- Australia’s new visa limits could leave farms short of backpacker workers during the wheat harvest.
- Second-year and third-year working holiday processing may take three months instead of days.
- Farm leaders warn crops could rot while the government pushes employers toward the PALM scheme.
Australia’s immigration crackdown is putting the approaching wheat harvest at risk, farm groups say, after the government announced new limits for working holiday makers and longer processing times. The changes could reduce the supply of backpacker workers just as regional farms prepare for their busiest weeks.
The policy announced on Thursday, September 17, 2026, introduces a ballot system for working holiday makers seeking second- or third-year stays. Processing for those visas is expected to take three months instead of a few days.
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The timing worries growers. Some farms are only weeks from harvest.
Hamish McIntyre, president of the National Farmers’ Federation, said the delay could determine whether farms bring in crops before they deteriorate.
“Farmers need approvals in days, not months. For many farms, three months is the difference between harvesting a crop and losing it,”
McIntyre warned that labour shortages could cut output and raise prices. His comments describe an industry warning, not an official forecast.
The federal government had already paused working holiday visa applications from 24 countries on September 14, 2026. The new policy may limit second-year stays to 45,000 and third-year stays to 5,000.
One report said about one in seven farm jobs is filled by a worker on a backpacker visa. That estimate illustrates why growers are focused on a short-term workforce rather than only on long-term migration settings.
Seasonal farms are entering their narrowest labour window
Farm groups say the pressure extends beyond grain. Fruit, vegetable and other seasonal crops also depend on workers arriving for limited harvest periods.
McIntyre said the slowdown had “already caused havoc across agriculture” ahead of the busiest period for food and fibre production. Bran Black, chief executive officer of the Business Council of Australia, said the labour shortage reaches well beyond farms.
“Almost one in three occupations in this country are short of workers right now”
The warning is broad, but harvest timing makes the problem sharper in rural areas. A farm can lose the value of a crop when labour arrives after the workable picking or harvesting period.
The proposed settings put workers and employers on different clocks:
| Working holiday category | Reported policy setting |
|---|---|
| Second-year stays | 45,000 |
| Third-year stays | 5,000 |
| Visa processing | three months |
| Previous timing | a few days |
The ballot and caps concern people seeking to remain for a second or third year. They do not describe a general limit on every working holiday entrant, but they narrow the path for some returning seasonal workers.
Susan McDonald, shadow minister for resources and northern Australia, said the shortage could harm both farms and remote communities.
“There’s a real risk that crops will be left to rot and remote businesses just won’t be able to operate”
Reporting on September 18, 2026, said farmers viewed the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme as too slow to replace workers for farms only weeks from harvest. The issue is the time needed to arrange labour, not simply whether another visa pathway exists.
Ministers direct growers toward a Pacific labour scheme
Employment Minister Amanda Rishworth urged farmers to recruit through the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme, which draws workers from the Pacific and Timor-Leste. She rejected the premise of the industry criticism.
“I don’t accept the premise of what’s being put forward”
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke defended the migration changes as a broad government policy rather than a measure designed around one industry.
“can’t quarantine any sector of the economy from the impacts of the migration shake-up”
The government’s response places responsibility on growers to consider PALM while the industry argues that the scheme cannot meet an immediate harvest deadline. Those positions leave farms weighing a slower alternative against crops that may be ready soon.
The migration plan sets a wider test for regional employers
The reported migration targets extend beyond seasonal agriculture. One Reuters-linked report said Labor’s plan aims to reduce net overseas migration to 245,000 in 2026/27 and 225,000 per year thereafter.
Separate reporting described a target of 225,000 by 2028, down from about 292,130 currently. Those figures are reported government objectives, not a forecast of wheat production or farm employment.
The wider package includes tighter rules for international students, tougher action on visa overstayers and a “no further stay” condition for visitor visas. Reporting on September 18, 2026, said the measures were being rolled out without new legislation after coalition negotiations broke down.
The immediate dispute remains regional and seasonal. Growers say a three-month wait can outlast the period when workers can save a crop, while ministers point them toward PALM.
This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Consult a qualified immigration attorney about your specific case.
