DILI, 15 september 2021 (TATOLI)– The Director of National Overseas Employment,(SEPFOPE) Filomeno Soares said, Timorese workers in Australia are not eligible for permanent agricultural work visas, saying these workers had less than five years of stay in Australia.
“We have heard the information Stated that Australia’s federal government will introduce a dedicated agriculture visa to the workers however Timorese workers are not eligible for permanent agriculture visa because Timorese workers are not filled up the requirement for that, most of the Timorese workers had less than five years of staying in Australia,” Soares told Tatoli at his office, SEPFOPE Balide Dili.
However, he said, at this moment the Government of Timor – Leste through SEFOPE has established good cooperation with Australia and hopes the Australian Government will permit the workers from Timor-Leste to get the visa.
“We hope, Australia will permit Timorese people to apply for the permanent working agriculture visa in the future,” he said.
It is recalled that Australia’s federal government will introduce a dedicated agriculture visa to all the workers from other countries to help fill a COVID-induced labor shortage across the farming, fisheries, and forestry sectors,
The statement announced by Australia’s Agriculture Minister David Littleproud earlier on Tuesday, published from SBS News sources.
According to the Littleproud the decision, will operate from September 21, ahead of the next harvest, and comes in addition to the existing Seasonal Worker Programme and Pacific Labour Scheme, considered highly successful by the government.
He acknowledges the reform is the biggest structural reform to Australian agricultural labor in our nation’s history.
According to Minister, the Agriculture sector has now faced a 30,000 worker shortage, while Most of the meat processing sectors are running around 60 to 70 percent capacity at the moment because they simply don’t have the people to do the jobs.
“The government forecasts the number of Pacific and Timorese workers in Australia will double to over 24,000 under the scheme.”
State governments have been encouraged by the federal government and industry to look at safe ways of bringing in workers, including on-farm or in-country quarantine programs.
“We’re just hoping that the states will act with a level of maturity and opportunity,” Mr. Littleproud said.
“If it wasn’t for resources and agriculture, our economy would be buggered during COVID-19. They kept on making a quid for this nation and we need to repay that now with courage and conviction.”
Journalist : Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Nelia Borges
