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Australian Tourism Export Council advocates for revolutionary changes in the Working Holiday Maker Visa program to include hospitality and tourism roles in regional areas.
The Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) is advocating for an expansion of qualifications for working holiday makers to include tourism and hospitality roles in all non-metropolitan areas of Australia. This initiative aims to diversify the opportunities available to these visa holders, allowing them to contribute more broadly to regional economies.
This recommendation comes as the Federal Government is reviewing the working holiday maker (WHM) visa criteria as part of its ongoing Review of Regional Migration Settings. The evaluation seeks to refine visa settings to better meet the needs of both travelers and the regional areas they visit and work in.
ATEC’s proposals focus on maintaining the WHM visa as a means of cultural exchange, promoting travel and regional employment as part of the visa extension process. One of the primary suggestions is to limit the qualifying period for both the second and third-year visas to 88 days, simplifying the extension criteria.
In their submission, ATEC calls for tourism to be added to the list of ‘specified work’ required for second and third-year visa qualifications. This change would enable WHM visa holders to holiday and work across all regions of Australia, further supporting regional economies.
Additionally, ATEC recommends several other key changes, including reducing the qualifying period for the third-year visa extension to 88 days and raising the maximum age limit to 35 for all participating countries. They also propose that individuals who first used the WHM visa under 30 and have since spent four years outside Australia be eligible for a second WHM visa.
To further support these initiatives, ATEC suggests an additional $5 million annually be allocated to Tourism Australia for promotional activities aimed at encouraging WHMs to travel and work across the country. They also advocate for targeted marketing efforts to promote regional dispersion of WHMs and the development of technology solutions for job vacancies, requiring employers to register to increase transparency and accountability.
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