Skilled Refugee Labour Agreement Pilot (Employer-sponsored streams)
A complementary labour pathway letting Australian employers sponsor skilled refugees and displaced people through the standard skilled visas.
Official Australia pageWho this route is for
Skilled refugees and displaced people abroad who have a job offer from an endorsed Australian employer and who would otherwise be blocked from normal skilled visas by documentation or status barriers.
Eligibility requirements
- Be a skilled refugee or displaced person identified/referred through the program's delivery partner (Talent Beyond Boundaries) and offered a role by an endorsed Australian business.
- Be sponsored under one of three labour-agreement streams: Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186), Skills in Demand (subclass 482), or Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (subclass 494).
- Meet the relevant skilled-visa criteria as concessionally applied under the labour agreement (concessions can apply to evidence of skills, work experience, English and age).
- Fill roles in eligible industries such as health, education, IT, hospitality and construction.
- Meet health and character requirements.
Requirements reviewed June 2026. They change frequently — confirm the current rules on the official page before relying on them.
Recent changes & caveats
Run with Talent Beyond Boundaries. It is not a humanitarian visa - applicants enter through the standard skilled/employer-sponsored system with concessions to overcome refugee-specific barriers. Confirm whether the pilot has been extended beyond 30 June 2026 before relying on it.
Check your points first
Use the free Skilled Migration Points Calculator to see if you're likely to qualify before you start.
Other Australia routes
Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) - Points-tested stream
PermanentThe flagship 'no sponsor needed' permanent visa: score enough points, get invited, then live and work anywhere in Australia.
Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190)
PermanentPoints-tested permanent residence with a state/territory nomination that adds 5 points and can rescue a borderline score.
Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491)
ProvisionalA 5-year regional provisional visa worth a big +15 points, designed as a stepping stone to PR via subclass 191.
Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (subclass 191)
PermanentThe permanent-residence finish line for 491 (and old 494) holders who have lived and earned in regional Australia for three years.