OVERHAUL OF WORKING HOLIDAY VISAS IN AUSTRALIA MUST GO BEYOND JUST ‘FLITTERING AROUND THE EDGES’

Recent discussions at the Federal level have brought welcomed news that Government is seriously considering changes to how Australia effectively activates Working Holiday Visas (WHV) as a mechanism to deliver short-term relief to staffing pressures being felt by industries across the country. 

Victoria’s peak tourism and events body, the Victoria Tourism Industry Council (VTIC), said that while there have been encouraging signs the Australian Government will look at matters relating to age range eligibility and the number of hours WHV workers can be engaged by any one employer, some fundamental shifts need to occur for the potential of this important component of the tourism and hospitality workforce to be maximised. 

VTIC CEO, Felicia Mariani, said, “It’s pleasing to see the Federal Government finally undertaking focussed deliberations as to how we best engage with the Working Holiday Visa market to ameliorate staffing pressures being felt across our industry; but if we’re really serious, then we need to see an overhaul of the WHV cost structure if Australia is to be truly competitive on the global stage in attracting this market segment. 

“Australia’s WHV cost structure is seriously out of step with our key competitors overseas, with the cost of accessing a Working Holiday Visa in Australia more than double the price in New Zealand or the UK. With such a price sensitive market, it’s imperative that Australia also looks at an overhaul of the cost structure to signal to backpackers across the globe that we’re serious about attracting them to work and play in our beautiful country.” 

Currently, the cost of WHV in Australia is $510 for a 12-month visa, with the potential to extend that visa for a second year if the visa holder works 88 days in a regional area in agriculture, fishing, forestry, construction, or mining. 

Tourism and hospitality jobs are excluded from this feature except in Northern Australia, remote, or very remote parts of Australia that have been specifically identified. Conversely, backpackers can apply for working holiday visas in New Zealand for $221 for a 12-month visa, and in the UK the cost of the same visa is $448 for 24-months. 

“Australia has been non-competitive in this space for too long. In fact, Working Holiday Makers seeking to come to Australia peaked in 2013, with just over 258,200 visas granted that year. We have seen a steady decline of WHV numbers since then, with just 209,036 visas grant in 2019 prior to the pandemic, said Ms Mariani. 

“If we want to show we are really committed to engaging this critical sector, then we need to also look at the cost of securing these visas in Australia. We also need to make it much easier to access a second-year extension by applying the same principles to the tourism and hospitality sectors across the country as are currently in play for northern and remote areas of Australia.

 “It will also be vital for Victoria to undertake aggressive international campaigns to attract this important segment to our state and ensure that we’re reaping the rewards of any major policy shifts made at the national level,” Ms Mariani said. 

*Source CPR Communications  +61 411 035 695 www.cprcomm.com.au