Minister of Religion Labour Agreement (MoRLA) | Australian Migration Lawyers

At a glance: key facts

주요 기능	Detail
Agreement Type	Industry Labour Agreement — published Home Affairs template, fixed conditions
Approved Occupations	Minister of Religion (ANZSCO 272211); Religious Assistant (ANZSCO 451816)
Visa Streams	Skills in Demand visa (Subclass 482) Labour Agreement stream; Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186) Labour Agreement stream
Agreement Term	Five years from execution
노동 시장 테스트	Exempt — but institution must explain why the position cannot be filled by an Australian worker
English — SID (482)	IELTS 4.0 in listening and speaking components; or five years of full-time English-medium study; or cloistered/monastic exemption
English — ENS (186)	IELTS 4.5 overall with a minimum of 4.0 in each component; or five years of full-time English-medium study; or cloistered/monastic exemption
연령	No age limit for SID (482); under 60 at ENS application lodgement
Skills Assessment Body	None — qualifications and experience assessed against template requirements
Salary — Standard	Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) applies; non-monetary benefits may be included up to 10% of the CSIT in earnings calculations
Salary — Reduced CSIT	National minimum wage as determined by the Fair Work Commission; non-monetary benefits up to 10% included
Salary — Vow of Poverty	Ministers of Religion only — salary requirements taken to be met; institution must provide board, lodging, health, education, welfare and all living costs
PR Pathway — General	Minimum two years as a Subclass 457 or 482 visa holder in the nominated occupation, then ENS via the Temporary Resident Transition stream
PR Pathway — Direct Entry	Archbishop or equivalent senior minister — immediate ENS Direct Entry available; ordained at least five years; postgraduate degree where available
Overseas Workers Cap	Aim to ensure no more than one-third of total workforce in any 12-month period
Relevant Award	Fair Work Act 2009 applies; specific award coverage varies by organisation type

What is the Minister of Religion labour agreement?

Stained glass window in a church interior

The MoRLA is a formal legal arrangement between an eligible Australian religious institution and the Commonwealth of Australia, administered by the Department of Home Affairs. It sits alongside other published industry template agreements including those for Dairy, Fishing, Horticulture, Meat, Pork, Advertising, On-hire, and Restaurant (Premium Dining).

Because the MoRLA uses a pre-agreed template, its terms are fixed. Every institution that enters the agreement signs the same template with the same concessions. The institution agrees to those terms rather than negotiating individual clauses, which makes the process more predictable than a company-specific arrangement but also means no additional concessions beyond the template can be requested.

The MoRLA was updated in December 2024, with changes that streamlined the agreement and introduced Religious Assistants as an approved occupation alongside Ministers of Religion. It applies to religious institutions across all faiths and denominations and is not restricted by geography or location category.

For a broader overview of how labour agreements work in Australia, see our Labour Agreements page.

Who can use MoRLA? Organisation eligibility

To hold a MoRLA, the sponsoring organisation must be a religious institution as defined in regulation 1.03 of the Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth). That definition has two components.

First, the organisation’s activities must reflect a body instituted for the promotion of a religious object, and the beliefs and practices of its members must constitute a religion: members hold belief in a supernatural being, thing, or principle and accept canons of conduct that give effect to that belief without offending against ordinary laws.

Second, the organisation must meet the requirements of section 50-50 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (Cth), and its income must be exempt from income tax under section 50-1 of that Act. Evidence of Notification of Endorsement for Charity Tax Concessions issued by the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission is sufficient to satisfy both requirements.

In addition to meeting the religious institution definition, the organisation must:

be an Australian registered business that has been lawfully and actively operating in Australia for at least 12 months
demonstrate a genuine need for overseas workers in the nominated occupation that cannot be met through local recruitment, with a specific explanation of why the role cannot be filled by an Australian
provide specific advice to the Department regarding any Royal Commission involvement, to address child protection risks
be free of adverse information, including adverse compliance history under migration, workplace, or other Australian law
hold, or be eligible to hold, approved sponsor status under the Migration Act 1958 (Cth)

The MoRLA is available to religious institutions across all faiths, including Christian denominations, Islamic organisations, Jewish congregations, Buddhist organisations, Hindu temples, and other recognised faith communities. The Department will not consider a MoRLA while any immigration matter for a proposed nominee is awaiting an outcome.

Occupations covered under the MoRLA

Minister of Religion (ANZSCO 272211)

For the purposes of the MoRLA, Minister of Religion is defined more broadly than the standard ANZSCO description. The occupation includes bishops and equivalent senior ministers of other religions that would otherwise be classified under Specialist Managers not elsewhere classified (ANZSCO 139999). A Minister of Religion under this agreement is expected to hold a leadership role in the institution, with responsibility for planning, organising, directing, and controlling processes within the religious organisation.

Examples of roles that may be sponsored under this occupation include:

Christian denominations: pastor, priest, minister, deacon, bishop, archbishop
Islam: imam
Judaism: rabbi, cantor
Buddhism: monk, nun, abbot
Hinduism: pundit, priest
Other faiths and their equivalent senior leadership roles

The occupation covers both ordained ministers and those who have taken profession to a religious life, as well as equivalents within faith traditions that do not use formal ordination processes.

Religious Assistant (ANZSCO 451816)

A Religious Assistant under the MoRLA is expected to undertake religious duties and tasks that support the senior leadership of the institution at the location where they will be working. The role must have a genuine and documented connection to the religious activities of the institution, not primarily administrative or general support functions.

Religious Assistants may include those supporting services, religious instruction, pastoral care, or outreach functions under the supervision of senior religious leadership. The qualification and salary concession conditions differ from those for Ministers of Religion and are set out below.

MoRLA concessions and requirements

The concessions under the MoRLA are fixed by the template. They are available equally to all institutions that enter the agreement and cannot be expanded through individual negotiation.

영어 능력 요건

The English language concession under the MoRLA applies across all location categories. Three alternative pathways are available.

For workers in a cloistered or monastic environment, no English language test is required for either the SID or ENS visa.

For workers demonstrating completion of at least five years of full-time study at a secondary or higher education institution where instruction was delivered in English, no additional test is required.

For all other workers:

For a Skills in Demand (Subclass 482) visa, the worker must demonstrate an IELTS score of at least 4.0 in both the listening and speaking components. No minimum score in reading or writing is required and no overall band score requirement applies to the SID stream under this concession.

For an Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186) visa, the worker must demonstrate an IELTS overall score of at least 4.5, with a minimum score of at least 4.0 in each of the four components.

Age requirements

There is no age requirement for a Skills in Demand (Subclass 482) visa under the MoRLA.

For an Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186) visa, the visa applicant must be no more than 60 years of age at the time the ENS visa application is lodged.

Skills, qualifications, and experience

No formal skills assessment body, such as VETASSESS or a trades authority, is required for either occupation under the MoRLA. Qualifications and experience are assessed by the Department against the template requirements.

Ministers of Religion must satisfy one of the following pathways:

Where ordination or profession to religious life is available and applicable within the faith tradition, the worker must be ordained or have taken profession to religious life and must hold qualifications at least equivalent to an AQF bachelor degree, or have completed at least five years of relevant structured training or instruction. Experience alone does not satisfy the structured training requirement. The five years must consist of genuine structured training or instruction, not work experience presented as a substitute.

Where ordination or profession to religious life, the AQF qualification pathway, and the structured training pathway cannot all be met, the worker must have at least five years of relevant work experience in the nominated occupation.

For an ENS Direct Entry nomination as the most senior ministerial position in the institution, such as an Archbishop or equivalent, the worker must additionally have been ordained or have taken profession to religious life for at least five years and, where available and applicable within the faith tradition, must hold a postgraduate degree or equivalent formal training.

Religious Assistants must meet one of the following:

qualifications at least equivalent to an AQF Certificate II or III, or
at least two years of relevant structured training or instruction, or
at least two years of relevant work experience.

All workers must be engaged on a full-time basis and must meet health and character requirements under the Migration Act 1958 (Cth).

The vow of poverty salary concession

The MoRLA provides three distinct salary options. The appropriate option depends on the circumstances of the individual nominee.

The standard option requires the institution to meet the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT), but permits non-monetary benefits to be included in earnings calculations up to 10% of the CSIT when assessing both the Annual Market Salary Rate and whether the CSIT has been met.

The reduced CSIT option sets the income threshold at the national minimum wage as determined by the Fair Work Commission. Non-monetary benefits may be counted toward this reduced threshold, up to 10% of its value.

The vow of poverty concession applies only to workers nominated as a Minister of Religion (ANZSCO 272211). It is not available for Religious Assistants, and the DoHA is explicit on this point. Where the Department has granted this concession on the basis of a genuine vow of poverty or vow of service, the overseas worker is taken to have met all salary requirements. The institution must instead attest in writing at the time of nomination that the worker will be provided with all living needs, specifically board and lodging, health, education, welfare, and any other costs the minister of religion incurs.

The practical effect is that the institution provides for the minister’s material needs directly rather than paying a salary that meets the income threshold. The concession reflects the genuine structure of many monastic and religious vocational arrangements but must be formally granted by the Department. It is not self-assessed by the institution.

Visa options under the MoRLA

Skills in Demand visa (Subclass 482) Labour agreement stream

The Skills in Demand visa (Subclass 482), which replaced the former Temporary Skill Shortage visa on 7 December 2024, is the temporary visa pathway under the MoRLA. Both Minister of Religion and Religious Assistant positions may be nominated for up to four years under the SID Labour Agreement stream. The concessions on English language and salary that apply under the MoRLA govern nominations under this stream rather than the standard Core Skills stream requirements.

Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186) Labour agreement stream

The Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186) is the permanent residence pathway under the MoRLA. Two pathways are available.

For most Ministers of Religion and Religious Assistants, the Temporary Resident Transition (TRT) stream applies. The worker must have held a Subclass 457 or Subclass 482 visa as a primary visa holder in the nominated occupation for at least two years before the ENS nomination is made. That two-year period does not need to have been spent solely under the current MoRLA — time on a relevant Subclass 457 or 482 in the same occupation may count regardless of which labour agreement governed it, provided the other requirements are met.

For the most senior ministerial position within the institution, such as an Archbishop or an equivalent senior position in another faith tradition, an ENS Direct Entry nomination is available without any requirement to have first held a temporary visa. The worker must have been ordained or have taken profession to religious life for at least five years and, where available and applicable within the faith tradition, must hold a postgraduate degree or equivalent formal training. The age limit of under 60 at application lodgement applies to both ENS pathways.

Our skilled visa success stories

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MoRLA vs the Religious Worker visa (Subclass 408)

The Subclass 408 (Temporary Activity) Religious Work stream and the MoRLA are both pathways for overseas religious workers to work in Australia, but they serve different purposes and carry different conditions.

주요 기능	MoRLA (Subclass 482 LA stream)	Subclass 408 Religious Work stream
비자 유형	Temporary skilled employer-sponsored	Temporary activity
기간	최대 4년	Up to 2 years
Employer arrangement	Institution must hold a labour agreement with Home Affairs	Institution holds Temporary Activity sponsorship approval
PR 경로	Yes — through Subclass 186 TRT after two years, or Direct Entry for the most senior minister	No direct pathway to permanent residence
English threshold	IELTS 4.0 in listening and speaking for SID; higher for ENS	No published IELTS threshold
봉급	Subject to MoRLA concessions, including vow of poverty for ministers	No income threshold mechanism
Who it suits	Ongoing skilled religious leadership and support roles where permanent residence is sought	Shorter-term, voluntary, or supplementary religious work without a permanent residence objective

Time spent on a Subclass 408 does not count toward the two-year Subclass 457 or 482 employment period required for an ENS Temporary Resident Transition nomination under the MoRLA, as the template specifies only Subclass 457 and 482 holders for that purpose.

Moving from a Subclass 408 to a MoRLA-based pathway is possible but requires the institution to hold an executed MoRLA and to lodge a fresh nomination for the worker under the Subclass 482 Labour Agreement stream.

How to get a Minister of Religion labour agreement

1
Confirm organisation and occupation eligibility
Before preparing any documentation, confirm that the institution meets the religious institution definition in regulation 1.03 of the Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth), holds or can obtain the required income tax exemption status under the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (Cth), and that the proposed roles genuinely correspond to either Minister of Religion or Religious Assistant as defined in the template. Our migration lawyers can complete this assessment and confirm whether the institution’s structure and the proposed role align with what the MoRLA covers.
2
Prepare the business case and eligibility evidence
Although the MoRLA is exempt from formal labour market testing, the institution must provide a specific explanation of why the position cannot be filled by an Australian worker. This explanation must address the particular nature of the religious qualifications, faith tradition, or spiritual authority required and why those requirements mean a suitably qualified Australian is not available. A general assertion of sector-wide shortages is not sufficient.
Supporting documentation for the request includes evidence of the institution’s charitable status, income tax exemption under the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (Cth), confirmation of the candidate’s ordination or religious qualifications, salary arrangements or the basis for a vow of poverty concession, child protection policies, and specific advice regarding any Royal Commission involvement.
3
Lodge the request through ImmiAccount
The request is lodged through ImmiAccount. The submission must address the basis for the agreement, the nominated occupations, proposed salary or vow of poverty arrangements, evidence of genuine workforce need, and the outcomes of any consultation conducted. The Department sets nomination ceilings for each year of the five-year agreement.
4
Agreement executed
Once the Department is satisfied, the agreement is executed. The institution becomes an approved sponsor and can begin lodging nominations within the approved ceilings. The agreement is subject to review after three years.
5
Lodge nominations and visa applications
After the agreement is in place, the institution lodges a nomination for each overseas worker. Once a nomination is approved, the worker lodges their visa application. The Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy is payable by the institution at each nomination. Where a vow of poverty concession applies, the institution must provide the required written attestation at the time of nomination.

Evidence the Department expects to see

A complete MoRLA request includes:

Evidence of religious institution status under regulation 1.03, including charitable tax endorsement
A specific explanation of why the nominated role cannot be filled by an Australian worker
Evidence of the candidate’s ordination, religious vows, or equivalent accreditation within the faith tradition
Confirmation of qualifications or structured training, or documented work experience where qualifications are unavailable
Salary arrangements, or a vow of poverty or service declaration where that concession is sought
Child protection policies and specific advice regarding any Royal Commission involvement
A workforce plan demonstrating how the institution will aim to reduce its reliance on overseas workers

Sponsor obligations and compliance

Holding a MoRLA carries the standard obligations of an approved sponsor under the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) and Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth), plus additional obligations specific to the agreement.
All workers must be engaged on a full-time basis. The institution must pay the worker at the agreed salary rate or, where a vow of poverty or service concession applies, must provide board, lodging, health, education, welfare, and all other living costs as formally attested at nomination.
Salary must be paid directly to the worker from the institution’s Australian bank account, including taxes and superannuation. Deductions from the worker’s pay are only permitted where specifically authorised in writing by the worker, under an industrial instrument, or by law.
The institution must not charge the sponsored worker for services, recruitment, or any costs related to their migration or employment.
The worker must perform the duties of the nominated occupation. Any material change to the worker’s role or to the institution’s circumstances that affects compliance with the agreement must be reported to the Department of Home Affairs promptly.
The institution must aim to ensure that overseas workers do not comprise more than one-third of its total workforce in any 12-month period, and must work toward reducing reliance on overseas workers over the life of the agreement.

For a full explanation of sponsor obligations, see our Sponsorship Obligations page.

Common MoRLA mistakes

Assuming the terms can be negotiated

The MoRLA is an industry template. Its concessions and conditions are set by the Department and apply equally to all institutions. Institutions seeking additional concessions beyond the template, for example a lower English requirement or different qualification pathway not already in the agreement, will not be able to obtain them through a MoRLA. A company-specific labour agreement would be needed for any departure from the template terms, and such departures are subject to separate assessment and approval.

Claiming the vow of poverty concession for Religious Assistants

The vow of poverty or vow of service salary concession applies only to workers nominated as a Minister of Religion (ANZSCO 272211). It does not extend to Religious Assistants (ANZSCO 451816). The Department’s published guidance is explicit on this point. Institutions that apply the concession to a Religious Assistant nomination will face refusal.

Treating work experience as a substitute for structured training

For Ministers of Religion who can be ordained or profess to religious life, the qualification requirement is satisfied by either an AQF bachelor degree equivalent or five years of relevant structured training. The Department is clear that work experience cannot substitute for the structured training pathway. The five-year work experience alternative only becomes available where ordination or profession to religious life, the AQF degree pathway, and the structured training pathway all cannot be met. Presenting work experience to satisfy the structured training requirement is a common basis for refusal.

Missing or insufficient ordination evidence

For a Minister of Religion, ordination or formal profession to religious life is a central requirement where available within the faith tradition. Where it is available, documentary evidence must be provided. Where the faith tradition does not use ordination, the institution must specifically explain this and provide alternative evidence of equivalent accreditation within the tradition. Submitting a nomination without adequate ordination or accreditation documentation is a common basis for delay or refusal.

English evidence that does not match the visa stream

The English requirements differ between the SID and ENS streams. The SID (482) requires IELTS 4.0 in listening and speaking only; the ENS (186) requires IELTS 4.5 overall with 4.0 in each of the four components. Providing an overall IELTS score for a 482 nomination, or assuming a 482-qualifying score is sufficient for a 186 nomination, will create problems at that stage. Workers relying on the five-year English-medium study alternative must provide verifiable documentary evidence of the study period.

Attempting an ENS nomination over the age limit

Workers who are 60 or over at the time of lodging an ENS visa application do not meet the age concession and cannot be nominated for permanent residence under the MoRLA. Institutions should factor the worker’s age into succession planning well before the temporary visa period concludes, to ensure the worker will still be under 60 at the time of ENS application.

Lodging while an immigration matter is pending

The Department will not consider a MoRLA request while any immigration matter for the proposed nominee is awaiting an outcome. Institutions should resolve any outstanding visa applications, review proceedings, or immigration compliance matters before lodging a MoRLA request for that worker.

For overseas religious workers

People gathering near an old brick building

Overseas Ministers of Religion and Religious Assistants cannot apply for a MoRLA independently. The agreement must be held by an Australian religious institution, which lodges the request, executes the agreement, and lodges the nomination. Only after a nomination is approved can the worker lodge their visa application.

If you are an overseas religious worker exploring whether an Australian institution could sponsor you, the first steps are confirming that your institution is eligible to hold a MoRLA, that your role corresponds to either Minister of Religion or Religious Assistant as defined in the template, and that your qualifications, experience, or ordination status meets the relevant pathway.

Permanent residence is available through the Subclass 186 Labour Agreement stream. For most workers, this requires at least two years as a primary Subclass 457 or 482 visa holder in the nominated occupation before an ENS Temporary Resident Transition nomination can be made. Workers filling the most senior ministerial position, such as an Archbishop or equivalent, may be eligible for an ENS Direct Entry nomination, provided they have been ordained for at least five years and hold any available postgraduate qualification. Our migration lawyers can advise on the full process from a worker’s perspective.

Our experience

Our migration lawyers advise religious institutions across Australia on sponsored visa pathways, including MoRLA eligibility assessments, request drafting, and nominations. We work with organisations across a range of faith traditions and advise on the specific documentary requirements for ordination evidence, vow of poverty declarations, and the qualification pathways that apply where formal ordination is not part of the relevant faith tradition.

We act exclusively for clients and our advice focuses on preparing accurate, complete submissions that reflect the genuine circumstances of the institution and the worker.

How our lawyers can help

Our migration lawyers assist religious institutions in confirming eligibility under regulation 1.03 and the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (Cth), mapping proposed roles to the correct approved occupation, preparing the MoRLA request including the genuine need explanation, ordination evidence, salary or vow of poverty declarations, and child protection documentation. We manage nominations and visa applications once the agreement is in place, advise on English evidence strategy for workers approaching the ENS application stage, and assist with Subclass 408-to-482 transitions where a worker is already in Australia and the institution is entering the MoRLA for the first time.

Book a consultation to check your organisation’s MoRLA eligibility

Whether your religious institution is sponsoring its first overseas minister or managing recurring religious worker visa sponsorship australia-wide, our migration lawyers can assess your organisation’s eligibility, confirm the correct occupation and salary pathway, prepare the MoRLA request, and manage nominations and visa applications from start to finish. Book a consultation to discuss your organisation’s circumstances.

This page provides general information about the Minister of Religion Labour Agreement and does not constitute migration or legal advice. Template terms are fixed by the Department of Home Affairs and may change. Confirm current requirements with the Department or a registered migration lawyer before proceeding.

Can a church sponsor a pastor in Australia through the MoRLA?

Yes, provided the church is a registered religious institution meeting the eligibility criteria above, and the pastor’s role genuinely corresponds to Minister of Religion (ANZSCO 272211) as defined in the MoRLA template. The pastor must be ordained or have equivalent accreditation within the faith tradition, and must hold an AQF bachelor degree equivalent or have completed at least five years of relevant structured training or instruction. Where ordination or qualifications cannot be met, five years of relevant work experience in the role may qualify instead.

Can ministers of religion get permanent residence in Australia through the MoRLA?

Yes, through the Labour Agreement stream of the Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186). Most workers access this through the Temporary Resident Transition stream, which requires at least two years as a primary Subclass 457 or 482 visa holder in the nominated occupation before an ENS nomination is made. Workers filling the most senior ministerial position, such as an Archbishop or equivalent, may be eligible for a Direct Entry ENS nomination without any prior temporary visa period, provided they have been ordained for at least five years and hold a postgraduate qualification where available. In both cases, the worker must be under 60 at ENS application lodgement.

Can Religious Assistants access the vow of poverty concession and the same PR pathways as Ministers of Religion?

Not fully. The vow of poverty or service salary concession is available only to Ministers of Religion and does not extend to Religious Assistants. The Department’s guidance is explicit on this. Religious Assistants are subject to the standard CSIT or reduced CSIT salary options only. The permanent residence pathway through the ENS Temporary Resident Transition stream is available to Religious Assistants after two years as a primary Subclass 457 or 482 holder, but the Direct Entry pathway is reserved for the most senior ministerial positions and does not apply to Religious Assistants.

How long does it take to get a MoRLA?

The Department of Home Affairs does not publish processing timeframes for labour agreement requests. Timeframes depend on the completeness of the submission and the Department’s workload. Contact our migration lawyers for practical guidance on current conditions.

What are the MoRLA English requirements?

For a Skills in Demand (Subclass 482) visa, the worker must demonstrate IELTS 4.0 in both the listening and speaking components. There is no minimum score in reading or writing and no overall band score requirement for this stream. For an Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186) visa, the worker must demonstrate IELTS 4.5 overall with a minimum of 4.0 in each of the four components. Both streams permit the alternative of five years of full-time English-medium study. Workers in a cloistered or monastic environment are exempt from the English requirement entirely.

What is the age limit for MoRLA workers?

There is no age limit for the Skills in Demand (Subclass 482) visa. For the Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186) visa, the worker must be under 60 at the time the ENS visa application is lodged.

What is the difference between the MoRLA and the Subclass 408 Religious Work visa?

The Subclass 408 is a temporary activity visa that does not require a labour agreement and does not provide a pathway to permanent residence. It is granted for up to two years and suits shorter-term, voluntary, or supplementary religious work. The MoRLA is a structured employer-sponsored pathway covering ongoing skilled religious employment, provides a clear permanent residence pathway after two years, and offers specific salary and English concessions not available through the 408. Time on a Subclass 408 does not count toward the two-year Subclass 457 or 482 employment period required for an ENS Temporary Resident Transition nomination under the MoRLA.

What is the Minister of Religion Labour Agreement?

The MoRLA is a published industry template labour agreement administered by the Department of Home Affairs that allows eligible Australian religious institutions to sponsor overseas workers in two approved occupations, Minister of Religion (ANZSCO 272211) and Religious Assistant (ANZSCO 451816), on fixed, pre-agreed terms including English language concessions, a reduced salary threshold, a vow of poverty concession for ministers, and a pathway to permanent residence through the Subclass 186 Labour Agreement stream.

What is the vow of poverty concession and who does it apply to?

The vow of poverty concession is a salary concession available only to workers nominated as a Minister of Religion (ANZSCO 272211). Where the Department grants the concession on the basis of a genuine vow of poverty or vow of service, the overseas worker is taken to have met all salary requirements. The institution must formally attest at nomination that it will provide all the worker’s living needs, including board and lodging, health, education, welfare, and any other costs. The concession does not apply to Religious Assistants.

Who qualifies as a religious institution for MoRLA purposes?

A religious institution for MoRLA purposes must meet the definition in regulation 1.03 of the Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth), which requires the body to be instituted for the promotion of a religious object, for its members’ beliefs and practices to constitute a religion, and for the institution to meet the income tax exemption requirements under sections 50-50 and 50-1 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (Cth). Evidence of Notification of Endorsement for Charity Tax Concessions is sufficient to satisfy the income tax exemption requirement. The institution must also provide evidence of charitable status and give specific advice to the Department regarding any Royal Commission involvement.

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Minister of Religion Labour Agreement (MoRLA): Sponsoring Religious Workers in Australia

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At a glance: key facts

What is the Minister of Religion labour agreement?

Who can use MoRLA? Organisation eligibility

Occupations covered under the MoRLA

Minister of Religion (ANZSCO 272211)

Religious Assistant (ANZSCO 451816)

MoRLA concessions and requirements

영어 능력 요건

Age requirements

Skills, qualifications, and experience

The vow of poverty salary concession

Visa options under the MoRLA

Skills in Demand visa (Subclass 482) Labour agreement stream

Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186) Labour agreement stream

Our skilled visa success stories

MoRLA vs the Religious Worker visa (Subclass 408)

How to get a Minister of Religion labour agreement

Confirm organisation and occupation eligibility

Prepare the business case and eligibility evidence

Lodge the request through ImmiAccount

Agreement executed

Lodge nominations and visa applications

Evidence the Department expects to see

Sponsor obligations and compliance

Common MoRLA mistakes

Assuming the terms can be negotiated

Claiming the vow of poverty concession for Religious Assistants

Treating work experience as a substitute for structured training

Missing or insufficient ordination evidence

English evidence that does not match the visa stream

Attempting an ENS nomination over the age limit

Lodging while an immigration matter is pending

For overseas religious workers

Our experience

How our lawyers can help

Book a consultation to check your organisation’s MoRLA eligibility

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신디 자오 (趙青)

마들렌 스캔론

벤자민 매길

돈 (수산타) 카투감팔라

사메 가세미

아서 세레메티스

체린 테오(CPA)

닐 윌리엄스

셰린 엘 알리

케이트 콜스턴

앤드류 유안

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니콜라스 멀린 변호사

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