Australian meat processing companies are seeking a sizable number of meat processors from Vietnam to sponsor to Australia to work under the program, including pig/cow slaughter workers, slicers, and bone cutters. Based on the Agreement on Employment in the Meat Industry in Australia according to visa 482.

1. What is a labor agreement?

Labour agreements are formal contracts negotiated between Australian employers and the Australian Government under certain circumstances. A negotiated agreement allows overseas workers to be sponsored for a skilled visa enabling them to work in Australia for a specified period of time, in an approved occupation.

Labor agreements are only considered when there is a shortage of workers in a certain occupation in Australia, while local human resources are not available, do not have the right qualifications or are not enough experience to do these jobs.

2. Agreement on labor in the meat processing industry?

The Meat Industry Labour Agreement (MILA) lets you sponsor skilled overseas workers in the occupation of ‘skilled meat worker’ for a temporary or for permanent residence. The terms and conditions of the agreement are set and non-negotiable.

Note that the concessions available under the agreement vary depending on the visa subclass as well as the designated regional location of the business.

3. Conditions for meat processing candidates

The MILA agreement set out between the Australian government and meat processing businesses will include entry conditions relating to the skills and qualifications foreign workers need to be eligible to apply. You can sponsor skilled overseas workers on these visas: Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482) and Employer Nomination Scheme visa (subclass 186)

Conditions for each type of visa are specified as follows:

1/Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482)

Workers have been evaluated and certified by Meat Industry National Training Advisory Council (MINTRAC). The minimum requirement for applicants is the Australian Qualification Framework's (AQF) Certificate III Vocational Diploma.

Workers have at least three years of experience in large-scale, specialized meat processing facilities with a variety of phases, including slaughter, bone removal, slicing, etc.

English level equivalent to IELTS 4.5 for each skill.

2/ Employer Nomination Scheme visa (subclass 186)

Foreign employees who wish to apply for a visa 186 for permanent residence must possess the following abilities and credentials:

You have determined to possess the required meat-processing abilities by an assessor from MINTRAC or another government-appointed body.

You have a 482 visa and have been a resident and meat processor in Australia for at least three years.

You have IELTS 6.0 for each skill

Visa 186 is the next step in the visa 482 process. Accordingly, the meat processor can apply for a guarantee to get a permanent visa 186 after working for the guarantor company for three years on a temporary visa 482. These meat processors are eligible to formally seek citizenship in Australia after two to three years.

3/ Attractive salary

Foreigners who work under the MILA route will be paid a minimum wage of AU$53,900 per year (the minimum income threshold for temporary skilled migrants in Australia). If Australian citizens in comparable work are paid a salary higher than AU$53,900, the foreign worker will also be entitled to a correspondingly high salary.

Employees should be aware that the minimum wage they receive will not include overtime or work on the day the employee is on scheduled leave, compensation allowances (e.g., meal allowance, etc.), medical examination and treatment, medicine, etc., the pension paid by the enterprise for employees, etc.

Currently, the average salary of the meat processor in the market ranges from AU$ 55,000–56,000/year, and working time is from 40–45 hours/week.

Currently, Elite Solutions is urgently in need of recruiting 200 meat processors (including pig and cow slaughter workers, slicing workers, and bone separation workers) with good working experience of at least 3 years in factories and workshops specializing in slaughtering and processing meat. Applicants are required to have a minimum English level of 4.5 IELTS or higher in all four skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) or equivalent PTE.

After completing the necessary procedures, the candidate will sign a contract to work with one of the largest meat processing enterprises in Australia (average output of 2,000 heads per day) with a minimum contract of 4 years..