The Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) have announced they intend to send representatives to visit Australian working visa holders in Far North Queensland affected by Cyclone Yasi and flooding.

DIAC officers facilitating this regional outreach program will visit areas such as Tully and Innisfail to offer support to persons holding temporary Australian working visas and tourist visas, who are possibly concerned about their immigration status in the aftermath of the Queensland Cyclone crisis.  

DIAC officers will be on the ground in affected areas in order to assist these people, but officers will also meet with local business and farmers to discuss potential sources of labor to assist with the massive clean-up and rebuilding work. It seems working holiday makers could be an ideal solution to this problem.

A spokesperson for DIAC has stated “Working holiday makers are an ideal option for Far North Queensland landholders who are seeking an immediately accessible labor force on properties affected by Cyclone Yasi,” DIAC’s spokesperson said.

“Many overseas workers in Queensland showed a keen interest to assist in the clean-up in regions of the state devastated by the recent floods, and DIAC is equally keen to assist the victims and volunteers as they cope with yet another natural disaster.”

Australian working visa holders who participate in construction work following the disaster, whether paid or unpaid, can also use this work to satisfy the condition that they undertake specified work in a regional area of Australia in order to apply for an Australian Second Working Holiday visa.