Hire farm and harvest workers who already have the right to work in Australia
CrossNation recruits farm, harvest and packing workers who are already in Australia with work rights, so you can hire without sponsorship. Working holiday makers in plant and animal cultivation can stay with one employer for more than 6 months without asking permission, under the Home Affairs exemption. Our fee is 12% for roles under $50k, 15% for $50k–$90k, 18% above $90k, 20% executive, charged on first-year remuneration (salary plus super), plus GST, no placement, no fee, with a 90-day replacement guarantee (replacement, not refund), subject to our agreement.
Updated . See our terms
12% for roles under $50k, 15% for $50k–$90k, 18% above $90k, 20% executive.
Fees are charged on first-year remuneration (salary plus super), plus GST. Charged only when a placement succeeds. No placement, no fee.
Christmas offer: sign our agreement by 11:59pm AEDT, Friday 27 November 2026 and pay 12% on every role. See offer terms.
90-day replacement guarantee (replacement, not refund), subject to our agreement
See our terms.
Who in Australia can usually do farm and harvest work?
Two Home Affairs rules for Working Holiday Maker visas (subclasses 417 and 462) matter to a grower. The 6-month limit with one employer does not apply to plant and animal cultivation anywhere in Australia, and specified work on a farm in an eligible postcode can count towards a second or third working holiday visa.
Pay rules matter too. The Fair Work Ombudsman says pickers paid piece rates under the Horticulture Award also have a minimum wage guarantee for the hours they work each day.
What should you check before a farm worker starts?
These are the official statements behind the checks, as published on the day we read them.
| Check | What the official page says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum wage guarantee | Fair Work Ombudsman: "All workers picking fruit, vegetables or produce under the Horticulture Award have also have a 'minimum wage guarantee'." (sic) They must be paid a minimum amount for the hours they work each day if that is more than their piece rate earnings. | Fair Work Ombudsman: Working the harvest trail (read 31 October 2026) |
| Casual hourly rate | Fair Work Ombudsman: an adult casual worker picking fruit or vegetables and paid an hourly rate "should be paid at least $32.18 an hour (as of 1 July 2026)". | Fair Work Ombudsman: Working the harvest trail (read 31 October 2026) |
| VEVO | Home Affairs: Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) "allows visa holders, employers, education providers and other organisations to check visa details and conditions." | Home Affairs: Check visa details and conditions (VEVO) (read 31 October 2026) |
| Hours | Home Affairs: "A visa holder must not work more hours than their visa conditions allow." | Home Affairs: Hiring someone in Australia (read 31 October 2026) |
Which visa rules name farm work?
Two Home Affairs rules for Working Holiday Makers name this work. This is general information, not migration advice. Speak to a registered migration agent.
| Rule | What the official page says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Working Holiday Makers in plant and animal cultivation | A Working Holiday Maker can work for the same employer for more than 6 months in "plant and animal cultivation anywhere in Australia". Home Affairs gives examples such as "harvesting and/or packing of fruit and vegetable crops" and "pruning and trimming vines and trees, as part of commercial horticultural activities". | Home Affairs: 6 month work limitation (Working Holiday Maker visas) (read 31 October 2026) |
| Specified work for a further visa | Home Affairs is "temporarily applying flexibility to the specified work requirement", so "work which supports the ongoing operations of a specified industry (such as administrative and cleaning support services) in an eligible postcode may be accepted." | Home Affairs: Specified work (subclass 417) (read 31 October 2026) |
What are the award minimum rates for farm and harvest workers?
Under the Horticulture Award 2020, Level 2 earns at least $1,004.90 a week ($26.44 an hour) from 1 July 2026. Level 1 is $25.74 an hour; the Fair Work Ombudsman says the National Minimum Wage is $26.44 an hour from 1 July 2026, that some awards have introductory rates below it, and that where an award covers the employee the award minimum applies instead. Superannuation is paid on top at 12%.
Award figures were read from the Fair Work site on 27 October 2026 and checked again on 31 October 2026. They are minimums; check the award for your classification before you make an offer.
Horticulture Award: adult minimum rates by level
| Classification | Weekly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | $978.10 | $25.74 |
| Level 2 | $1,004.90 | $26.44 |
| Level 3 | $1,020.10 | $26.84 |
| Level 4 | $1,056.90 | $27.81 |
| Level 5 | $1,119.10 | $29.45 |
About $50,861 a year for Level 1 (the weekly award rate x 52, before tax and super; our calculation, not an award figure).
Horticulture Award 2020 [MA000028], clause 15.1(a), in effect from 1 July 2026. Source: Fair Work Ombudsman.
More on agriculture recruitment
Farm and horticulture roles CrossNation is recruiting for
How to choose a horticulture recruitment agency in Australia
These checks work for any agency. Each one is something you can ask for or verify before you send a brief.
Fee basis in writing
Ask for the percentage, what it is charged on and the event that makes the fee payable, in writing, before you send a brief.
CrossNation: CrossNation's fee is 12% for roles under $50k, 15% for $50k–$90k, 18% above $90k, 20% executive, charged on first-year remuneration (salary plus super), plus GST, and only when a placement succeeds.
Guarantee terms in writing
Ask for the guarantee period and how it applies in the agreement you sign, not only on the agency's website.
CrossNation: CrossNation placements carry a 90-day replacement guarantee (replacement, not refund), subject to our agreement. See our terms.
How candidates are screened
Ask what the agency checks before it shortlists a candidate, and what record it keeps, such as qualifications, registration or licence status and work rights, so you can verify each one yourself.
CrossNation: CrossNation records each candidate's qualifications, registration or licence status and work rights so employers can verify them.
Migration agent involvement
If you are considering an overseas hire, ask who gives visa advice. Only a registered migration agent can give migration advice, and the register of migration agents is public (https://www.mara.gov.au/). This is general information, not migration advice. Speak to a registered migration agent.
CrossNation: CrossNation is a recruitment agency, not a registered migration agent. The employer holds or obtains its own approval.
References
Ask for referee details for a candidate you are shortlisting, call the referees yourself, and ask the agency how it checks references and what it passes on to you.
Questions about hiring farm and harvest workers in Australia
Can a working holiday maker work on my farm for more than 6 months?
Yes, if the work is plant and animal cultivation. On the Home Affairs page read on 31 October 2026, a Working Holiday Maker can work for the same employer for more than 6 months without asking permission in plant and animal cultivation anywhere in Australia, for example harvesting, packing, pruning and maintaining crops. This is general information, not migration advice. Speak to a registered migration agent.
Does farm work count towards a second working holiday visa?
It can. Home Affairs says a second Working Holiday visa needs 3 months of specified work, and it is temporarily accepting work that supports the ongoing operations of a specified industry in an eligible postcode. The industry, the postcode and the visa subclass decide it, so the worker should check the Home Affairs page. This is general information, not migration advice. Speak to a registered migration agent.
What is the minimum pay for a casual fruit picker paid by the hour?
The Fair Work Ombudsman says an adult casual worker picking fruit or vegetables and paid an hourly rate should be paid at least $32.18 an hour as of 1 July 2026, and more for some types of work.
What if a worker is paid piece rates?
The Fair Work Ombudsman says pickers paid piece rates under the Horticulture Award also have a minimum wage guarantee: they must be paid a minimum amount for the hours they work each day if that is more than they would earn under the piece rate alone.
Do I need to sponsor a farm worker who is already in Australia?
Not if their work rights cover the job. Check their visa conditions in VEVO before they start. This is general information, not migration advice. Speak to a registered migration agent.
What does horticulture recruitment cost with CrossNation?
CrossNation's fee for horticulture recruitment is 12% for roles under $50k, 15% for $50k–$90k, 18% above $90k, 20% executive, charged on first-year remuneration (salary plus super), plus GST, and only when a placement succeeds. If no placement is made, there is no fee. Placements carry a 90-day replacement guarantee (replacement, not refund), subject to our agreement. Wages, superannuation and other employment costs stay with the employer.
How long does it take to recruit farm and harvest workers through CrossNation?
It depends on the candidate and on bodies CrossNation does not control, such as registration boards, licensing regulators and the Department of Home Affairs, so CrossNation does not give a timeline. Many employers ask for both onshore and overseas candidates so an urgent vacancy is not held up.
What happens if a farm worker placed through CrossNation leaves?
Placements carry a 90-day replacement guarantee (replacement, not refund), subject to our agreement. How it applies is set out in the agreement between CrossNation and the employer, so ask for the guarantee terms in writing before you sign. See our terms at https://crossnation.com.au/terms. The guarantee is not a promise of any offer, visa or migration outcome.
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Sources (accessed 31 October 2026)
- Fair Work Ombudsman: Working the harvest trail
- Home Affairs: 6 month work limitation (Working Holiday Maker visas)
- Home Affairs: Specified work (subclass 417)
- Home Affairs: Working Holiday visa (subclass 417)
- Home Affairs: Check visa details and conditions (VEVO)
- Fair Work Ombudsman: Minimum wages
- Fair Work Ombudsman: Horticulture Award 2020 [MA000028]
- Australian Taxation Office: Super guarantee