resolve agricultural labour shortages in regional and rural Australia.
“Lifting the annual caps on visas, expanding the number of regional areas where Work and Holiday
makers can work for three months in specified farming work, and allowing 12 months of work with
the same agricultural employer will assist farmers this growing season,” Mr Coleman said.
“These incentives will encourage more workers to the regions that need them and provide working
holiday makers with more flexibility, as well as the opportunity to experience living and working in
Australia’s rural communities.”

Changes to Working Holiday Maker visas:
• Work and Holiday makers (subclass 462) will be able to undertake regional plant and animal
cultivation work in additional priority areas to become eligible for a second visa.
• Extension of the period a WHM (subclass 417 and 462) may work with the same agricultural
employer from six to 12 months.
• Introduction of a third year visa option for WHM (subclasses 417 and 462), who from 1 July 2019
onwards complete six months of regional work in the second year.
• Increase the number of places available for Work and Holiday Maker program (subclass 462) by
lifting annual caps available to a number of countries participating in the subclass 462 visa program.
These changes require a strict workforce test to be applied to ensure Australian workers are given
the first opportunity for work.

Changes to the Seasonal Worker Program:
• Increase work period in Australia to nine months for all workers (currently six months for some
countries).
• Increase validity of labour market testing prior to recruiting workers from three to six months.
• Reduce out of pocket expenses for employers (workers repay their full travel costs except for the
first $300; a reduction from the previous $500).

Ends

TeeTMI

Now published on the Ministers web site: https://minister.homeaffairs.gov.au/...ECONOMIES.aspx

spouse of scouse

While this is good news on the face of it for work/holiday visa applicants, and for agriculture businesses, I do wish the government would put better systems in place to identify those employers who exploit their workers.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/backpack...n-unpaid-wages

Pollyana

Indeed.
They reckon the number of backpackers who know do the 3 months to get their second year has dropped dramatically. I can't say I'm surprised. I've spoken to several who won't stay on the farms because the conditions are so poor.
Mind you I have also come across a fair few Brit & Irish backpackers who have left the farms because they did not understand that it meant REAL farm work, I've heard complaints frsthand about "getting my nails dirty" "I broke two nails the first day" "I only have flip flops with me and they are no good in a field" and of course "It was too hot" - errr what do you expect in Mackay in January?

Pollyana

Just musing at the WHV changing to a possible three years........
At present a lot of people come over on a WHV to egt the 12 months de facto cohabitation needed for a Partner Visa. Even if the WHV holder does the second year, that will only get the a Temp Spouse Visa - the first part - and they then need to stay together to get PR further down the line.
This change could seriously benefit these couples as the WHV holder can now spend 3 years in Aus as part of the de facto couple before getting the Partner Visa..........and that three years is enough to get PR at once. No Temp Visa, straight to the finish line. Being a cynical old bird it will be interesting to see how many then call it quits, pocket their PR and wander off into the sunset......