Agriculture visa: Four countries in talks to join visa program

The Federal Government has signed off on changes to introduce the promised visa, but who will be taking it up?

More harvest workers could be here under the agriculture visa scheme by December. Picture: Zoe Phillips

At least four countries are in negotiations to join Australia’s fledgling agriculture visa scheme, with hopes the first workers could be here by the end of the year.

But it is still unclear which ag sectors will be able to access the workers, with many details of the program still not determined. 

Regulations for the long promised agriculture-specific work visa were amended last week, paving the way for countries to sign up for the program.

The visa will be open to the United Kingdom and the 10 ASEAN nations initially, pending their interest to join.

Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said the Government was in discussion with “over four countries” with which Australia already had “very close immigration ties”, but said it would be inappropriate to name them while negotiations were still underway.

“They’ve been very positive about signing up … we’re having respectful but very fruitful discussions where we expect an affirmative to our ag visa very soon,” he said.

Cambodia is keen on the program, according to reports in The Phnom Penh Post, with Labour Minister Ith Sam Heng stating that “Cambodian workers would be able to do very well for their Australian employers” in harvest and farm work.

Full details of how the scheme will work are still being developed, however the ag visa has been placed under the same visa stream as the Pacific Island seasonal worker and labour scheme.

Recruitment will initially be limited to a small number of employers already approved under the Pacific schemes, with workers anticipated to arrive between December and March; the scheme will then be opened to more employers from April next year.

The Department of Home Affairs did not confirm which ag sectors or skills would be targeted in the first phase of the scheme, nor how many approved employers it would include.

“The Government will make further announcements following the completion of the formal consultation with the primary industries sector,” a department spokesman said.

Industry has so far welcomed the new program, with National Farmers’ Federation chief executive Tony Mahar warning it was now on state and territory governments to approve quarantine arrangements for workers, to get them on farms as quickly as possible.