A sudden pause on the approval of new Working Holiday Maker (WHM) visas from 24 partner countries has caught Australia’s farm sector off-guard just weeks before the spring grain and horticulture harvests. According to the Department of Home Affairs, the freeze – introduced quietly at the start of September as part of a broader review of net overseas migration – is designed to give officials time to clear a growing backlog of on-shore skilled applications. For growers who rely on backpackers for up to half of their peak-season workforce, the timing could not be worse. Harvest contractor Matt Bourke told ABC Rural he usually lines up 30 experienced combine-harvester drivers, many of whom return year after year on second- or third-year WHM visas. “Not one working holiday visa has been approved yet,” he said. Grain farmers in Western Australia and the Riverina report similar shortages, and the National Farmers Federation warns that fruit could be left to rot unless approvals restart within the next fortnight. The pause coincides with a new ministerial direction that re-orders Home Affairs processing priorities: defence, law-enforcement and critical-infrastructure roles now sit at the top of the queue, pushing seasonal agriculture to the back. Migration agents say lodged WHM applications are now taking eight to ten weeks, up from a pre-July average of three. Some backpackers have already diverted to New Zealand and Canada, countries that continue to issue working holiday permits within days. Beyond labour shortages and higher overtime costs, employers face compliance risks. Under tightened right-to-work checks, farmers who hire visa overstayers or tourists risk fines of up to AUD 60,000 per breach. Industry groups are urging members to keep copies of visa-grant letters and to explore alternatives such as the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme, although that pathway involves a longer lead-time and more stringent pastoral-care obligations. For global-mobility managers moving staff into regional Australia, the message is clear: do not assume backpacker labour will be available this season, and factor higher contract rates and possible delays into relocation budgets. Prospective WHM applicants are advised not to book flights until they receive formal grant notices; refunds for cancelled harvest jobs are not guaranteed.
Source: ABC News
