Working holiday visa pause leaves farms short as harvest season looms - ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Matt Bourke is a harvest contractor in Victoria.  (Image: Supplied)

The federal government has paused working visa applications from 24 countries, and a new priority system has delayed approvals.

Farmers across the country are concerned about the impact of these changes ahead of harvest season.

Visa applicants are advised not to arrange travel to Australia until they have been notified in writing that their visa has been granted.

Farmers are worried there won't be enough workers to pack fruit and harvest crops after recent changes to visa processing.

The federal government has paused working holiday visa applications coming from 24 of 29 countries, amid a slowdown in processing skilled visa applications.

These two quiet changes, made to curb net overseas migration, have raised fears in the agricultural sector.

Operating heavy machinery is a key part of grain and crop harvest across Australia.  (ABC Mid West and Wheatbelt: Chris Lewis)

Victorian contractor Matt Bourke had planned to hire 30 staff members ahead of the grain harvest in just a few weeks, with many coming from overseas on both visas.

"Not one working holiday visa has been approved yet," Mr Bourke said.

"There are probably 60 or 70 per cent who have worked with me in the past. I've never had this issue before."

The National Farmers Federation estimates that overseas workers make up about half of Australia's peak harvest casual workforce.

Agricultural workers predominantly use two types of visas to apply for seasonal harvest jobs: the work and holiday visa for backpackers, and the skilled visa for skilled workers like heavy machinery operators.

The Australian government's Department of Home Affairs website shows application cap indicators for the Working Holiday Maker (WHM) program.  (Image: ABC News)

In a statement, a Department of Home Affairs spokesperson said the number of working holiday-makers (WHMs) in Australia was at a historically high level.

As a result, "applications may take longer than usual and may be finalised outside the published processing time frames."

As of June 30, 2025, there were 206,187 working holiday-makers in Australia.

But despite the high figures, farmers across the country say they're struggling to recruit pickers.

In the Northern Territory, Berry Creek mango packing manager Phillipa Johnson said she was still looking for workers just a few weeks out from harvest.

Because it's a short two-to three-month season, many of her workers come from overseas on a working holiday visa.

Farm workers from overseas are crucial during the harvest season. (ABC News: Che Chorley)

"We're getting some applications from overseas, but their visas haven't been approved," Ms Johnson said.

In July, the Department of Home Affairs issued a new ministerial direction prioritising skilled visa processing for defence and law enforcement workers, followed by construction, healthcare, teaching, and people already in Australia.

While many farmers use working holiday visa applicants on their farm for a seasonal workforce, other farmers need specific skills they can't find in Australia.

Mr Bourke said professionally trained skilled workers had been vital to his operation over the harvest period.

"The guys we're bringing into the country are currently running those machines at home, in their own country, on their own farms or on farms around them," he said.

Earlier this year, Tasmanian dairy farmer Michele Lawrence gave evidence to the parliamentary inquiry into the value of skilled migration in Australia.

Meander Valley dairy farmer, Michele Lawrence. (Supplied: Michele Lawrence)

The chair of People and Communities Policy Advisory at Australian Dairy Farmers spoke about the essential role overseas workers on both visas play in sustaining dairy production and food security.

"We need these people; the working holiday-makers will stay on our farm for as long as they can on their visas," she said.

Ms Lawrence employs several working holiday makers on her Meander Valley property, and said she's still waiting for an ag science engineer to arrive from Argentina.

"Within that we've got a skill set of science degrees, nursing degrees and electrical trades," she said.

"They're really strategic people on our farm."

A Department of Home Affairs spokesperson said it was taking a range of measures to put pressure on overseas migration, better manage demand for the WHM program, and support a fairer allocation of visas.

"These actions will be rolled out progressively to ensure the long-term sustainability of the WHM program while continuing to support the tourism economy and workforce needs, particularly in regional Australia," they said.

"Visa applicants are advised not to arrange travel to Australia until they have been notified in writing of the grant of their visa."