The Australian Agriculture visa is being designed for primary industry sectors including horticulture, meat processing, dairy, wool, grains, fisheries (including aquaculture) and forestry. The program will be operated by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), leveraging their experience managing the successful Pacific Labour Scheme.
The Australian Agriculture Visa program is being introduced to address workforce shortages in the agriculture sector by building on existing government programs. It is a long-term contribution to Australia’s labour supply, intended to support Australia’s agricultural and primary industry sectors as they strive to reach $100 billion in value by 2030.
It is a stream of the Temporary Work (International Relations) subclass 403 visa.
Initial applications from workers to participate in the Agriculture Visa program will need to be completed offshore.
Major eligibilities for applicants
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be a citizen of and resident in Timor-Leste, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu or Vanuatu. Other countries coming soon.
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have the necessary skills to perform in the occupation in which they are being employed (where relevant);
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have minimum English language skills IELTS average band score of 4.0 (or equivalent), or higher when the specific occupation requires it;
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be unaccompanied (participants will not be able to bring family members);
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meet the minimum age requirement of 21 years of age with no maximum age requirement;
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meeting all character and health requirements; and
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having adequate health insurance for the period of stay in Australia.
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Visa application Fee AUD$315
Applicant also must be endorsed by DFAT and have an approved sponsor.
Be endorsed by DFAT
DFAT will assess your applicant's for the PLS (Pacific Labour Scheme) program and will provide you with a PLS endorsement number that you will need to lodge your online application.
Have a sponsor
Your sponsor must
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be endorsed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to participate in the Pacific Labour Scheme
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be an approved Temporary Activities Sponsor
Eligible businesses can recruit workers for seasonal jobs for up to 9 months or for longer-term roles for between one and 3 years in unskilled, low-skilled and semi-skilled positions.
