Unions Demand Transparency on JBS Australia Visa Recruitment and Student Worker Program

MEDIA RELEASE

Thursday, 11 June 2026

The Queensland Council of Unions (QCU) and the Australasian Meat Industry Employees Union (AMIEU) are calling for urgent scrutiny of overseas labour hire and visa recruitment practices at JBS Australia, the Australian arm of the world's largest meat processing company.

Reports indicate that JBS's Dinmore facility has recruited an additional 800 migrant workers over the past year, increasing its workforce by more than 50 per cent to around 2,300 employees.

This expansion comes amid ongoing concerns about local employment opportunities in the Ipswich region and raises questions about whether existing visa arrangements are being used as intended to address genuine labour shortages. This growth comes as the unemployment rate in the Ipswich region currently sits at approximately 5.5 per cent, significantly above the Queensland average of 4.1 per cent.

The Australian meat industry has access to a dedicated migration pathway through the Meat Industry Labour Agreement (MILA), which was specifically established to address demonstrated workforce shortages by allowing employers to sponsor overseas workers where local labour cannot be sourced. However, the total number of workers employed under the scheme is not publicly reported, limiting transparency and public accountability.

JBS Australia has also recently established the JBS English Academy, an English language school designed to train overseas workers while they work for the company on student visas. This development follows reports that JBS has reached the limits of its access to workers through the Meat Industry Labour Agreement.

Public reporting indicates that JBS is currently training Brazilian students while they also work for the company, and has flagged the possibility of expanding recruitment through student visa pathways to other countries in the future.

Unions are concerned the company may seek to bypass safeguards built into Australia's skilled migration framework, including labour market testing requirements, skills and qualification standards, and other protections designed to ensure overseas recruitment only occurs where genuine workforce shortages exist.

The QCU and AMIEU are therefore calling on the Federal Minister for Home Affairs, the Federal Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and the Fair Work Ombudsman to review the operation of the Meat Industry Labour Agreement (MILA) and investigate the growing use of student visa pathways in the meat processing sector.

The review should assess whether existing safeguards are sufficient to protect workers, maintain transparency, and uphold the intent of Australia's migration and workplace laws, including ensuring that visa programs are used to address genuine labour shortages rather than replace local workforce development and recruitment.

The unions are also calling on the Australian Government to publicly report the number of workers employed under the Meat Industry Labour Agreement, including employer level data where appropriate, to improve transparency, strengthen compliance and ensure local communities can have confidence in how labour shortages are being addressed.

Queenslanders deserve confidence that visa programs are being used to fill genuine labour shortages, not as substitutes for investing in the local workforce.

Queensland Council of Unions General Secretary Jacqueline King said:

"Australia's migration system should never be used as a substitute for genuine workforce planning, training and recruitment of local workers."

"When a single company is responsible for a worker's job, education and accommodation, alarm bells should ring for regulators. These arrangements can create significant power imbalances and increase the risk of exploitation."

"We are calling on the Federal Government to review the use and number of visa workers employed by JBS Australia across all of its meat processing facilities, including its use of student visa pathways, to ensure the system is operating as intended and that all workers, regardless of where they come from, have the confidence and freedom to speak up about their rights at work."

"Local communities also have a right to know what jobs are available, how many workers are being recruited through visa programs, and whether those programs are being used to supplement genuine labour shortages rather than undermine local employment opportunities."

Australasian Meat Industry Employees Union National and Queensland Secretary Matt Journeaux said:

"The meat industry has relied on migrant workers for many years, and those workers make an enormous contribution to our industry and communities. This is not about the workers – it is about ensuring employers are using visa programs appropriately and responsibly."

"The purpose of labour agreements is to address genuine workforce shortages. Where large-scale recruitment is occurring through alternative visa pathways, there must be transparency about why those workers are being recruited and what protections are in place."

"Every worker deserves fair pay, safe conditions and the ability to raise concerns without fear. We want to see stronger oversight to ensure no worker is placed in a vulnerable position because of their visa status."

Other Background Information

A MILA/482-type worker is on a visa to work in a nominated occupation where a labour shortage has been identified. Other provisions of a MILA visa include:

• the employer must nominate the worker for a specific role.

• the employer must demonstrate a genuine labour need and meet salary requirements.

• the employer is responsible for sponsorship, nomination and Skilling Australians Fund levy costs, which generally cannot be passed on to the worker.

• the worker is employed full-time and is paid at least the applicable salary threshold and market rate.

In comparison, a student visa holder arrives primarily to study and then works under conditions attached to that visa. The number of student visas are not capped or part of labour market testing.

In addition, applicants for a student visa must generally demonstrate access to sufficient funds of around $30,000 AUD for their living expenses for a single student to support themselves while studying, separate from their visa fee, tuition fees and travel costs.

If a worker's study, accommodation and employment are all connected to the same company, this clearly creates a different form of dependency than the traditional employer-sponsored skilled migration model where those visa holders are likely to be more vulnerable to exploitation.