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Low-cost labour or cultural exchange? Reforming the Working Holiday visa programme

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  • Alexander Reilly

    (University of Adelaide, Australia)

Abstract

The article considers the place of Working Holiday visas in Australia’s migration policy and socio-economic planning. With the number of Working Holiday visa grants now topping 200,000 annually, Working Holiday Makers are significant participants in low-skilled work in Australia. The article argues that the programme is not adequately regulated to protect Working Holiday Makers in this work. In light of concerns around the exploitation of Working Holiday Makers, the article offers suggestions for reform to the programme. The article argues that the programme should be returned to its original conception of fostering a cultural experience for young migrants coming to Australia. It argues that work entitlements under the Working Holiday visa should be limited to work that is appropriate for young migrants on a brief cultural visit and that labour shortages should otherwise be filled using dedicated temporary labour migration visas which are properly designed to address labour shortages in the economy. Reform is necessary to protect the work conditions of local and migrant workers, to maintain Australia’s reputation as a country with high employment standards and to maintain positive relations with countries in the Working Holiday programme.

Suggested Citation

  • Alexander Reilly, 2015. "Low-cost labour or cultural exchange? Reforming the Working Holiday visa programme," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 26(3), pages 474-489, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ecolab:v:26:y:2015:i:3:p:474-489
    DOI: 10.1177/1035304615598160
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jarvis, Jeff & Peel, Victoria, 2013. "Tourists for hire: International working holidaymakers in a work based destination in regional Australia," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 114-124.
    2. Martin Ruhs, 2013. "The Price of Rights: Regulating International Labor Migration," Economics Books, Princeton University Press, edition 1, number 10140.
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    Cited by:

    1. Courtney Brell & Christian Dustmann, 2019. "Immigration and Wage Growth: The Case of Australia," RBA Annual Conference Papers acp2019-05, Reserve Bank of Australia, revised Jul 2019.
    2. Mylène Coderre & Delphine Nakache, 2022. "From Working Tourists to Permanent Residents: Experiences of Migrant Workers with Youth Mobility Schemes in Canada," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 23(3), pages 971-988, September.
    3. Stephen Clibborn & Chris F Wright, 2018. "Employer theft of temporary migrant workers’ wages in Australia: Why has the state failed to act?," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 29(2), pages 207-227, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Labour markets; labour rights; migrant workers; migration; vulnerable workers;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • K37 - Law and Economics - - Other Substantive Areas of Law - - - Immigration Law
    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
    • K31 - Law and Economics - - Other Substantive Areas of Law - - - Labor Law

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