Australian abattoirs and meat processors are among the employers most affected by labour shortages. Kill floors and beef and lamb boning rooms need skilled knife hands, and many regional plants cannot fill their rosters with local workers. This guide explains how abattoirs and meat processors can sponsor meat workers: the Meat Industry Labour Agreement, DAMA, the standard 482 visa for butchers, the PALM scheme, costs and your obligations as a sponsor.
Your options for sponsoring meat workers
| Option | Best for | Visas | Key points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meat Industry Labour Agreement (MILA) | Abattoirs and meat processing establishments needing skilled boners, slicers and slaughterers | 482 (Labour Agreement stream), 494, 186 | Industry-wide terms, English concession, pathway to permanent residency |
| Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) | Employers in a DAMA region whose list includes meat occupations | 482, 494, 186 | Regional concessions; endorsement by the Designated Area Representative |
| Standard 482 (Core Skills) | Butcher shops and smallgoods makers | 482, 186 | Butcher or Smallgoods Maker (351211) is on the Core Skills Occupation List |
| PALM scheme | Employers needing seasonal or longer-term unskilled and semi-skilled workers | PALM stream visas | Workers from Pacific countries and Timor-Leste; approved employers only |
The Meat Industry Labour Agreement for employers
The MILA is an industry labour agreement. Its terms are set for the whole meat processing industry, so you do not negotiate them. It covers one occupation, Skilled Meat Worker (nominated under code 070499), which includes skilled boners, slicers and slaughterers.
To use the MILA, your business generally needs to:
- operate an approved meat processing establishment in Australia;
- show genuine efforts to recruit Australian citizens and permanent residents, through labour market testing;
- consult with the relevant union and workforce as required by the agreement;
- offer full-time positions and pay sponsored workers at least the same as Australian workers in the same role, and at least the required income threshold (with a concession in some regional locations); and
- agree to the agreement’s terms, including any limits on the number of overseas workers.
Skilled Meat Worker duties
Under the Meat Industry Labour Agreement, a Skilled Meat Worker works on the kill floor or in the beef or lamb boning room. It is a skilled knife-hand role, not a labouring role. The agreement describes the duties as follows:
- stuns and kills livestock;
- prepares carcasses for further processing by removing internal organs and hides;
- operates switching controls to direct and drop carcasses and meat cuts from supply rails to boning tables;
- cuts meat to separate meat, fat and tissue from around bones;
- washes, scrapes and trims foreign material and blood from meat;
- cuts sides and quarters of meat into standard meat cuts, such as rumps, flanks and shoulders, and removes internal fat, blood clots, bruises and other matter to prepare them for packing and marketing;
- operates restrainer and stunning equipment;
- severs jugular veins of stunned animals to drain blood and facilitate dressing;
- trims and removes head meat and severs animal heads;
- slits open, eviscerates and trims animal carcasses;
- and may slaughter livestock according to procedures required by religious customs.
Positions in the offal room, hide and skin room, rendering plant, cold store, packing or load-out are generally process work or labouring, not Skilled Meat Worker positions. Your position descriptions and contracts must reflect the genuine skilled duties of each sponsored role.
What workers must meet
| Requirement | Under the MILA |
|---|---|
| Skills | Assessed as a skilled meat worker comparable to a Certificate III in Meat Processing, by a MINTRAC-registered or Commonwealth-approved assessor |
| Experience | One year in an Australian meat processing establishment, or two years overseas |
| English | IELTS 5.0 overall with no band below 4.0, or equivalent |
| Permanent residency | 186 nomination after the worker has worked for you, generally for three years |
Sponsoring temporary visa holders who already work for you
Many abattoirs already employ skilled boners and slaughterers on Working Holiday, Work and Holiday (subclass 462), student or other temporary visas. If these workers have the skills and experience, the MILA allows you to sponsor them so they can stay, instead of losing trained staff when their visas expire. Plan early: workers usually need to lodge their next visa while they still hold a valid visa in Australia, and Working Holiday makers have limits on how long they can work for one employer.
Costs of sponsoring a meat worker
| Cost | Who pays | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Business Sponsorship and labour agreement request | Employer | Required before nominating workers |
| Nomination fee | Employer | Payable for each nomination |
| Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy | Employer | For a 482 visa, $1,200 per year for businesses with turnover under $10 million, $1,800 per year for larger businesses; it cannot be passed on to the worker |
| Labour market testing advertising | Employer | Advertising for at least 28 days, usually at least two advertisements |
| Visa application and skills assessment | Worker (unless the employer agrees to pay) | Government visa charge and assessor fee |
Your obligations as a sponsor
- pay sponsored workers at least the nominated salary and the same as Australian workers in the same role;
- employ them in the nominated occupation at the approved location;
- notify the Department of Home Affairs of certain changes (for example, if a worker resigns) within 28 days;
- keep employment and pay records; and
- never ask for or accept payment from a worker, or anyone else, in return for sponsorship or a job. This is a serious offence.
Finding skilled boners, slicers and slaughterers
Many of Sleek Migration’s existing clients are experienced boners, slicers and slaughterers who are looking for an employer to sponsor them. If your abattoir needs workers, tell us the roles, species (beef, lamb or game meat), location and requirements. Where we have existing clients who match and who have agreed to share their details, we can refer them to you, often with a short video of them at work. If they hold a visa with work rights, you can employ them first on a paid basis to see their skills. If you are happy and decide to sponsor, we prepare the labour agreement, nomination and visa paperwork.
Important: Sleek Migration is not a recruitment agency. We only refer our existing migration clients, and we do not charge employers or workers a referral fee. Our professional fees apply only to the migration services we provide, under a written service agreement. Hiring and sponsorship decisions are always made by the employer.
Frequently asked questions
How can an abattoir sponsor overseas workers?
Most abattoirs use the Meat Industry Labour Agreement to sponsor skilled boners, slicers and slaughterers on the 482 or 494 visa. Employers in some regional areas may also use a DAMA.
Can we sponsor meat workers on a standard 482 visa?
Not for boners, slicers or slaughterers, because these occupations are not on the Core Skills Occupation List. A qualified Butcher or Smallgoods Maker (351211) can be sponsored on the standard 482.
Can we sponsor workers who are on a Working Holiday visa?
Yes, if they meet the requirements. Under the MILA, one year of skilled work in an Australian meat processing establishment meets the experience requirement.
How long does a Meat Industry Labour Agreement take?
Processing times vary. A complete, well-prepared request with strong labour market testing evidence is processed faster. Nominations and visas can then follow.
Talk to a Registered Migration Agent
Sleek Migration is led by Dr Majid Panahandeh Fard, Registered Migration Agent (MARN 2418637). We work with abattoirs and meat processors in Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia on Meat Industry Labour Agreements, DAMA, nominations, visas, employment contracts and compliance. Workers can read our guide to boner, slicer and slaughterer visas.
Contact us: 2703/31 A’Beckett Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 | info@sleekmigration.com | Book a consultation
This article is general information only and is not legal or migration advice. Labour agreement terms, fees and income thresholds change regularly. Information checked November 2026.