Industry Labour Agreement
Horticulture Industry Labour Agreement
Horticulture Industry Labour Agreement: 31 occupations from Agronomist to Truck Driver, IELTS 5.0 English, age under 50, salary at 90% of the threshold.
Administered By
Department of Home Affairs
Key Benefit
The widest occupation list of any industry agreement: 31 roles across growing, packing, maintenance and transport, on the subclass 482, 494 and 186 visas
Eligible occupations
Home Affairs lists 31 occupations for this agreement. Where a role has no ANZSCO equivalent, code 070499 is used, and several roles carry skill and qualification requirements that differ from ANZSCO and are set in the agreement itself.
Occupations Covered
31 occupations listed by Home Affairs, including Agronomist (ANZSCO 234112), Irrigation Designer/Manager (234111), Entomologist (234518), Mechanical Engineer (233512), Quality Assurance Manager (139914), Maintenance Electrician (341111), Fitter and Welder (323213), Agriculture Technician (321212), Mechanic (321211), Nurseryperson (362411), Truck Driver (733111), Mobile Plant Operator (721111), Fork Lift Driver (721311), Irrigationist (841999), and several grower, supervisor and manager roles nominated under code 070499
The request process
The request follows the standard labour agreement sequence described on our labour agreements page: the agreement is requested in ImmiAccount on the Department's template terms, and nominations and visas follow once it is signed.
What the Horticulture Industry Labour Agreement provides
The Horticulture Industry Labour Agreement lets growers sponsor workers in 31 listed occupations, for up to four years or permanent residence, on the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482), the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa (subclass 494) and the Employer Nomination Scheme visa (subclass 186). The list runs from Agronomist (ANZSCO 234112), Irrigation Designer/Manager (ANZSCO 234111) and Entomologist (ANZSCO 234518) through trades such as Maintenance Electrician (ANZSCO 341111), Fitter and Welder (ANZSCO 323213) and Mechanic (ANZSCO 321211) to Truck Driver (ANZSCO 733111), Mobile Plant Operator (ANZSCO 721111), Fork Lift Driver (ANZSCO 721311) and Irrigationist (ANZSCO 841999). Roles with no ANZSCO equivalent, such as Horticulture Grower, Protected Cropping Grower, Horticulture Farm Manager, Facility Supervisor and Production Horticulturist, are nominated under code 070499.
English is IELTS 5.0 overall with a minimum component score of 4.0 for the subclass 482 visa, and 5.0 overall with a minimum component of 4.5 for the subclass 186 and 494 visas. The age concession is fixed rather than regional: a subclass 494 or 186 nominee must be under 50 at the time the visa application is lodged, and there is no age limit for the subclass 482 visa. Pay must be no less than an equivalent Australian worker’s and at least 90% of the relevant income threshold, the TSMIT for the subclass 494 visa or the CSIT for the subclass 482 and 186 visas, on a full time basis.
For occupations on the eligible skilled occupation list, the standard skill and qualification rules of each visa apply; for the others, a skills assessment by VETASSESS is required. Home Affairs notes that labour market testing for the standard subclass 482 and 494 programs must still be met. Terms as published by Home Affairs at 25 September 2026.
Visa Plan Lawyers and the Horticulture Industry Labour Agreement
Visa Plan Lawyers maps each horticulture role to the code Home Affairs lists for it, arranges the VETASSESS assessment where the occupation is off the eligible skilled occupation list, and prepares the request, nominations and visa applications on the template terms.
Reviewed by Visa Plan Lawyers · Last updated: September 2026 · Agreement terms are set by the Department of Home Affairs and change without notice. General information only, not legal advice.