- Western Australia growers say a visa-processing slowdown could leave citrus fruit unpicked this harvest.
- Citrus Australia says working holiday makers supply around 44 per cent of horticulture’s peak workforce.
- Applications from 24 of 29 countries were paused, while second- and third-year visa caps were cut.
Western Australia’s citrus growers are warning that a visa-processing slowdown could leave fruit unpicked this harvest. The harvest needs hands now. The pressure is landing on the Working Holiday Maker program.
Citrus Australia said on September 14, 2026 that “a slowdown in visa processing threatens the industry’s ability to secure the workforce it needs each season,” and Nathan Hancock said the crop depends on labour that cannot be replaced overnight. “Our industry picks close to a million tonnes of fruit each year, nearly all of it by hand, and we need every single worker we can get,” he said. He also warned that “A bureaucratic go-slow on Working Holiday Maker visas will have a real and detrimental impact on growers’ annual harvest.”
Hancock said working holiday makers make up “around 44 per cent of horticulture’s peak harvest workforce.” That share matters. Citrus picking is still mostly manual.
The Department of Home Affairs said the changes were being rolled out “to ensure the long-term sustainability of the WHM program” and told applicants not to arrange travel until their visas were granted in writing. Applications from 24 of 29 working-holiday countries had been paused. In July 2026, the department shifted visa processing priorities toward defense, law enforcement, construction, health care, teaching, and applicants already in Australia. The wider shake-up also brought a ballot system for second- and third-year working holiday visas, along with more regional work for extensions.
Local growers were already warning about the harvest squeeze. On September 1, 2026, food producers in Western Australia said they feared they would not be able to hire seasonal workers. Scott Crosby said he would need backpackers for the upcoming harvest and called the focus on temporary visas “off target” because working holiday makers are only in Australia briefly. Shane Kay of Moora Citrus and Northern Valley Packers said his business depends heavily on backpackers, employing up to 40 at a time, and warned oranges and lemons could “be left to rot on trees.”
Amanda Rishworth pushed back on Friday. “I don't accept the premise of what's being put forward,” she said. The employment minister said backpackers would still have access and pointed to the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme as an alternative. Hamish McIntyre said farmers were furious that processing had slowed “from a few days to three months.”
A separate report on September 18 said second-year working holiday visas would be capped at 45,000, down from 57,000, and third-year visas at 5,000, down from 31,000. It also said the changes could slash the number of backpacker visas by almost 40,000 a year.
| Measure | Figure | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Working-holiday countries paused | 24 of 29 | Applications were put on hold |
| Second-year visas | 45,000 | Down from 57,000 |
| Third-year visas | 5,000 | Down from 31,000 |
| Possible annual backpacker visa cut | almost 40,000 | As reported on September 18, 2026 |
Farmers want a workforce guarantee before fruit ripens
WA opposition criticism on September 17, 2026 said Immigration Minister Tony Burke had announced an end to the processing slowdown, but growers still had no timeline or workforce guarantee for harvest. Lachlan Hunter MLA, the Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Food, said: “Tony Burke says the go-slow is over. Fine. Now tell farmers when their workers are coming.”
Citrus Australia said any reduction in visa supply should be matched by a dedicated Agriculture or Harvest Visa. The group has long sought one. Until that happens, growers say they are still counting on workers who may not arrive in time.
