South Australian employers will benefit from the pending introduction of two Designated Area Migration Agreements. The Government of South Australia is currently finalising the details of the Designated Area Migration Agreements with the Australian Department of Home Affairs.
The Designated Area Migration Agreements will enable South Australian employers to sponsor skilled overseas workers for positions they are unable to fill with local workers. The Designated Area Migration Agreements will provide access to additional occupations and concessions to the standard migration program.
South Australia’s Designated Area Migration Agreements will utilise the labour agreement stream of the Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482). Businesses will enter into a labour agreement with the Australian Government and workers will then be granted a subclass 482 visa. As the Agreements are an employer-sponsored visa program, individual workers cannot apply for a visa independently.
South Australia’s Designated Area Migration Agreements are:
- Adelaide Technology and Innovation Advancement Agreement – which focuses on Adelaide’s high-tech growth industries including defence, space, technology and advanced manufacturing industries.
- South Australian Regional Workforce Agreement – which focuses on the South Australia’s regional high growth industries including agribusiness, forestry, health and social services, tourism and hospitality, construction and mining.
The key aims of South Australia’s Designated Area Migration Agreements are to provide:
- pathways to permanent residency for visa holders in most occupations listed
- a wider range of occupations that reflect skilled and semi-skilled shortages in South Australia, with no caveats to apply
- English language concessions for some occupations
- Salary concessions in relevant occupations that reflect South Australia’s market rates, ensuring that worker terms and conditions of employment are not eroded
- Increased age-limit for selected occupations.
In developing the Designated Area Migration Agreements, the Government of South Australia has consulted with a range of stakeholders in the industries covered by the Designated Area Migration Agreements. The Government of South Australia will continue to consult with employers as the Designated Area Migration Agreements are implemented.
It is expected the Designated Area Migration Agreements will be rolled out over the next few months.