Fishing Industry Labour Agreement

The Fishing Industry Labour Agreement covers Deck Hand (ANZSCO 899211), Fishing Hand (ANZSCO 899212), Master Fisher (ANZSCO 231211), Ship’s Engineer (fishing industry, code 070499), Ship’s Master (ANZSCO 231213), Ship’s Officer (ANZSCO 231214) and Seafood Process Worker (ANZSCO 831313, Category 2 and 3 regional locations only), for up to four years or permanent residence on the subclass 482, 494 and 186 visas, with the subclass 186 visa available after a three year transition period.

Deck and fishing hands have the lowest English threshold of any industry agreement on the Home Affairs page: IELTS 4.5 overall with no component minimum for the subclass 482 visa. The employer must in return provide an interpreter during induction, English instruction options, bilingual signage and training booklets, and satisfy itself that each worker has enough English to work safely. The other five occupations need IELTS 5.0 with 4.5 in each component in Category 1 locations or 5.0 with no component minimum in Category 2 and 3 locations for the subclass 482 visa; subclass 186 applicants need 5.0 with 4.5 in each component. Deck and fishing hands need two years of recent overseas experience or one year in Australia, shown by a signed sea-time or log book, STCW-compliant safety and rescue certificates and a first aid certificate awarded within the previous 12 months.

Subclass 186 and 494 applicants in Category 2 and 3 locations must be under 55, and earnings in Category 3 locations may be 90% of the TSMIT or CSIT. Where a worker is paid a share of the catch, annual earnings must not fall below what an Australian would earn for the same work, and any shortfall over a 12 month period must be paid as a top-up in the following month. The fishing agreement template sets out the visa-level experience minimums in Schedule 4. The Home Affairs page was read for these terms on 25 September 2026.