India to be included in the Australia working holiday visa program

According to a statement issued by the Immigration Minister, David Coleman, Australia is planning to expand its Working Holiday Maker visa program to include more countries, which includes the name of India as well. Under this program, Australia recruits workers to its regional areas for solving the labor shortages issues, especially on farms.

Presently, Australia has 2 types of Work and a Holiday program visa, which includes Subclass 417 and subclass 462. But Indian passport holders are not eligible for any of the two categories.

The government of Australia is in talks to extend the program benefits to backpackers from a total of 13 countries in order to search for workers who wish to work on the farms.

This Working Holiday Maker Program of Australia includes the Working Holiday visa as well as the Work and Holiday visa . It is a cultural exchange program enabling young travelers to extend their holidays and earn more money via short-term employment.

Apart from India, other countries that will be targeted by the government of Australia to extend its work and holiday visas include Brazil, the Philippines, Mexico, Switzerland, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Croatia, Lithuania, Latvia, Andorra, Mongolia, and Monaco.

Coleman also stated that, as per a report issued by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, "the government was working on expanding work and holiday visa conditions in an effort to recruit workers to regional areas".

Since the program was becoming a pathway only for low-skill migrant workers, he said, "Work and holiday applicants must meet minimum requirements before a visa can be granted, including having a functional level of English and they must hold or be studying towards tertiary qualifications."

Under the existing program, backpackers are allowed to work during their stay, but it has caused a major decline in worker availability in regional parts of Australia. There were around 150,000 people who were on their working holiday visa in the month of March, but this program has actually shrunk from the last five years.

Coleman said, " "We know that working holiday-makers travel further into regional areas than most other international visitors," he said, adding "They also spend substantial amounts, helping to boost regional economies."

Last year, Scott Morrison, the Prime Minister said that his government had designed an agricultural visa to attract more and more backpackers to work on regional farms.

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