Working holiday makers visa requirements changed

Late on Tuesday, the federal government announced changes to the rules for Working Holiday Makers (WHM) in remote parts of Australia , intended to provide added support to tourism and hospitality businesses in regional locations that continue to struggle due to the ongoing shortage of skilled workers.

WHM visa holders working in the tourism and hospitality sectors in Northern and remote areas of Australia will be able to count this as specified work, meaning they are eligible for a second or third WHM visa.

This visa renewal will be available to WHMs who lodge their applications from March 2022 and will take into account work undertaken in the tourism and hospitality sectors in these remote locations from today. 

These changes will help ease the hospitality skills shortage in remote parts of Australia, Australian Hotels Association CEO Stephen Ferguson said today.

“Many areas of remote Australia rely heavily on Working Holiday Makers to supplement their domestic workforce,” Ferguson said.

“We welcome any changes which make it easier for Working Holiday Makers to work and for our struggling hotels and pubs to employ much needed staff for customers who want to enjoy Australian hospitality, accommodation and tourism.”

The changes are in addition to chefs being added to the Priority Skilled Migration Occupation List on Monday.

Both peak hospitality associations - the AHA and Tourism Accommodation Australia -have pushed for these changes since the onset of the pandemic.

Even though the priority is to hire Australian workers first, Ferguson considers these latest actions as necessary and urgent steps in rebuilding the sector.

“This will put more workers where they are most needed. It’s a ‘win-win as we work to rebuild our hard-hit sector and lead a world-class hospitality recovery.”

In May last year, tourism and hospitality were been added to the list of COVID-19 critical sectors, allowing WHMs employed in the tourism and hospitality sector to work longer than six months for one employer without requesting permission, giving more flexibility to tourism and hospitality employers to meet their workforce needs. 

Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs, Alex Hawke said these changes build on those introduced in April last year.

“We recognise the important contribution Working Holiday Makers have made to critical sectors of the Australian economy throughout the pandemic,” he said. 

“COVID-19 travel restrictions and economic shocks disrupted the plans of many visa holders. These additional measures provide the opportunity for a reset – helping Working Holiday Makers to stay and work in Australia,” he said.

Working Holiday Makers are currently capped at working for one employer in six months in any one location. That will also now be waived for remote and very remote areas.