Managing people in Australia's offshore oil and gas industry
Under the Migration Act 1958 (the Act), non-citizens are required to hold an appropriate visa to participate in, or to support
offshore resource activities.
Non-citizens working on vessels involved in offshore resources activities will have to meet the same visa requirements as non-citizens working on Australian resources installations.
Visas for people working on Australian resources installations
Non-citizens, other than permanent residents, intending to work on an Australian resources installation must hold either a:
Arriving at Australian resources installations
Non-citizens intending to work on Australian offshore resources installations or supporting vessels need to ensure they have complied with immigration clearance requirements by meeting one of the following:
- be immigration cleared on the Australian mainland before travelling to the Australian resources installation, or
- hold a valid visa prescribed for offshore resources activities, as per the
Migration Regulations 1994 section 2.05(4AC). The visa holder or another person - for example, the Vessel’s local shipping agent, may have reporting requirements as prescribed under the
Customs Act 1901 and the Migration Act 1958.
Visas for people who intend to transit through Australia on their way to Joint Petroleum Development Area
Non-citizens who intend to transit through Australia on their way to the Joint Petroleum Development Area in the Timor Sea, or to other offshore activities that fall outside the migration zone, should hold one of the following visas to be immigration cleared:
These visas do not allow the holder to work in Australia.
