Labour Agreement stream
The Labour Agreement Stream of the Subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa permits sponsorship of foreign workers by regional Australian businesses for a temporary visa with options to transition to permanent residency. This business must first have entered into a labour agreement with the Australian Department of Home Affairs.
494 Visa Criteria
The Labour Agreement Stream is intended to allow modifications to the general criteria applicable to the Subclass 494 visa. The exact criteria may differ depending on the type of labour agreement to which the employer is a party.
Once your 494 Visa is Granted
This visa permits you to live and work in regional Australia only. You may then transition to permanent residency under the Subclass 191 visa after living and working in regional Australia for at least three (3) years. You will also need to have earned a minimum taxable income as specified under the regulations.
Labour Agreements
The following labour agreements are currently available to eligible employers, although additional project-based labour agreements may be made available from time to time for major industry and infrastructure projects.
- Designated Area Migration Agreement
- Advertising Industry Labour Agreement
- Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement
- Dairy Industry Labour Agreement
- Fishing Industry Labour Agreement
- Meat Industry Labour Agreement
- Minister of Religion Industry Labour Agreement
- On-hire Industry Labour Agreement
- Pork Industry Labour Agreement
- Restaurant (premium dining) Industry Labour Agreement
Employers subject to active labour agreements are a matter of public record and can be viewed via the Home Affairs website.
If you are an employer looking to enter into a labour agreement, it is critical that you engage Australian Migration Lawyers for this process. Under many labour agreements, consultation with relevant trade unions may be required to receive approval from the Department of Home Affairs.
494 Employer Sponsored Visa
Australian Regional Sponsor Visa
NSW | VIC | QLD | SA | WA