The Federal Government is planning to cut the number of Working Holiday Makers coming to Australia, as part of its broader plan to reduce migration by 75,000 by 2028.

The number of second-year visas is expected to fall from around 57,000 to 45,000, while third-year visas could drop from around 31,000 to just 5,000.

The Government also plans to introduce a ballot for people applying for a second or third Working Holiday visa, meaning eligible applicants will have to enter a random selection process rather than automatically progressing to another year.

The Government says the changes will help bring migration back under control and ease pressure on housing, but this reform leaves regional employers exposed to unknown workforce risk.

The Wire Manon Louvet asked Richard Shannon, Executive Officer of the National Farmers’ Federation Horticulture Council what he thought would be the impact of the government’s reforms to working holiday visas?