Roles that remain unfilled
Review the duties and recruitment history, then assess whether standard sponsorship or an agreement may fit.
LABOUR AGREEMENTS
Labour agreements.
Plan around your workforce.
For employers with ongoing recruitment gaps. We assess the agreement options, prepare the request and support the nomination and visa stages.
YOUR WORKFORCE NEEDS
Start with the hiring challenge.
For employers across industries, wherever the work takes place.
A labour agreement sets approved sponsorship arrangements with the Australian Government where demonstrated hiring needs cannot be met through standard visa programs.
A wider workforce plan
Bring hiring numbers, locations and business needs into one plan. The assessment follows the actual employment arrangements.
An existing agreement
Check the approved terms before planning nominations, further hires or a variation request as the business changes.
The relevant agreement framework, recruitment evidence and business capacity determine what may be available. Industry or company size alone does not establish eligibility.
AGREEMENT OPTIONS
Find the route that fits.
The options are not interchangeable.
Company-specific
For an employer whose needs cannot appropriately be met through standard skilled visas or an applicable industry, DAMA or project arrangement.
Home Affairs: Company-specific agreementsIndustry agreement
An established framework for a covered industry, with defined occupations and terms. We check the relevant framework before preparing a request.
Home Affairs: Industry agreementsDAMA
For eligible employers within the relevant designated area. Regional endorsement is required before the employer requests its labour agreement.
Home Affairs: DAMAThe appropriate route depends on the business, occupation and location. Review standard sponsorship before considering a labour agreement.
AGREEMENT AND VISA
482, 186 and 494.
Not every agreement covers all three visas.
A labour agreement is not a visa. It sets the employer’s approved arrangements; nomination and visa applications remain separate steps.
482
LABOUR AGREEMENT STREAM
Temporary skilled work
The Labour Agreement stream lets nominated workers work temporarily under the approved agreement. The stay is generally up to four years, subject to its terms; some passport holders have different arrangements.
The agreement determines the covered occupations and any approved concessions. Do not assume Core Skills criteria apply unchanged.
Home Affairs: 482 Labour Agreement186
LABOUR AGREEMENT STREAM
Permanent residence
A permanent visa through the Labour Agreement stream, where the agreement provides for this pathway and the employer and applicant meet the relevant requirements.
This is separate from Direct Entry and TRT. Any required work period and the applicant’s eligibility must be checked against the agreement and visa rules.
Home Affairs: 186 Labour Agreement494
LABOUR AGREEMENT STREAM
Regional provisional work
A five-year provisional visa under an agreement that allows 494 nominations. It requires living, working and studying in designated regional areas.
It is not permanent residence. Eligible holders may later apply for 191; holding 494 for at least three years is one requirement, not an automatic grant.
Home Affairs: 494 Labour AgreementApproval of an agreement does not approve a nomination or grant a visa. Available occupations, concessions and permanent residence arrangements depend on the approved agreement and current law.
WHAT WE CAN HANDLE
From the first assessment
to the work after approval.
An agreed scope, clear records and coordinated preparation.
Assess the route
Review the business, roles and locations against standard sponsorship and the agreement options. Identify the evidence and constraints before committing to a request.
Build the evidence
Prepare the workforce plan, recruitment history, business records and proposed terms. Coordinate required consultation with industry bodies or unions, or regional endorsement.
Prepare and lodge the request
Coordinate the request, supporting documents and responses to further questions. Review proposed agreement terms with the business.
Nominate and apply
Where the agreement permits, prepare employer nominations and the individual visa applications for the relevant 482, 186 or 494 stream.
Keep the arrangements current
Support migration-related records, obligations and variation requests as needs change. Any variation remains subject to the agreement and departmental approval.
BEFORE OUR FIRST CONVERSATION
Start with a business brief.
An overview is enough to begin. Sensitive records can follow through an agreed channel.
Your business and hiring need
- Industry, employing entity and work locations.
- Roles, duties, approximate hiring numbers and timing.
- What local recruitment you have tried and where gaps remain.
Your existing arrangements
- Any current sponsorship or labour agreement.
- An outline of the workforce and training plans.
- Any proposed candidates, without personal documents at this stage.
QUESTIONS BEFORE YOU START
Employer questions.
Check the fit before planning the application.
Is this only for large companies?
There is no single size threshold across all labour agreements. The relevant framework, genuine labour need, recruitment evidence and business capacity matter. Our service is focused on substantial, ongoing workforce needs.
Can we enquire from any Australian state?
Yes. We assess enquiries across Australia. That does not mean every pathway is available everywhere: DAMA is tied to its designated area, and 494 has designated regional requirements.
Does an agreement relax English, age or salary requirements?
No. Any concessions depend on the applicable agreement and visa stream and must be expressly available or approved. An agreement is not a general exemption from migration or workplace requirements.
Does it guarantee visas or permanent residence?
No. The agreement, nomination and visa stages are separately assessed. A permanent residence pathway must be available under the relevant arrangements, and the applicant must meet its conditions. We do not promise approval or a fixed processing time.
Read the official guidance
General information only, not a complete eligibility assessment. Agreement terms and visa rules can change. Obtain advice on the business and individual circumstances before proceeding.