Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee, , 7:44:44 to 7:50:56
Officials provide details on the upcoming ballot system for second and third-year Working Holiday Maker visas, including the 45,000 cap and the nominal $25 participation fee designed to prevent system abuse.
Topics: Employment, Cost recovery
Speakers: Hon Jonathon Duniam, Clare Sharp, Michael Willard, Unknown Speaker
Venture forth where others may not, you should. Okay, then just uh returning to working holiday makers then. The specific caps for the second and third year visas, were they so how did we arrive at those numbers, 45,000 and 5,000 for the two respective years?
So they were figures we we looked at um the numbers last year and we looked at the kind of num reduction or the uh you know the effect we needed to achieve. Um so for example, the working holiday maker ballot number that Minister Burke announced of 45,000 represents about 80 per cent of the number of working holiday maker to people who actually were here last year. So does that make so so we we essentially it was a com combined um it was a combination of looking at what kind of reduction um or or tapering of growth did we need to achieve along with what what do we expect demand will look like and also um Minister Burke uh was very keen to ensure that we could made made particularly in working holiday maker two, we kept enough places available, as many as we could create a strong incentive for people to do their regional work in year Yeah, which is why 80 per cent, you know, you've got a four in five chance if you go in the ballot um of getting a place.
And so a range was considered a range of options when it comes to numbers, I assume on the way through, but 45,000 for working holiday maker two was decided the best one to achieve the ultimate outcome here.
That's correct. We looked at a range of options.
And the same for 5,000 in year three?
The calculation is a little different. I don't have that off the top of my head.
But also a range of options considered.
Yeah, okay. Uh all right. Um and that those numbers obviously the government retains the capacity to in any given year, despite this being the stated aim to go beyond that.
That's right. And um, the where the government decides to set a ballot level is very much up to the government, and it could change during the course of a year based on economic need or demand or society, you know, we would be running the ballot with some frequency. Um the ballot mechanism itself is is just uh um a can a control lever, if you like, that allows government to manage volume. Um and it can also you know set some criteria around it, but the number is is very much a choice government of the day.
Yeah, okay. And uh just back to operations of the program, when will registrations open on what date are we looking to?
Uh I don't think we've settled a precise date yet.
I assume early December, given the programme will be up and running in November?
Or the necessary I I think I'd have to take it on, like I I do not know the date, Senator, so I'll need to take it on notice.
So um then, can I understand from, for example, a farmer's point of view who is looking to obtain a workforce for harvest or sort of hospitality business looking for workers? And they are seeking to have someone in the month of January next year. Are they able to apply now? And if so, are they treated under the normal arrangements or would they be under the go slow we've talked about previously? Or is there a complete hold on things until this new scheme is up and running?
So applications continue to be open for work and holiday maker one, two and three at the moment?
Yes. Okay.
Um within the constraints that we described with that three-month processing time.
Yeah, and just on the three months, I'll come back to that other issue, but on the processing time while we're on it, how do we determine three months was the workable period to process in?
Again, that was um a decision we took based on looking at the need to temper that growth, that rapid growth alongside what we thought was reasonable amount of time for somebody to wait.
Okay. All right.
We did some analysis that showed that typically work and holiday makers take uh just over three months between the time they get their first visa overseas and the time they actually arrive in Australia.
Oh, okay. So it was set for that reason. Okay. Um just though back to this certainty issue and the scheme being up and running, so um we're on track to have the balloting system working for year two and three working holiday makers who are looking and their visa might be coming to an end sometime over the Christmas New Year period. What how do they operate in this sort of void or vacuum at this point?
That just business as usual or so in the case of somebody who's here, they've completed their specified work in their first year. And they could apply now and they are, and we are processing those, albeit with that three-month wait. The ballot doesn't apply yet.
Okay. And so it only then applies after a point in time when you've stood it up and we don't know quite what date that will be yet.
Yeah. Minister Burke has said November, so um, and and I guess we've said today it'll be towards the end of November.
Okay. All right. Uh for those who pay a fee and miss out to some questions, Senator Blair was asking before. Um, the $1,000, I think it is, is that for year two?
No, the fee for participating in the ballot. What is not the visa application fee?
It'll be a lot lower than that. What do you know what it will be?
Where we have ballots in place already, it's $25. So it's a it's a nominal fee. It's designed to stop um bots and the like bobbing up the system.
Thank you.