This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/nov/05/australia-to-relax-working-holiday-visas-to-ease-farm-jobs-shortage
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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Australia to relax working holiday visas to ease farm jobs shortage | Australia to relax working holiday visas to ease farm jobs shortage |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Backpackers and other visitors on working holidays will be able to stay in Australia longer under a federal government plan to help farmers fill job shortages. | Backpackers and other visitors on working holidays will be able to stay in Australia longer under a federal government plan to help farmers fill job shortages. |
| Pacific Islanders taking up seasonal work will be able to stay three months longer and the age limit for working holiday visas for some countries will be lifted to 35. | Pacific Islanders taking up seasonal work will be able to stay three months longer and the age limit for working holiday visas for some countries will be lifted to 35. |
| Backpackers will no longer need to leave jobs every six months and will be able to triple the length of their stay if they do extra agricultural work. | Backpackers will no longer need to leave jobs every six months and will be able to triple the length of their stay if they do extra agricultural work. |
| The changes come after the Nationals failed to deliver a promised agricultural visa and Scott Morrison’s attempt to force unemployed benefits recipients to pick fruit was dismissed by the industry. | The changes come after the Nationals failed to deliver a promised agricultural visa and Scott Morrison’s attempt to force unemployed benefits recipients to pick fruit was dismissed by the industry. |
| The prime minister was due to announce the changes in south-east Queensland on Monday. | The prime minister was due to announce the changes in south-east Queensland on Monday. |
| “Australians filling Australian jobs is my number one priority, but when this isn’t possible we need to ensure our farmers aren’t left high and dry with rotting crops, especially in the strawberry industry,” he told the Courier Mail. | “Australians filling Australian jobs is my number one priority, but when this isn’t possible we need to ensure our farmers aren’t left high and dry with rotting crops, especially in the strawberry industry,” he told the Courier Mail. |
| The deputy prime minister, Michael McCormack, said the agricultural visa changes would help farmers fill critical workforces shortages with flexible labour. | |
| “We don’t want fruit rotting on the vine or crops left in the field and it’s vital our farmers maximise their hard work and economic returns,” he said in a joint statement with several Nationals colleagues. “We want Australians filling Australian jobs but, when this isn’t possible, action was needed to ensure farmers weren’t left high and dry.” | |
| A rule that forced some backpackers to work in northern Australia will also be dumped, and they will instead be allowed to work in a wider range of regions throughout the country. | A rule that forced some backpackers to work in northern Australia will also be dumped, and they will instead be allowed to work in a wider range of regions throughout the country. |
| Australia’s agricultural sector has almost doubled in value into a $63.4bn industry over the past decade. | |
| Some 419,000 backpackers visited Australia last year, spending 1.4 million nights in regional areas where they spent $920m. | |
| “Every dollar they earn here, they spend here, that’s the whole point,” Morrison said. | |
| Australian immigration and asylum | Australian immigration and asylum |
| Migration | Migration |
| Agriculture | Agriculture |
| South Pacific | South Pacific |
| Rural Australia | Rural Australia |
| Australian politics | Australian politics |
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