Farmers and primary producers in New England are a step closer to benefitting from the Liberal and National Government’s new Australian Agriculture Worker Visa.

The Government amended the Migration Regulations on 30 September 2021 to create the Australian Agriculture Worker Visa (Ag Visa) and continue along the pathway of providing an agriculture visa that will help secure the future of rural and regional Australia.

This historic announcement that the Ag Visa is now law ensures the visa will help secure the long-term labour force our farmers in New England need.

Deputy Prime Minister and Member for New England, Barnaby Joyce said the Agriculture Visa will also create a pathway to permanent residency for those workers who will help secure the future of our region.

“We promised this Visa and here it is. The creation of the Ag visa under the Migration Regulations is landmark moment for the sector and delivers on our promise to have it in place this year,” Deputy Prime Minister Joyce said.

“The Ag Visa will be the biggest structural change to agricultural workforce in our nation’s history and producers in New England are poised to be able to grab the benefits with both hands.

“The visa will be available to seasonal workers, skilled and semiskilled workers.

“And is not just those on the farm that benefit, the fisheries, forestry and agricultural processing sectors and will also get access to workers under this visa.

“Worker restrictions have always been a problem, but it has been taken to the next level with COVID and the subsequent international and internal borders.

“We now have a visa that will give New England a long term, reliable workforce for our agricultural industries.

“The Liberals and Nationals will always stand up for regional and rural Australia, and with this Agriculture Visa we have again delivered.” 

Today’s regulation provides a new Australian Agriculture Worker stream which will provide for the entry and temporary stay of workers across primary industries sectors.

This provides the pathway for workers to arrive with first worker arrivals once partner country negotiations are complete. Any workers will also need to meet necessary Federal and State quarantine requirements.