AHA secures Hotel and Accommodation Labour Agreement

The AHA is pleased to announce we have secured an approved Labour Agreement for the Hotel and Accommodation industry.

This is a significant win for our industry and is the product of nearly three years of work by the AHA and TAA. A template labour agreement will help attract and secure skilled international workers where positions cannot be filled by the domestic labour market.

The key features and benefits of the agreement include:

  1. Providing pathways to permanent residency where they currently do not exist, making Australia a far more attractive destination for skilled workers in today’s very competitive environment.
  2. Membership of TAA, AHA or AAoA is given favourable weighting by the department in consideration of agreement applications
  3. Allowing hotels to apply for a five-year company specific agreement, giving them certainty on the numbers and types of occupations they can bring in.
  4. Processing times under a Labour Agreement are general faster than traditional skilled migration streams.
  5. An age concession, for ENS and SESR visa applicants, which allows workers to be under 55 years old when they apply for an ENS/SESR visas for some occupations.

There are still standard requirements for labour market testing, English, work experience and salary.

This is a temporary agreement to support recovery from Covid-19 and will be reviewed in 12 months. It will be extended if it is widely used and it is suggested any hotels currently bringing in overseas workers use this labour agreement.

The Hotel and Accommodation Labour Agreement will make Australian hotels more competitive internationally in attracting key hotel skills here.

The critical point is that the selected occupations now have a pathway to permanent residency (For example, currently cooks must leave after a maximum of 4 years).

The agreement is for hotels and accommodation only. Hotels wishing to utilise the scheme will need to make an application to the Department of Home Affairs.

What sponsored occupations does this apply to?

The occupations that can be accessed through the Labour Agreement are:

  • Café or Restaurant Manager(141111)
  • Hotel or MotelManager (141311)
  • Hotel Service Manager (431411)
  • Accommodation and Hospitality Manager nec. (141999)
  • Cook (351411)
  • Chef (351311)
  • Pastry Cook (351112)

How do I apply to access these arrangements?

Apply online through IMMI Account and select the agreement type ‘company specific’. Membership of an industry body or association should be declared and will be given consideration by the Department. For more information email labour.agreement.section@homeaffairs.gov.au

How do I find more information on the Labour Agreement?You can read a comprehensive Fact Sheet from the Department of Home Affairs by clicking here or visit the website here.

We appreciate this is not a silver bullet that will solve the labour pressures in the industry, however it is a very good step forward.