Lena grows truss tomatoes under 12 hectares of glass at Werribee South. Her postcode is 3030, so no DAMA covers her. She has two roles she cannot fill locally: a Protected Cropping Grower and a Fork Lift Driver. The first candidate is 47 and the second is 48. Both would start on a 482. However, the two jobs sit at different skill levels, so they reach the 186 on different clocks.
Short answer: The Horticulture Industry Labour Agreement covers 31 named occupations for the 482, 494 and 186. Earnings can sit at 90% of the $79,423 threshold, which is $71,481. There is no age limit on the 482, while the 494 and 186 take workers under 50 at lodgement. English drops to IELTS 5.0 with 4.0 in each band for the 482. The 186 opens after three years with you for skill level 1 to 3 roles. Level 4 and 5 roles wait four years.
Two clocks to the 186
The template agreement sets the 186 wait by the skill level of the occupation. For a level 1, 2 or 3 role, the worker needs three years with you as a primary 482 holder. That time must be in the nominated occupation. For a level 4 or 5 role, the wait is four years. Consequently, Lena’s grower, at level 1, can be nominated three years after starting. Her forklift driver, at level 4, waits four. Meanwhile, the 494 is not available for the three level 5 roles at all.
| Skill level | Occupations in the agreement | 186 wait |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Agronomist, Entomologist, Horticulture Farm Manager, Horticulture Grower, Horticulture Research and Development Officer, Irrigation Designer/Manager, Mechanical Engineer, Protected Cropping Grower, Quality Assurance Manager | Three years |
| 2 | Biosecurity Officer, Facility Plant Manager, Facility Supervisor | Three years |
| 3 | Agriculture Technician, Cold Storage Manager, Fitter and Welder, Maintenance Electrician, Mechanic, Nurseryperson, Nursery Supervisor, Production Horticulturist, Senior Nurseryperson | Three years |
| 4 | Fork Lift Driver, Machinery Manager, Machinery Supervisor, Mobile Plant Operator, Production Horticulture Supervisor, Section Supervisor, Truck Driver | Four years |
| 5 | Horticulture Section Manager, Irrigationist, Irrigationist Assistant (no 494) | Four years |
Age is where the clock bites. The 186 and 494 need the worker to be under 50 when the visa application is lodged. Lena’s grower is 47 today. Three years on a 482 takes him to 50, so the 186 must be lodged before that birthday. The driver is 48 and faces a four year wait. He would be 52 at the earliest nomination, so the 186 under this agreement is closed to him.
The $71,481 floor, and what the contract may count
Standard 482 and 186 nominations need earnings of at least the Core Skills Income Threshold. That is $79,423 for 2026-27, and the 494 uses the TSMIT at the same figure. Under this agreement, both drop to 90%. That is $71,480.70, so $71,481 in a contract. The concession applies in every regional category, including Category 1 Melbourne. Even so, two conditions never move. The worker must earn no less than an Australian doing the same job for you. In addition, the role must be full time.
The template also widens what counts as earnings. Monetary and non-monetary benefits count where they support the worker’s living costs. They must be quantifiable, fixed in the contract, and match what Australians in similar roles receive. Overtime counts only where the contract fixes the hours. Bonuses and commissions never count. Therefore, housing on the farm can lift earnings over the line. Schedule 5 then adds a top-up. If an equivalent Australian earns more in any twelve month period, you pay the difference.
Can the glasshouse cottage push the grower over $71,481?
Only on the template’s terms. The accommodation must be optional, charged at a fair market rate, and written into the contract as a fixed benefit. If Lena makes it compulsory, she breaches Schedule 5. If she leaves it out of the contract, it does not count. Our note on the sponsorship costs you cannot pass to a worker covers the deductions line.
Category 1, 2 or 3: what your postcode changes
The agreement uses the Home Affairs regional postcode table. Category 1 is any postcode outside the designated regional areas. Category 2 is cities and major regional centres, which in Victoria means Geelong and its surrounds. Category 3 is every other regional postcode. The salary, age and English concessions read the same across all three. Labour market testing is the difference.
Lena’s postcode sits outside the regional table, so her glasshouse is a Category 1 location. Her labour market testing must match the standard program. That means the same advertisements, platforms and evidence as any 482 nomination. Our guide to the eight ways a 482 advertisement fails sets out those rules. The salary floor of $71,481 still applies to her.
A Bellarine nursery at Drysdale sits in the 3211 to 3232 range. Home Affairs lists that range as cities and major regional centres, so it is Category 2. The nursery must show two separate attempts to test the Australian labour market for the occupation. Both need national reach, within the 12 months before the nomination.
A Shepparton packing shed at 3630 falls inside the 3430 to 3799 range, so it is Category 3. It also needs two attempts in the last 12 months. However, only one must have national reach, such as Seek, Indeed or Workforce Australia. The other may be local, including your own website or the local paper. A Shepparton employer can also compare the Goulburn Valley DAMA, which charges $750 per worker for endorsement.
Fifteen occupations on the list, sixteen off it
Table 4 of the template names 15 occupations that sit on the eligible skilled occupation lists. They are the trades, the nursery roles, the agronomy, science and engineering roles, and the quality assurance manager. For those, the standard skill and qualification rules apply. There is no experience concession for the 482 or 186. A 494 nominee needs two years of relevant experience. The other 16 roles sit off the lists. Those workers must pass a VETASSESS skills assessment and meet the skill level in the agreement. They must also show two years of relevant experience. Notably, the standard caveats do not apply to any of the 31.
Lena’s two hires are both off-list. The template asks a Protected Cropping Grower for a Certificate III or IV. Alternatively, three years in the role with formal training will do, or five years without. The Fork Lift Driver carries a caret on the Home Affairs page. So his skill rules come from the agreement rather than ANZSCO. As a result, both need the VETASSESS step before the visa is lodged.
English at 4.0 or 4.5
For the 482, the worker needs IELTS 5.0 overall with at least 4.0 in each component, or equivalent. For the 186 and 494, the overall score stays at 5.0. However, each component must reach 4.5. So a grower who passed the 482 on a 4.0 writing score needs a fresh 4.5 before the 186. Plan that test into year two, not month 35.
What the template adds to your obligations
The standard sponsor obligations apply in full. Schedules 5 and 6 then add the following contract terms.
On request, you must also report to the Department within 30 days. The report covers your workforce plan, recent labour market testing, salary records and any breaches. It also lists every Australian you retrenched in the past year.
What it costs per worker
Entering the agreement makes you an approved work sponsor. So you do not also apply for a standard business sponsorship. No industry body endorses you and no endorsement fee applies. The Commonwealth charges remain.
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| 482 nomination | $330 |
| SAF levy, 482, turnover under $10 million | $1,200 per year of visa requested |
| SAF levy, 482, turnover $10 million or more | $1,800 per year of visa requested |
| 482 visa application charge, main applicant | $4,015, plus $4,015 per adult and $1,005 per child |
| 186 nomination | $540 |
| SAF levy, 186 or 494 | $3,000 or $5,000, paid once |
| 186 visa application charge, main applicant | $6,140, plus $3,070 per adult and $1,535 per child |
For Lena, a four year 482 nomination under $10 million turnover means $330 plus four years of levy at $1,200. The grower’s 186 three years later adds $540 and the one-off levy. The visa charges belong to the worker. Our guide to labour agreements in 2026-27 sets out what the Department wants to see before it signs.
Where the clock sits
- Before the requestConfirm the postcode category, pick the occupations from the 31, and run the labour market testing for that category.
- RequestAsk the Department for the Horticulture Industry Labour Agreement with the nomination ceilings you need for each year.
- SigningThe agreement starts when the Commonwealth signs last. It runs for five years and makes you an approved work sponsor.
- NominationLodge the 482 nomination for up to four years, with earnings of at least $71,481 and the market rate.
- Year 3The Department reviews the agreement. Level 1 to 3 workers become eligible for the 186 nomination, if still under 50 at lodgement.
- Year 4Level 4 and 5 workers reach the 186 line. A 482 granted at signing for four years is ending, so the sequence matters.
- Year 5The agreement ceases. A new request is needed for new nominations.
Frequently asked questions
Our glasshouse is in Werribee South, not a regional area. Can we still use the horticulture ILA?
Yes. The template runs in Category 1, 2 and 3 locations. Category 1 is any postcode outside the designated regional areas. The salary, age and English concessions apply in Melbourne too. Your labour market testing then follows the standard program.
Do we also need a standard business sponsorship?
No. The template states that entering the agreement makes you an approved work sponsor. You lodge nominations under the labour agreement stream, so the $420 sponsorship application does not arise.
Our forklift driver is 48. Can he reach the 186 under this agreement?
Fork Lift Driver is a skill level 4 occupation. So the 186 needs four years with you as a primary 482 holder first. He would be 52 at the earliest nomination. The 186 and 494 require the worker to be under 50 at lodgement, so that door is closed. The 482 itself has no age limit.
Can we count farm accommodation toward the $71,481 floor?
Only on the template’s terms. The benefit must support living costs and be quantifiable. It must be fixed in the employment contract and match what Australians in similar roles receive. The accommodation must also be optional, at a fair market rate.
Can a labour hire firm find the worker for us?
Yes, provided the firm holds any licence its state or territory requires. Once employed, the worker must work directly for you, not through the firm. You also cannot nominate anyone you suspect owes money for being recruited.
Visas, occupations, English, salary and age terms verified 28 October 2026 on the Home Affairs page Industry labour agreements. Skill levels, the three and four year 186 rule, labour market testing by category, earnings definition and the added obligations read the same day in the Horticulture Industry Labour Agreement template. Regional categories from the Home Affairs designated regional area postcodes page.
General information as at 28 October 2026. Lena and her two candidates are fictional examples. Not legal advice.