A new visa will be in place from late next month allowing foreigners to work on Australian farms.
It would be offered to South-East Asian nations, however it still remains unclear which countries will sign up to the visa.
The visa would be available to workers in farming, fisheries, forestry and meat processing, and it could provide a pathway to permanent residency or regional settlement.
Some Liberals fear it could lead to the establishment of more industry-specific visas, others are concerned an agriculture visa could undermine worker schemes with Pacific nations.