If you are looking for an agriculture visa to get PR in Australia?
The Australian Agriculture Visa (AAV) program is being introduced to address workforce shortages in the agriculture sector by building on existing government programs.
The program will commence with a group of Approved Employers to test systems and processes before the program’s expansion throughout 2022 when Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) expects a steady increase in employees arriving in Australia.
Initially, recruitment will focus on lower skilled occupations, and this will be expanded as the program evolved.
What's Covered in This Article
What sectors and skills are covered by the Australia Agriculture Visa program?
The Australia Agriculture Visa (AAV) program will support the recruitment of employees across a range of agriculture and other primary industry sectors, including:
- horticulture
- dairy
- wool
- grains
- fisheries (including aquaculture) and
- forestry, including support services and primary processing.
The AAV program will target skilled, semi-skilled and low-skilled employees within specified occupations across these sectors.
Employees must have the experience and/or qualifications to commence work at the skill level and occupation for which they are recruited (where relevant).
What countries are participating in the AAV program? Who is eligible for agriculture visa Australia?
- Vietnam is the first country in Southeast Asia to participate in the AAV program having signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 28 March 2022.
- DFAT is in ongoing discussions with other countries and will provide updates as
appropriate. - India has also been invited to participate in the AAV program as part of the Interim Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (AI-ECTA). Should an MoU be concluded with India, DFAT would expect the first workers to arrive in 2023.
What is the minimum level of English under the Australian Agriculture Visa (AAV) program?
The minimum English language level is an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) overall band score of 4, or equivalent, unless Australian licensing mandates a higher standard.
Approved Employer’s may choose to set English language requirements higher, for higher skilled positions.
DFAT will initially determine formal test equivalents to the IELTS 4.0 that will be accepted. Other acceptable English testing or assessment equivalents will be determined and updated over time.
Can Australian Agriculture Visa (AAV) holders apply for permanent residency?
• The AAV program will provide a long-term reliable workforce to support ongoing growth of Australia’s critical agricultural industries.
• The Australian Government has committed to creating options for permanent residence pathways for participants in the program, including regional settlement.
• The Australian Government will make announcements on permanent residence pathways in due course.
Will the Australian Agriculture Visa program require labour market testing?
Yes, Labour Market Testing (LMT) is a requirement of the AAV program to protect Australian jobs.
Employers will need to prove that there is no Australian citizen or permanent resident available to take up the positions advertised prior to being able to recruit foreign workers to take up the agriculture visa roles.
What are the fees and charges involved in the Australian Agriculture Visa program?
No fees are charged by DFAT on employers under the Australian Agriculture Visa program.
Instead, approved employers must cover some pre-departure costs for AAV employees, including a contribution towards flights and costs of travel from point of entry in Australia to their work location, and recruitment costs in the participating country (some of which can then be recovered via deductions from an employee’s wage), and work-related costs such as uniforms and personal protective equipment.
Approved employers must also pay costs associated with becoming a TAS with the Department of Home Affairs to sponsor a visa holder to enter Australia.
What are the requirements to apply for Agriculture Visa program 2022?
Initial visa applications to move to Australia as a farmer under the Australian Agriculture Visa program cannot be made in Australia.
Initial recruitment of overseas employees will take place offshore and each visa applicant must be sponsored by an eligible employer, who must hold a valid TAS.
Applicants must meet the following criteria to be able to participate in the Australia Agriculture Visa program:
- have the necessary skills to perform in the occupation in which they are being employed (where relevant);
- have minimum English language skills IELTS of 4.0 overall or equivalent (or higher when the specific occupation requires it);
- be unaccompanied (participants will not be able to bring family members);
- meet the minimum age requirement of 21 years of age with no maximum age requirement;
- be sponsored to Australia by a Temporary Activities Sponsor (TAS) who is an employer approved by DFAT to participate in the program;
- be supported by DFAT to participate in the program;
- meet all character and health requirements; and
- have adequate health insurance for the period of stay in Australia.
You must meet the following requirements when you apply for the Agriculture visa:
- proof of intention to perform agricultural work for the bulk of your time in Australia;
- proof of any skills you have in agriculture or food/textile processing facilities.
You should be outside of Australia when you submit the visa and when the visa is granted.
What are the options for moving to Australia as a farmer under the Australian Agriculture Visa AAV program?
- AAV employees in the short term/seasonal cohort will be able to work in Australia for up to nine months in every 12 months.
- Short-term/seasonal AAV employees can apply for a 9-month visa or a multi-season visa for up to four years.
- The multi-season visa enables the holder to undertake seasonal work for up to 9 months every year, without having to apply for a new visa each year. AAV employees who hold this visa are still required to return home between
seasons for 3 months every year. - Short-term/seasonal AAV employees in Australia with a valid AAV who are offered a long-term position by an Approved Employer under the program are able to apply onshore for a new AAV. Their cumulative period onshore, across both visas, must not exceed 4 years.
- Visa holders in the long-term cohort will be able to work for between one and four years, depending on the length of their employment.
- Long-term AAV employees in Australia, whose initial visa and employment contract was for less than 4 years, are able to apply onshore for a further AAV where they have a subsequent Offer of Employment. Their cumulative period onshore across both visas, must not exceed 4 years.
What is the application process for the Agriculture Visa program?
What is the process for bringing employees in Australia under the DFAT’s Australian Agriculture Visa (AAV) program?
- Employer provides evidence to DFAT of labour market testing;
- Employer submits recruitment, accommodation and transport plans to DFAT;
- recruiting prospective employees in line with sending country government processes (for example, through licensed recruitment agents);
- submitting prospective employee details to DFAT for endorsement;
- providing prospective employees with an Offer of Employment that sets out information about the nature of the employment, pay and conditions and any arrangements that propose movement of employees between employers;
- assist in the application of, and monitor the visa application process;
- arrange travel for employees, allowing time for prospective employees to attend pre-departure briefing; and
- provide an on-arrival briefing, inviting the Fair Work Ombudsman, DFAT and the relevant union representative to be present, with appropriate notice periods to representatives
Click on this link for up to date information.
