Occupation not on CSOL
The CSOL excludes many legitimate roles: certain hospitality, specialised trades, emerging tech, cultural occupations. Labour Agreement is often the only legal sponsoring route.
Off-List Occupations · Salary & English Concessions · Multi-Year
Labour Agreements open doors the standard framework keeps closed.
The candidate is exactly who you need, but their occupation is not on the CSOL. Or English and age requirements exclude your best applicants. Or you need to sponsor 12 workers where standard sponsorship is not available. Labour Agreements are the formal instrument that makes these workable.
When Labour Agreements fit
Three scenarios.
Labour Agreements are negotiated where standard sponsorship does not work.
Concessions on standard requirements
Negotiate lower English thresholds, lower salary floors, higher age caps where industry need justifies the concession.
Multi-worker, multi-year arrangements
Authorise a specific number of nominations across multiple years under agreed conditions. Suits ongoing workforce needs.
Pathway to PR included
Most Labour Agreements include PR pathways equivalent to 186 TRT, usually after 2-3 years of sponsored employment.
Types of Labour Agreement
Five categories.
Each agreement type fits different employer situations.
Company Specific Labour AgreementsNegotiated directly between your business and Home Affairs. Tailored to your workforce need. 3-6 months to negotiate from scratch.
Industry Labour AgreementsPre-negotiated templates: meat, dairy, fishing, pork, on-hire, restaurant (fine dining), aged care, advertising. Faster than company specific because terms already set.
Designated Area Migration Agreements (DAMA)Region-specific umbrella agreements. Employers access through a Designated Area Representative. See DAMA guide.
Global Talent Employer SponsoredFor priority sectors: quantum computing, clean energy, advanced manufacturing, medical technology, AI. Streamlined salary and English concessions.
Project AgreementsTime-limited agreements for major infrastructure, mining, or construction projects. Less common since standard SID covers most project needs.
The process
Five stages.
Labour Agreement negotiation follows a structured pathway.
Consultation and scoping
Confirm Labour Agreement is actually needed. Sometimes the role fits under standard SID once occupation is matched correctly.
Stakeholder consultation
Evidence of local workforce development attempts. Required for industry and company specific agreements.
Drafting, negotiation, execution
Workforce projections, training plans, concession justifications. Multiple rounds of Department negotiation. Final execution.
Labour Agreements are not just for large corporations.
The smallest Labour Agreement we have negotiated covered three workers over two years for a single-site operator. A significant portion of our Labour Agreement work is for small and medium businesses in regional Queensland and the Northern Territory. If the workforce need is genuine and evidenced, business size does not disqualify.
Common questions
The questions we hear most.
For Labour Agreement negotiations, book with Sourabh Aggarwal.
How long does a Labour Agreement last?
Typically 3-5 years with nomination caps specified. Renewals based on compliance history and continuing need.
Can we sponsor PR-eligible workers through a Labour Agreement?
In most cases yes. Pathways equivalent to 186 ENS Temporary Residence Transition usually included.
Do Labour Agreement workers need skill assessments?
Usually yes, though concessions can be negotiated. Default is positive skills assessment from relevant authority.
What if the Department refuses to negotiate?
Regroup, strengthen evidence, resubmit. Refusals usually relate to thin evidence or excessive concessions.
Some information on this page has been sourced from the Department of Home Affairs and has been interpreted and approved by Principal Migration Agent Sourabh Aggarwal (MARN 1462159). Last reviewed: May 2026.