Summary
Skilled Refugee Labour Agreement Pilot
About the pilot program
The Skilled Refugee Labour Agreement Pilot (the pilot) benefits businesses by giving them access to a skilled talent pool to fill workplace vacancies. The Pilot, which commenced on 1 July 2021, has been extended for a further 12 months under existing arrangements until 30 June 2026.
500 visa places are available until 30 June 2026.
The pilot was designed in collaboration with Talent Beyond Boundaries (TBB).
Through the pilot, Talent Beyond Boundaries can help businesses recruit the skilled workers they need by accessing thousands of skilled refugees registered on their Talent Catalog.
Refugees are doctors, engineers, skilled trade workers, software developers, and more. Many have marketable skills but can face challenges meeting skilled visa requirements.
The pilot removes barriers that refugees and displaced people face when trying to access employer-sponsored skilled migration pathways to Australia.
Talent Beyond Boundaries will work with businesses to help identify and recruit suitable candidates. TBB will also provide support through the visa application process and once the skilled recruit has arrived in Australia.
View real stories about employers successfully recruiting skilled refugees on TBB’s video called The Promise of Labour Mobility. Watch it at Talent Beyond Boundaries.
Register your interest
Employers, refugees and displaced people all need to register with Talent Beyond Boundaries to access the pilot. Talent Beyond Boundaries must endorse both the businesses and the skilled candidates under the pilot.
If you have specific questions about the pilot before registering your interest, email Australia@talentbeyondboundaries.org.
Employers – go to Hiring displaced talent in Australia.
Refugees and displaced people – go to the Talent Catalog.
Job types available
Employers can sponsor a skilled refugee or displaced person for any job on our List of occupations available for nomination (685KB PDF).
Visa programs
Australian businesses endorsed by Talent Beyond Boundaries can enter into a labour agreement with us to sponsor an approved skilled refugee or displaced person.
This may be on a permanent or temporary basis through the labour agreement streams of these employer-sponsored visa programs:
- Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) (subclass 186) visa
- Skills in Demand (SID) (subclass 482) visa
- Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (SESR) (subclass 494) visa
After 3 years on a subclass 494 visa, the visa holder may be eligible to apply for the Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) (subclass 191) visa.
Benefits for employers and refugees
The pilot allows skilled refugees and displaced people to qualify for certain types of visas, even if they don’t meet all the usual visa requirements.
To make it easier for employers to access talented people, we have made some changes and designed these visa concessions.
No labour market testingTalent Beyond Boundaries endorsement of the business replaces the need to undertake labour market testing.
No skills or minimum work experience needed
The sponsoring business that offers the job determines whether the skilled refugee or displaced person has the skills and qualifications to do the job.
Reduction in the income threshold
Employers can access a 10% reduction in the income threshold when they hire a skilled refugee or displaced person for a job with ANZSCO Skill Level 3-5.
This applies if Australians doing similar work earn below the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) for the SID and ENS visas and the relevant Income Threshold for the SESR visa.
Aged care providers can get an extra concession to the relevant income threshold
This applies if they hire a person as a:
- Nursing Support Worker (ANZSCO 423312)
- Personal Care Assistant (ANZSCO 423313)
- Aged or Disabled Carer (ANZSCO 423111).
Increased age limit
A business can sponsor people up to 55 years (for ENS and SESR visas). The Skills in Demand visa has no age limit.
Reduced level of English language
Under the Pilot, refugees and displaced people must have at least Functional English.
Operate a business actively and lawfully
To access the pilot, you must show us that you are ‘actively and lawfully operating a business’. To do so, you must:
- be an Australian registered business with good standing
- show that your business has been lawfully and actively operating in Australia for at least 12 months
- show evidence of financial viability from a chartered or certified practicing accountant
- show you can support the proposed number of overseas workers that you want to sponsor
- show there is no adverse information about your business
- show that you have not broken a law, or be under investigation for breaking the law, anywhere in Australia
- not be insolvent
- not have given false or misleading information, in any form, to any appropriate authority at any time.
Comply with sponsorship obligations
Your business must comply with the Sponsorship obligations for Standard business.
You are also subject to sponsor monitoring.
Your business must ensure sponsored people are employed with terms and conditions no less favourable than those given to Australian workers.
Pay a full-time salary
Under this pilot, your business must:
- employ the skilled refugee or displaced person on a full-time basis
- pay the skilled refugee/displaced person at least the Annual market salary rate.
Pay rates
You must pay the skilled refugee or displaced person at least the Annual market salary rate, which can be no less than these thresholds:
- For ANZSCO Skill Level 1-2 jobs: The relevant Income Threshold for a SESR visa, and the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) for an ENS or SID visa.
- For ANZSCO Skill Level 3-5 jobs: 90% of the relevant income threshold where it is shown that annual earnings of an equivalent Australian worker are less than the threshold.
- For aged care jobs: The minimum salary in the Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement. This applies if hiring a:
- Nursing Support Worker (ANZSCO 423312)
- Personal Care Assistant (ANZSCO 423313)
- Aged or Disabled Carer (ANZSCO 423111).
Support refugees after arrival
Sponsoring employers provide the support to help successful candidates settle in Australia. You can do this with advice and coordination from Talent Beyond Boundaries and its related organisations.
Assess skills and qualifications
Applicants don’t need to provide a skills assessment or show work experience.
The sponsoring business must:
- assess if the person has the skills and qualifications to work in the nominated job
- ensure the person has any mandatory registration or license before they start working.
Meet age limit
You must be under 55 years of age when applying for:
- an Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186)
- Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494).
There is no age limit for the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa. However, you must meet the other eligibility criteria and have adequate health insurance.
Meet health, character, and security requirements
You must meet the following requirements:
Depending on the country of application, we may also need you to provide your biometrics. For more information, see Biometrics.
Skilled Refugee Labour Agreement resources
- Skilled Refugee Labour Agreement Pilot - Fact sheet (525KB PDF)
- Skilled Refugee Labour Agreement Pilot - Poster (552KB PDF)
- Skilled Refugee Labour Agreement Pilot - DL flyer (189KB PDF)
Learn more about Talent Beyond Boundaries
To understand TBB’s programs and their recruitment process, see their Candidate FAQ.
