Labour Agreement visa (subclass 855)

The Labour Agreement visa (subclass 855) is a visa category that was closed to new applications on 1 July 2012. Therefore, it is no longer possible to obtain this visa. However, individuals who were planning to apply for this visa may be eligible to apply for the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) instead.

Visa holders

If you have been granted a Labour Agreement visa (subclass 855), it is important to understand your rights and obligations as a visa holder. To check your visa details and entitlements, you can utilize the Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) service free of charge.

What this visa lets you do

The Labour Agreement visa (subclass 855) is a permanent residence visa that grants you and your family unit members who have also been granted this visa the following privileges:

• Stay in Australia indefinitely
• Work and study in Australia
• Enroll in Medicare, Australia's scheme for health-related care and expenses
• Apply for Australian citizenship, if eligible
• Sponsor eligible relatives for permanent residence
• Travel to and from Australia for five years from the date the visa is granted. After this period, you will need a resident return visa or another visa to re-enter Australia.

Your obligations

As a Labour Agreement visa holder, you are not obligated to work for the employer who nominated you. However, it is important to comply with any obligations outlined in your employment contracts or industrial laws, which may require you to provide an appropriate notice period before discontinuing your employment with that employer.

Your employer’s obligations

If your employer has nominated you for a Labour Agreement visa, they have certain obligations to fulfill. These include:

• Providing a full-time position
• Meeting any additional requirements specified in the Labour Agreement
• Complying with all relevant Australian standards and workplace legislation regarding wages and working conditions