Agriculture Visa Australia
Immigration plays a vital role in supporting Australia’s agricultural sector by enabling access to both seasonal and skilled workers for fluctuating labour demands.
From planting and harvesting to processing, logistics, and operating advanced agritech systems, the migration program helps businesses maintain productivity, reduce crop or farming losses, and support long-term workforce planning.
As technology becomes more integrated into farming—through innovations such as automated machinery, precision irrigation, and data-driven crop management—there is growing demand for staff with labour, managerial and technical expertise, which can be difficult to source locally.
Australia Farmer Visa Pathways
To assist businesses with understanding the visas commonly used by the Agriculture sector, Interstaff has prepared a comparative analysis based on our industry experience.
DAMAs
Category
Designated Area Migration Agreements
How it Meets Agriculture Needs
- Many DAMAs include agriculture-specific roles such as farm workers, machinery operators, and horticultural labourers.
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- Provides visa concessions on English, salary, and work experience visa requirements.
494 Regional
Visa
Category
Employer-sponsored Regional
How it Meets Agriculture Needs
- Supports long-term employment in regional agribusinesses.
482 Skills in Demand Visa
Category
Temporary Employer-sponsored
How it Meets Agriculture Needs
- Suitable for roles such as agricultural technicians and farm managers.
186 Permanent Visa
Category
Permanent Employer-sponsored
How it Meets Agriculture Needs
- The 186 Transition Stream enables businesses to retain experienced workers.
- The 186 Direct Entry Stream provides Permanent Residence without prior sponsorship.
Working Holiday Maker Visas
Category
Working Holiday Maker (WHM) Visa
How it Meets Agriculture Needs
- Widely used for casual farm work such as fruit picking, packing, and general labour.
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- WHM visa holders may have various options to extend their stay.
Industry Labour Agreements
Category
Labour Agreements for Dairy, Pork, Meat, Fishing and Horticulture
How it Meets Agriculture Needs
- Allows sponsorship of workers for industry specific roles not on standard occupation lists and access to visa concessions.
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- Concessions offers flexibility in English language, salary, and age requirements.
Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) Scheme
Category
Seasonal and Long-Term Work
How it Meets Agriculture Needs
- Approved employers can hire workers from Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste for roles in agriculture, meat processing, and horticulture.
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- Suitable for harvest and planting seasons, or long-term needs.
858 National Innovation Visa
Category
Permanent Visa for Exceptional Talent
How it Meets Agriculture Needs
- Suitable for agritech innovators, researchers, or entrepreneurs with global recognition.
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- Allows access to skills in precision farming, sustainable agriculture, or agri-biotech. Offers direct PR.
400 Short Stay Specialist Visa
Category
Short-Term, Highly Specialised Work
How it Meets Agriculture Needs
- Useful for urgent or project-based needs such as equipment installation, agritech system setup, or seasonal consulting.
- Allows stays of 3–6 months.
Agriculture Labour Insights
DAMAs, the PALM Scheme, working holiday visas and industry-specific labour agreements offer targeted immigration solutions for agricultural employers when standard migration options fall short.
These pathways help meet the sector’s diverse workforce needs—from labour to technical, supervisory, and managerial roles—but each comes with its own complexities.
DAMAs vary by region, with distinct structures and eligibility criteria that can be challenging to navigate.
The PALM Scheme supports seasonal roles and is highly regulated due to exploitation concerns, making employer compliance essential.
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Industry labour agreements help address persistent skill shortages in key sectors such as dairy, pork, and horticulture – but like DAMAs – require detailed applications. planning and management.
For short-term manual roles such as fruit picking, many employers rely on Working Holiday Maker visa holders already in Australia, though managing visa conditions such as the six-month employment limit can be difficult.
Reliable migration advice protects growth and limits disruption. With the right plan in place, businesses can access skilled talent while staying compliant, avoiding unnecessary risk, and keeping staffing plans on track.
Interstaff: Skilled Migration Specialists
Sponsoring overseas staff can be daunting for employers running a business. Interstaff works with owner-operators and their teams to bring order and predictability to this process, helping them meet workforce needs without losing focus on daily operations.
Our role is to function as an external migration partner where a HR department may not exist. We interpret complex requirements, prepare and lodge applications, and help you keep sponsorship obligations on track so compliance doesn’t become an unexpected burden.
When immigration rules change or a renewal date approaches, you’ll have access to specialist advice to be able to act with confidence.
Interstaff simplifies the complexities of hiring visa holders for regional businesses.
APPLY
Assess and Strategise:
Visa Strategy
We provide migration advice to help businesses navigate sponsorship and visa options, enabling faster, more confident hiring decisions.
We support businesses by:
- Reviewing hard-to-fill roles and workforce needs
- Assessing sponsorship and visa eligibility
- Advising on visa strategies tailored to the business’ specific labour requirements
- Providing guidance on compliance matters
STRATEGISE
Apply and Comply:
Visa and Sponsorship Management
We provide clarity and consistency throughout the application process, allowing applications to move forward without unnecessary delays.
We support businesses by:
- Advising on key requirements such as local job advertising requirements and salary benchmarks
- Managing all aspects of sponsorship, nomination, and visa applications, including complex cases
- Providing clear reporting, allowing oversight of multiple visa holders and obligations
- Keeping you and your employees informed at every stage of the process
GROW
Retain and Grow:
Staying Compliant and Future-Ready
We help businesses align skilled migration with their broader workforce strategy to boost stability, retain global talent, and support long-term growth.
Our support includes:
- Compliance advice during business or employment changes
- Advice on upcoming visa expiries to plan future workforce needs
- Permanent Residence pathway mapping for temporary visa holders
- Advice on developing audit-ready reports for immigration inspections
- Post-visa support for employees and their families, including Citizenship
- Ongoing training on immigration policy impacts
Experience and Insights
Australia Farmer Visas and Migration
Explore more about how we work, our industry experience and insights.