Condition 8547 and seeking permission to work with an employer for more than 6 months (Updated on: 24 March 2025)

This measure was introduced in relation to the Australian Government’s 2015 White Paper on Developing Northern Australia and broadly refers to work in:

• Fishing and pearling;
• Tree farming and felling;
• Construction; and
• Mining.

Northern Australia refers to certain areas in Queensland, Western Australia and all of the Northern Territory.

For the purpose of the 8547 work limitation, the term “employer” means the business or organisation for which the visa holder is directly working – that is, the end user. This means that a visa holder may be employed by the same employment agency, labour hire company, or contractor for more than six months, but may not provide services to the same end user for more than six months.

However, a visa holder may be employed by the same end user for a combined total of more than six months, provided the work is undertaken in different locations and work in any one location does not exceed six months. For example:

• Moving from one orchard farm to a farm at a different location despite being employed with the same business;
• Moving from the Sydney office of an end user to the Melbourne office of the same end user;
• Working for an associated business / entity with different ABNs;
• If the person is self-employed and provides services to the same business for more than six months as long as that business is not the only business they provide services to during that time; or
• Working remotely full-time or at home counts as a change in location.

Plant and animal cultivation includes most agricultural work, specifically:

• the harvesting and/or packing of fruit and vegetable crops;
• pruning and trimming vines and trees;
• general maintenance crop work;
• cultivating or propagating plants, fungi or their products or parts;
• processing of plant products;
• maintaining animals for the purpose of selling them or their bodily produce;
• processing of animal products including shearing, butchery, packing and tanning; and
• manufacturing dairy produce from raw material.

But does not include:

• general garden maintenance;
• maintaining animals for tourism or recreational purposes; or
• secondary processing of animal products, such as small goods processing and retail butchery.

This includes:

• construction, farming, or any work associated with recovery or restitution of land, property, farm animals or wildlife;
• providing support services or assistance to people living, working or volunteering in affected areas;
• clean-up, construction or any work associated with restitution or restoration of services, land, waterways, property or infrastructure; and
• coordination support, including services for insurance companies and local, state and federal government organisations and community and evacuation centres.

Permission to work in Australia for more than six months for one employer is given to workers in critical sectors anywhere in Australia, including:

• Agriculture – farming activities, food processing of plant and animal products for human or animal consumption;
• Health – work carried out in hospitals and related to providing or supporting health services (e.g. doctors, nurses, dentists, medical / dental support staff, medical imaging, mental health, radiology, medical machinery services, cleaning services);
• Aged care and disability – aged care and disability services, carers;
• Childcare – nursery / crèche worker / aide / attendants, family day care workers, nanny / au pair, out of school hours/vacation care workers, child protective/welfare specialists/workers;
• Tourism and hospitality – work directly related to providing a service to tourists:
  • Accommodation – working in hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, and backpacker hostels, caravan parks and camping grounds, commercial housekeeping services, boarding houses, guesthouses and reception centres;
  • Food and beverage sector – working in cafes and restaurants, takeaway food services/businesses, catering services, pubs, taverns and bars, hospitality clubs;
  • Occupational services – tourist guides and operators, outdoor adventure or activity instructors, such as dive instructors, tourist transport service workers, such as tour bus drivers, gallery or museum managers, curators or guides, travel agency and tourist information workers, event and entertainment venue workers.

Department policy is that permission may be granted for an extension of the six-month limitation if the visa holder has applied, as a primary or secondary applicant, for a visa that would allow them to continue full‑time work with the same employer. This includes for example, the Skills in Demand (Subclass 482) (SID) visa. However, policy is clear that applications for a visa such as a Student visa that would allow the visa holder to have restricted / limited work with the same employer do not satisfy the requirement.

There is also a broader basis for permission where it can be demonstrated that the visa holder is undertaking work that is critical to their employer. The employer will need to attach a supporting letter outlining the reasons why the visa holder must continue work with the request. An example include where the visa holder’s work is critical to a project that takes longer than expected (for example, a lawyer working on an extended trial).