Advocacy update: Proposed Working Holiday Maker visa restrictions lifted
Posted on June 26th, 2024
A message from Brett Fraser, QTIC CEO
Following extensive advocacy efforts by the Australian Tourism Industry Council (ATIC), in collaboration with QTIC, the Federal Government has ruled out capping the Working Holiday Maker (WHM) visa to 12 months – a cap originally flagged in the 2023 Migration Review.
The proposed cap caused significant concerns for businesses and Australia’s tourism industry. As such, ATIC and QTIC provided the Minister for Immigration with a detailed analysis of the detrimental impacts of the proposed one-year cap and subsequently met with Minister Giles to discuss the importance of long stay backpackers to tourism businesses and regions.
Removing the cap has remained a top pre-election issue for QTIC and ATIC. This commitment from the Federal Government signals a significant win for advocacy efforts and for our industry. Businesses and marketers can now continue, with confidence, to promote tourism jobs, destinations, and journeys to long stay WHMs.
