Does your farm or agricultural business need overseas workers to help with seasonal demands? Or are you wanting to come to Australia to do farm work? In June 2021, the Government first announced it would introduce a dedicated Agriculture Visa to allow migrants from certain countries to come to Australia for agricultural work that cannot be filled locally. The visa is designed to alleviate labour shortages impacting the agricultural industry, which have reportedly worsened during the pandemic. Here’s what you should know about Australia’s Agriculture Visa and how the Government is establishing the visa in various stages.
Farm Sponsorship Visa Australia | Plans for an Agriculture Visa
When the Government announced it would introduce an Agriculture Visa, it was intended that the new Visa would be made available to citizens from the UK and 10 countries in the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region.
Countries in the ASEAN region include:
- Brunei
- Cambodia
- Indonesia
- Laos
- Malaysia
- Myanmar
- Philippines
- Singapore
- Thailand
- Vietnam
The visa would allow workers from the UK and the above countries to come to Australia for agricultural seasonal work for three years, with a need to return home for three months each year. It was reported that further countries could be added to this list after extending the visa to ASEAN countries.
What are the next steps? | Agriculture Visa Australia Updates
Here’s a summary of the next steps and some of the hurdles that could impact the progress of the visa, plus other insights agribusinesses and migrants should know.
The way in which the visa will operate will depend on negotiations with participating countries:
- The Government is finalising bilateral agreements with countries that may have access to the visa.
- Agriculture Minister, David Littleproud has previously suggested the UK and ASEAN nations as target regions for the visa. Grain growers with a need for workers that can operate specialist machinery are hopeful that North America and European countries will also be included.
Another factor impacting the visa program is the ability for overseas workers to access flights and quarantine. According to the Government’s media release in August 2021, logistical matters in making the visa operational may take some time to resolve. It states that ‘full conditions [of the agriculture visa] will be developed and implemented over the next three years as the visa is operationalised’.
Australia Farmer Visa Updates
Many other factors are yet to be confirmed including:
- How closely the new visa could resemble existing Pacific Labour programs
- How many workers can access the visa (the Government has claimed it would use a ‘demand-driven approach’)
- Whether the visa will provide a pathway to Permanent Residence (the Government has said this would be considered, but a decision is yet to be confirmed)
- What visa requirements will apply in relation to age, country of passport, length of stay and costs
- Vaccination status to possibly be used as a condition of entry.
- What measures will be in place to protect visa holders from exploitation – read about current standards here.
What options are available for agribusinesses to engage overseas workers to Australia under the Farm Sponsorship Visa?
Apart from the soon-to-be-established Agriculture Visa, agribusinesses may have access to:
- Options to engage visa holders that are already in Australia
- Visa holders currently in Australia may be able to extend their stay for agricultural work through the 408 Pandemic Event Visa for a further stay of up to 12 months. Visa holders on a Working Holiday or Work and Holiday Visas may be able to apply for a further visa, and Student Visa holders can currently access a concession to allow them to work for more than 40 hours a fortnight for work in agriculture sector. Other relaxed visa rules were also announced to provide support to agribusinesses during the pandemic.
- Visa sponsorship options may also be available through the TSS Visa and Regional 494 Visa. Visa processing may be prioritised for ‘critical work’.
- Individuals based overseas may be able to independently apply for a Global Talent Visa.
- Securing workers through the Seasonal Worker Programme (SWP) or Pacific Labour Scheme (PLS)are available visa options during the pandemic. This program enables a pool of 24,000 Pacific and Timorese workers to undertake seasonal work in Australia. SWP and PLS visa holders are automatically exempt from travel restrictions to enter Australia and the Government is introducing several reforms to make these programs more flexible.
It is also important to consider that overseas workers coming to Australia are facing expensive flights and delays at this time as caps are in place to limit the number of people that can arrive in the country per State/Territory. A quarantine period may also apply.
Farm Sponsorship Visa Australia Updates | Industry labour shortages
The agriculture industry has been one of the hardest hit by international border restrictions. For many years, the industry has been reliant on migrant workers due to ongoing difficulties in sourcing local Australians for work under these positions.
Farmers have been calling for a dedicated agriculture visa since 2016 and unfortunately, border restrictions have only served to worsen labour shortages and increase pressure on agribusinesses.
It is hoped that the newly established Agriculture Visa will provide some much-needed and immediate relief for Australian farmers.
Should you require advice on your business’ visa sponsorship options for a Farm Worker Visa to Australia, we encourage you to contact Interstaff’s Registered Migration Agents to discuss your circumstances. For more information, you can also phone us on 1800 449 858 (Free Call Within Australia) or +61 8 9221 3388 (International).
“Thank you very much for all your effort, hard work, professionalism and your positive approach to our extremely difficult case. Nathan and I will be forever grateful for all your help.”
Nadine, Permanent Residence Visa