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Visa slowdown for backpackers amid migration backlash
Tony Burke said applications are still being processed, but more slowly, as the government prepares broader migration curbs amid pressure to cut net overseas migration.
- On Sunday, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed the government is processing working holiday visa applications 'more slowly than they were previously,' following a pause affecting 24 countries amid pressure to reduce net migration.
- The shift follows widespread voter criticism, with 57 per cent of Australians saying immigration is too high, up 8 per cent since September 2025, according to the latest Resolve Political Monitor survey conducted August 9 to 15.
- Critics including Canavan and One Nation leader Pauline Hanson argue backpackers are not responsible for housing shortages; Hanson called the international student system a 'scam' providing a 'backdoor to Australia.'
- Burke delayed a National Press Club appearance on immigration policy, stating 'we're talking about a cabinet process' on Sunday when pressed about timeline for announcing changes.
- Labor targets net overseas migration of 225,000 annually over three years, though 54 per cent of voters condemned the government's handling of immigration as an 'unplanned and unmanaged way.
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24 Articles
Australia working holiday visa delays: What applicants, including Indians, need to know
Australia has slowed the processing of Working Holiday Maker visas amid a high volume of applications, even as the government reviews its broader migration policy. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has confirmed that applications are still being processed, but at a slower pace.
·Mumbai, India
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources24
Leaning Left9Leaning Right3Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution53% Left
Bias Distribution
- 53% of the sources lean Left
53% Left
L 53%
C 29%
R 18%
Factuality
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