FEDERAL Coalition plans to establish a purpose-built agricultural visa by 2030 and eliminate the current ballot system and caps for second and third year Working Holiday Maker visas have been welcomed by the National Farmers Federation.

The visa goals are part of the Liberals and Nationals’ plan to reduce net overseas migration to 100,000 a year for the first two years, before levelling out at around 160,000 in year four.

The Coalition said it would reduce the stock of temporary visa holders by around 650,000 over four years, while keeping the permanent skilled migration program capped at 185,000 places a year.

This would include reversing Labor’s ballot system and caps for second and third year Working Holiday Maker visa extensions. The Coalition also said it would differentiate between Working Holiday Makers in regional and non-regional areas by raising visa fees with an exemption for regional areas.

Fit-for-purpose migration system essential – NFF

The National Farmers’ Federation said a fit-for-purpose migration system is essential to Australia’s food and fibre production and regional communities.

NFF president Hamish McIntyre said the announcement recognised the farm sector’s longstanding call for a dedicated visa pathway that complements, rather than replaces, existing programs.

“The NFF has long called for workforce reform, including a purpose-built agricultural visa. We welcome the Coalition’s commitment to introduce one from 2030.

“Agriculture needs workers with different skills, in different places and at different times of the year. A dedicated Agriculture Visa should sit alongside the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) Scheme, skilled migration and Working Holiday Makers, with each pathway meeting distinct workforce needs,” he said.

“We would like to see all parties support this idea and work closely with agriculture to develop a practical, durable model with strong worker protections and clear pathways for the people and businesses who rely on it.”

Mr McIntyre said the Coalition’s commitment to reverse caps and the ballot system for second and third-year WHM visa extensions, and regional area exemption from proposed higher visa fees is an important recognition that Working Holiday Makers are an important mobile workforce for farms and regional communities.

“They fill around one in seven farm jobs nationally, support peak periods and spend money in local accommodation, hospitality, retail and tourism businesses.

“Working Holiday Maker numbers are already easing, with Minister Burke himself pointing to increasing departures,” he said.

“The Coalition’s own modelling also projects 23,700 fewer Working Holiday Maker visa holders by 2031-32.

“We want to ensure policy settings should support regional workforce needs rather than accelerate the decline,” Mr McIntyre said.

Mr McIntyre said migration policy cannot be judged by a headline number alone.

“The test is whether Australia can get the right workers to the right places at the right time, while maintaining integrity and protecting workers.

“We need to understand how the broader proposed reductions and changes to skilled migration would affect agriculture, particularly in communities already facing acute workfoce shortages,” he said.

NFF calls for urgent visa reform by government

The NFF also today called for urgent reform of Australia’s regional workforce and migration settings, warning the recent emergency process for critical farm worker applications is only a short-term pressure valve.

Mr McIntyre said the Federal Government’s cooperation on urgent WHM cases was welcome, but it did not address the deeper workforce pressures affecting agriculture and regional communities.

“The government has given agriculture a pressure valve and that is helping some farm businesses facing genuine and urgent workforce shortages, but we need a long term solution.

“Farmers had the rug pulled out from under them when Working Holiday Maker processing changed without consultation, just as they were heading into peak planting and harvest periods,” he said.

“We cannot rely on emergency measures to harvest crops, care for livestock, and keep food and fibre moving through the supply chains.”

The Department of Home Affairs recently allowed the NFF to refer eligible visa application cases from its members where a worker has been identified for a specific agricultural role and their timely arrival is critical. The pathway was only available to members of NFF-affiliated state farming organisations, but critical visa applications from non-SFO farmers have also reportedly been expedited.

Mr McIntyre said the disruption extended well beyond farm gates, with tourism, hospitality, accommodation and small businesses also relying on Working Holiday Makers.

Mr McIntyre rejected suggestions that the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Scheme (PALM) could simply replace Working Holiday Makers.

“PALM is valuable and important, but it is not a like-for-like substitute for Working Holiday Makers.”

The NFF visa wish list

The NFF is calling for the Federal Government to:

Revert back to regular processing under the Working Holiday Maker program;

Improve PALM while recognising it is not suitable for every business;

Make skilled migration pathways more practical and accessible for regional employers;

Work with industry on a purpose-built agricultural visa that complements existing workforce programs;

Ensure strong worker protections through employer accreditation, compliance and enforcement; and

Consult agriculture, tourism, hospitality, small business and regional communities from the beginning of the reform process.

The NFF said its longstanding policy supports a dedicated agricultural visa that is purpose-built, responsive to industry needs, fair to workers and employers, and flexible enough to meet seasonal demand.

“We are not asking the government to announce a model tomorrow,” Mr McIntyre said.

“We are asking it to begin genuine, urgent work with the people who understand how regional labour markets operate.

“Australia needs a workforce system that gets the right workers to the right places at the right time, while protecting workers and maintaining public confidence,” he said.

“The government opened a pressure valve. Now it needs to work with us on a lasting solution.”

Recognition, but no commitment to long-term changes – Home Affairs

A Department of Home Affairs spokesperson said the government’s reforms to the Working Holiday Maker program are designed to manage demand, support a fairer allocation of visas and ensure the long-term sustainability and integrity of the program.

“The government recognises the contribution of Working Holiday Makers to regional communities and will continue to monitor labour market conditions as the changes are implemented.

“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 three months.

“Visa processing times between individuals are dependent on a number of factors, including the quality and completeness of the applications, applicants’ responsiveness to requests for information and the complexity involved in assessing genuineness, character, health and security requirements.”

The department did not directly answer whether the government was intending to enshrine changes in its approach to WHM visas to guarantee farmers sustainable long-term access to critical harvest labour. Nor did the spokesperson comment on whether the government is considering dropping the second and third year WHM cap system or whether it would work with the NFF to develop a purpose-built agricultural visa.