Is the Australian Agriculture Visa Still Available? What the Vietnam Arrangement Actually Allows
• Hari Yellina
Information checked 15 September 2026. Australian general information; individual circumstances and the current official requirements still need to be checked.
The Australian Agriculture Visa is no longer an available visa product. That is the direct statement on DFAT’s international labour mobility page, checked on 15 September 2026. An old announcement about the Agriculture Visa is not evidence that a person can apply for it today.
The Vietnam Labour Mobility Arrangement is a separate arrangement. DFAT says Australia is honouring its memorandum of understanding with Vietnam, with implementation arrangements signed on 1 March 2024. The current employer and recruitment process needs to be understood on its own terms.
What is available—and what is not?
| Term or claim | Current position | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Agriculture Visa | DFAT says it is no longer available as a visa product. | An old news story or advertisement does not create an open visa application route. |
| Vietnam Labour Mobility Arrangement | Official guidance describes recruitment of up to 1,000 Vietnamese workers in agriculture through eligible PALM employers. | This is not an open invitation for every employer or individual to apply immediately. |
| Vietnam and PALM | Vietnam is not a full PALM participant. The arrangement uses relevant PALM employer requirements. | An arrangement involving PALM employers does not make every PALM recruitment route available to Vietnam. |
| Employer expression of interest | The published round ran from 26 August to 27 September 2024 and is closed. Further rounds may occur. | A possible future round is not a current application window or a promised reopening date. |
The official Vietnam arrangement page describes short-term and long-term agricultural placements, with stays of up to four years. It covers unskilled, low-skilled and semi-skilled work. The numerical limit is a feature of the arrangement, not a statement that 1,000 places are currently unfilled or available for direct applications.
Four separate steps that are easy to confuse
A government arrangement sets the framework. Employer eligibility determines which businesses can participate. An authorised recruitment process identifies and assesses workers. A visa application and decision establish an individual’s permission to enter and stay. Evidence of one step does not prove the others are complete.
Hypothetical example: a grower finds a 2021 article announcing an Agriculture Visa and an advertisement offering immediate Vietnamese farm-worker placements. Before planning a crew, the grower should establish the actual employer, its eligibility for this arrangement, the authorised recruitment channel and the status of the proposed recruitment. Neither the historical article nor the advertisement answers those questions.
If you are an employer seeking workers
- Read the current eligibility and EOI status. The official page limits participation to eligible PALM employers in agriculture as their primary industry. A closed EOI must not be described as open.
- Identify the approved employer. If using a provider, ask which entity will employ the workers and which arrangement and recruitment process supports the proposal.
- Request evidence for the specific proposal. Separate interest in future recruitment from a current approval, and proposed travel from confirmed work availability.
- Use the official contact. An existing PALM employer can seek clarification through its departmental relationship manager or the contact details on the arrangement page.
If you are an individual seeking farm work
Start with the authorised channels identified by the governments. The official page identifies Vietnam’s Centre of Overseas Labour (COLAB) and approved Vietnamese commercial recruitment enterprises. It states that unapproved enterprises are not authorised to recruit under the arrangement.
Ask a recruiter to identify its legal name, authorisation, proposed employer, employment terms and the exact recruitment process. Independently compare that information with the official guidance before giving sensitive documents or making a payment. A social-media logo, screenshot or claim to have “reserved visas” is not independent confirmation.
Keep the employment offer, any cost explanation and the recruiter’s contact details. Use Orchard Tech’s guide to visa scams and trusted help for related checking steps.
Read old announcements as history
Older pages may accurately describe what was proposed at the time. For a decision now, record the date of the current official information, the process actually open to you, and the evidence still missing. This prevents a historical announcement from turning into an unsupported recruitment promise.
Sources and review date
Checked 15 September 2026.
- DFAT: International labour mobility, Australian Agriculture Visa status
- PALM scheme: Vietnam Labour Mobility Arrangement, employer EOI and authorised recruitment
Feature image: AI-generated illustration with fictional people and setting.
About the author
Hari Yellina is Chief Executive Officer at Orchard Tech. His articles explain practical agricultural workforce and workplace questions. Explore the Knowledge Centre.
