Meat Industry Workforce: A 2026 guide for work visa options

Australia’s meat industry has faced persistent skilled labour shortages. From abattoirs (slaughterers, boners) to retail (butchers, smallgoods makers), the industry struggles to find staff.

For hard working people, there are some great pathway to a sponsored work visa or permanent residency, especially for skilled slaughterers, meat boners and slicers. As of 2025, Australia continues to face dwindling workforce numbers in the meat industry, particularly in skilled knife-hand roles.

This guide will break down everything you need to know about work visas in the meat industry, from Designated Area Migration Agreements (DAMAs) and the Meat Industry Labour Agreement (MILA), as well as employment sponsored visas like the 494, 482 and 186 permanent residency pathway.

Understanding your visa options in the meat industry

As the Australian meat industry is so understaffed, there is a large variety of visa options for skilled workers, including:

Visa 482 – This allows employers to bring in skilled workers in the event they can’t source an Australian to do the job
Visa 494 – This grants skilled workers the ability to work within a specific region
Visa 186 – This employer nominated scheme provides skilled workers with the option to live and work in Australia permanently.

Alongside understanding each of the available options, it is crucial to understand how they link to the DAMA and MILA agreements, and what that means for your visa pathway.

What are DAMAs?

Designated Area Migration Agreements (or DAMAs) are a way for employers to bring in skilled workers in a specific role for a regional market.

DAMAs often cover roles that might not be included in the standard national skilled occupation list.

DAMAs are becoming increasingly important in addressing Australia’s lack of skilled meat workers, especially in regional areas.

DAMA’s often include key workers like slaughterers, meat boners and slicers, production operators, and can offer concessions to salary requirements, language requirements and age limits for permanent residency.

DAMAs are negotiated directly by each employer, so possible concessions can vary, as well as the visa options available to you.

As of November 2025, there are 13 DAMAs in place across Australia, so there’s never been a better time to use them to your advantage.

Where are the DAMA regions:

The Goldfields, Western Australia (WA)
Northern Territory (NT)
Townsville, Queensland (QLD)
South West, Western Australia (WA)
South Australia Regional, South Australia (SA)
Pilbara, Western Australia (WA)
Orana, New South Wales (NSW)
Great South Coast, Victoria (VIC)
Goulburn Valley, Victoria (VIC)
Far North Queensland, (QLD)
East Kimberley, Western Australia (WA)
Adelaide City Technology and Innovation Advancement, South Australia (SA)

Your Visa Options in a DAMA explained

As mentioned previously, DAMAs offer a path to the 482, 494 and 186 visas, each with their own requirements and benefits.

All three visas can offer a pathway to permanent residency.

The 494 visa alongside employer sponsorship can lead to the option to pursue permanent residency, as long as you’ve held the visa for three years and worked in a designated regional area for your employer. Unlike the 494 visa, the 482 visa can lead to a 186 visa which would grant you permanent residency, with employee sponsorship and a series of skill, language and income requirements.

Who is Eligible for a visa under a DAMA?

Typically DAMAs contain strict requirements regarding experience and skills that you’ll need to possess. These requirements can vary based on which visa you’ve applied for. These can vary by area, for example, in South Australia you’ll need the following:

For the 186 visa you must have:

Undertaken a mandatory skills assessment
Meet the skill level set out in ANZSCO
3 years of recent work experience in the relevant area
An IELTS score of 5.0 with a minimum score of 4.5 across each band

For the 494 and 482 visas you’ll need:

1 -3 year of recent work experience
To complete a mandatory skills assessment
Meet the skill level explained in ANZSCO
An IELTS score of 5.0 with a minimum score of 4.0 across each band, this varies subject to nominated occupation

How do DAMA Concessions work?

The concessions offered by DAMAs are one of their biggest strengths, and can make the path to permanent residency much smoother. Concessions are uniquely tailored for specific skill shortages in specific regions, so they can vary quite widely.

Typically DAMA concessions within the meat industry can include:

Lower English language requirements, including on tests like the IELTS
Reduced requirements on the temporary skilled migration income threshold (10% of CSIT)
Lower age concessions for permanent residency (although for the most part you’ll still need to be under 55 to apply for the visa)

Concessions can also allow employers to sponsor semi-skilled roles where necessary, allowing even more flexibility in comparison to generic skilled work visas.

What is the Meat Industry Labour Agreement?

The Meat Industry Labour Agreement (MILA) is an alternative visa pathway to DAMAs, specific to the meat industry.

Unlike DAMAs the MILA offers the same requirements and concessions across Australia, specifically designed to tackle the challenges the Australian meat industry is facing. Through the MILA, employers can sponsor skilled workers in the meat industry for up to four years, or for permanent residency after the visa holders works full-time for the sponsor for minimum three years on a subclass 482 visa.

Eligibility for sponsorship under the MILA varies depending on the specific visa you’ve applied for. For the 494, and 482 visas you must:

Hold an IELTS score of 5.0, with no minimum score in each band
Meet the salary threshold, which as of July 2025 is $76,515 plus superannuation, unless salary concessions apply
Undergo a MINTRAC skills assessment
Have at least 2 years of recent skilled work experience relevant to the meat industry.

The 182 visa has identical requirements, but if you’ve previously held 482 or 494 visas, you may not need to undergo further skills assessments.

Who is eligible for the PALM scheme?

The PALM scheme is a work agreement allowing employers to hire skilled workers from Pacific Island countries, and Timor-Leste to fill labour gaps in regional areas. The PALM scheme offers visas for both seasonal workers (up to 9 months) and long term workers (anywhere between 1-4 years).

What countries are included in the PALM scheme:

Fiji
Kiribati
Nauru
Papua New Guinea
Samoa
Solomon Islands
Timor-Leste
Tonga
Tuvalu
Vanuatu

The PALM scheme enables employers to fill work shortages, and skilled workers to support their families back at home.

DAMA vs MILA – What do employers prefer?

Typically DAMAs are favoured by employers rather than the MILA, primarily because of the flexibility they offer. As DAMAs are agreed region to region, they often allow employers to fill highly specific skilled roles, especially when concessions are needed.

DAMAs can be particularly useful to employers seeking meat workers who do not necessarily fit the high skill criteria laid out in the MILA and other generic visa programs. This is not to say that the MILA is not useful to employers, and it can often be more practical when looking to employ skilled workers at scale.

What steps should I take next?

Now that you understand DAMAs and the MILA, the amount of options, and requirements may seem overwhelming. That’s why it’s best to consult an expert, whether you’re an employer or a skilled meat worker.

The best way to navigate the visa process is to make sure your application is perfect the first time around.

We can provide a clear timeline, with a comprehensive document checklist to simplify the process as much as possible.

Contact Us Today to Discuss Your Meat Industry Labour Agreement, DAMA application and sponsored work visa options.

Migration regulations change often; always seek personalised advice before you act. This article will be reviewed regularly.