About this Programme
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Labour Agreements are formal arrangements to recruit a number of overseas skilled workers. Both temporary and permanent visas can be granted under the agreement. Agreements are generally effective for 2 to 3 years.
Who is this programme for?
Situations where it could be advantageous for an employer to consider accessing a Labour Agreement include:
- an industry association has negotiated a wide agreement for the supply of needed skills in the Temporary Business (Long Stay) Subclass 457 visa and permanent entry Labour Agreement visa (Subclass 120 and 855) programmes.
- occupations are not on the list of approved occupations for the Temporary Business (Long Stay) Subclass 457 visa, permanent Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) or Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme yet a genuine skills shortage exists or occupations are not covered under the Australian Standard Classification of Occupations (ASCO)
- a large number of workers are needed for relatively short term projects with tight timeframes where the local supply of professional and tradespersons are not sufficiently locally available
- entry of overseas workers for a specific industry is best addressed under the provisions of a Labour Agreement
- where a business recruits labour for the supply to an unrelated business and/or the hiring of labour to unrelated businesses.
Note: Migration Regulations were amended on 15 October 2007 to exclude this group from the Standard Business Sponsorship programme.
How much does this programme cost?
There is no charge for negotiating a Labour Agreement.
For temporary visas there is a non-refundable charge for each Temporary Business (Long Stay) Subclass 457 visa nomination application and visa application.
See: Employer Sponsored Temporary Visa Charges
For permanent visas there is a non-refundable charge for each visa application. There is no charge for lodging a nomination.
See: Employer Sponsored Permanent Visa Charges
What does this programme let me do?
With this programme you can employ a number of overseas workers on temporary and/or permanent visas.
Temporary Visa
With this visa those people you employ from overseas can:
- work in Australia for up to four (4) years
- bring any eligible secondary applicants (including in the Temporary Business (Long Stay) Subclass 457 visa, an interdependent partner and children of the interdependent partner) with them to Australia, secondary applicants can work and study
- after entering Australia, have no limit on the number of times they travel in and out of Australia
Permanent Visa
With this visa those people you employ from overseas, and any dependent family members included in their visa application, can live as permanent residents in Australia.
Australian permanent residents can:
- live and work in Australia on a permanent basis
- study in Australia at school or university
- receive subsidised healthcare through Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)
- access certain social security payments (subject to waiting periods)
- be eligible for Australian citizenship (subject to the residency eligibility criteria)
- sponsor people for permanent residence.