Hiring Overseas Workers – Dairy Industry Labour Agreement

Learn how Australian farmers can hire international workers under the Dairy Industry Labour Agreement.

The Dairy Industry Labour Agreement

The dairy industry is facing ongoing labour shortages across Australia. In response, The Australian Government has created the Dairy Industry Labour Agreement.

This agreement allows farmers to employ overseas workers under two occupations.

1. Senior Dairy Cattle Farm Worker
2. Dairy Cattle Farm Operator

Farms can sponsor workers under the following visa categories:

• Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482)
• Employer Nomination Scheme visa (subclass 186) after a 3-year transition period
• Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494)

The worker’s visa can last up to 4 years, with the possibility of extension.

The process of hiring overseas workers

Hiring international talent can be time consuming and costly for the employer. The process can be broken down into 3 steps.

1. Farm applies to be approved under the Labour Agreement – You must submit an application to the department, evidencing why you need to hire someone from overseas. It’s free to apply for a labour agreement, which lasts 5 years.
2. Nominate the employee – the worker must meet the criteria set by the department. This generally includes being under the age of 55, speaking English and no health or criminal issues. The employee must also have relevant qualifications or a minimum of 2-3 years work experience in the occupation you’re nominating. Full details can be found on the department website.
3. Apply for the employee’s visa – lodge a visa application through IMMI Account. The worker can include their spouse and dependent children on this visa.

There are additional obligations for the employer. For example, you must employ the worker on a full-time basis and pay them a fair wage.

Want to know more about the employer sponsorship process? You can contact us on info@visagoaustralia.com and read more on our dedicated webpage.

We understand the process of hiring international workers can seem daunting. At Visa Go Australia we can help. We have an experienced migration agent to process all visa requirements. We also have a database of CV’s and can advertise the job position for you.

If you need skilled workers, we can help!