Australi’s farmworker visa would be a revolution for its horticulture sector. It has been a long-awaited demand for farmers.
Foreign workers with the age of maximum 50 and IELTS score of 5 will be able to apply for this visa through the sponsor’s nomination which will give them a 4 years visa.
According to a new horticulture labor agreement, the sector will be commencing on 1st January 2020 submitting applications. Skilled and semi-skilled migrants will be able to apply for a visa where no other Australian for the same sector is available.
How to apply for the visa?
Interested applicants will be able to apply for the visa through temporary skills shortage (TSS) subclass 482. The path also allows you to apply for permanent residency after completing some important requirements. You can apply for a visa from outside Australia or from inside. If you apply from outside, you only apply when you have been nominated by a sponsor and then you will apply online through immi account. You can also apply for this visa if you are in Australia and hold a substantive visa or a bridging visa (A, B, or C).
What type of visa do you get?
You get 4 4-year of work visa for this stream which can also lead you to a path to PR. The visa allows you to work for an employer in Australia for one of the 31 eligible occupations. You can also study in Australia (without receiving funds from the government) and can travel to and from Australia as many times as you want. There is no visa sticker is stamped on your passport. Instead, it is digitally linked to your passport and you may, later on, check it through VEVO.
Eligible occupations
There is a total of 31 occupations for which you can apply for this visa program.
- Section Supervisor
- Production Horticulture Supervisor
- Production Horticulturist
- Machinery Manager
- Machinery Supervisor
- Cold Storage Manager
- Quality Assurance Manager
- Biosecurity Officer
- Facility Plant Manager
- Facility Supervisor
- Maintenance Electrician
- Fitter and Welder
- Agriculture Technician Mechanic
- Senior Nurseryperson
- Nurseryperson
- Nursery Supervisor
- Truck Driver
- Mobile Plant Operator
- Fork Lift Driver
- Irrigationist
- Irrigationist Assistant
- Horticulture Section Manager
- Irrigation Designer/ Manager
- Agronomist
- Entomologist
- Horticulture Grower
- Protected Cropping Grower
- Horticulture Research &
- Development Officer
- Mechanical Engineer
- Horticulture Farm Manager
Also read here how to find jobs in Australia, a complete guide.
Visa cost
You as an applicant and any of your dependents 18 years old or over will pay AUD2,645. For dependants under 18 years of age fee is AUD660. Since application fees are paid online, any credit card charges would also be in force. On the other hand, you will also have to pay for biometrics, health certificates, police character certificates, English language certificates, and or qualification assessments. Which varies from country to country.
Processing timings
It all depends on your personal application circumstances and the documents you have submitted for your online application. However, according to Australian citizenship and immigration instructions, 4 to 8 weeks is required at minimum to process the application.
Pathway to PR
If you want to get PR of Australia or permanent residency, your employer will have to submit a new nomination for you. In the case of PR, your sponsor can also nominate you and sponsor you for subclass 186 (employer nomination scheme). Eligibility requirements
- To be eligible for this visa, you must:
- have at least 2 years of relevant work experience in your nominated occupation or a related field
- work only for your sponsor (who has nominated you)
- meet minimum standards of English language proficiency unless you are exempt. In general, it is 5 band score (functional English)
- be nominated to work in a specified occupation (currently a total of 31) under the terms of a Labour Agreement
- have a relevant skills assessment if this is required for your occupation
- meet the minimum health requirements
- have clean past as police character certificate will be required at the time of application
How to find jobs in Australia? Click here to find out!