The Australian government is launching a visa program to allow foreign labourers to work on the nation’s farms

The Australian government will launch a brand new visa program designed to encourage more foreign labourers to work on the nation’s farms.

The Agriculture Minister says the agreements will be with countries that already have strong ties with Australia. This includes the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam and South Korea.

This follows Australia’s agricultural industry struggling recently as a result of long-term labour shortages.

Agriculture is big business in Australia

The industry is big business, accounting for around 3 percent of the nation’s gross domestic profit. This makes these agreements vital to the country’s economy.

The new visa system will allow migrant farm labourers to work for three years, with a requirement to return to their home country for three months of every year.

If the labourers then want to continue working in an approved industry beyond three years, they will be eligible to apply for permanent residency.