Arabic version: المزارعون يؤمّنون معالجة أسرع لتأشيرات الرحّالة العاجلة

According to ABC News, the National Farmers Federation and the federal government have reached a short-term arrangement to fast-track urgent Working Holiday Maker visa applications for farm workers. The agreement follows concerns about regional labour shortages after limits on backpacker numbers were announced and visa processing slowed in August.

The process is intended for applicants who have already applied for a visa, are contracted to undertake agricultural work on a specific farm and are needed for business operations. Harvest and fruit-picking work can be included. State farming organisations and commodity groups will help identify and organise the most urgent applications.

NFF chief executive Michael Guerin said the arrangement was a response to a critical and urgent need. He said the federation would submit only the most urgent cases, while the government would prioritise their processing in good faith. The NFF expects some applications could be processed within days, although the volume of applications submitted each day is not known.

Approvals are not guaranteed. Applications submitted through the arrangement remain subject to Department of Home Affairs assessment processes. A department spokesperson said it would work with the NFF to identify and prioritise applicants with specific agricultural skills who have contracted with an employer and need to be in Australia within three months.

Mr Guerin said the faster pathway did not resolve longer-term migration and workforce issues. He said agriculture and regional communities rely on overseas workers for roles that employers cannot fill with Australians, and that producers had struggled to get crops off during the visa slowdown.