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Resigned before the visa came? Why Zimbabwean workers should plan for delays in Australia's meat and pork jobs

News · 2026-09-07 · 4 min read

Some workers recruited by an Australian pork producer have already resigned from their jobs while their visas wait. That detail alone is a good reason for readers in Harare and Bulawayo to understand what is happening to meat and pork employers in Western Australia.

What the new order does

In July the Department of Home Affairs introduced a five-tier system for prioritising visa applications. Offshore applicants in industries outside law enforcement, defence, construction, healthcare and teaching sit at the very bottom. Meat processing is not on the priority list. Nor is pork production.

Why employers rely on overseas workers

Near Broome, in the Kimberley, an abattoir advertised 60 skilled positions. It received one application from an Australian resident, who did not hold the required skills. The lesson is not that employers want cheaper labour. Remote operations simply cannot attract enough local interest, regardless of wages, because very few skilled meatworkers will move to the far north of the state.

Two cases

The first concerns a pastoral company preparing to reopen a former meat company in the Kimberley. Roughly 30 skilled workers from the Philippines and 13 partners were lined up, and around $390,000 in visa fees has been paid. The opening planned for this year has slipped to a soft launch in February and a full commercial opening in April. Thousands of cattle need somewhere to go in the meantime.

The second is a piggery near Narrogin. About 90 per cent of its workforce comes from overseas. The owner is growing from 1,500 to 2,500 sows, with piglets due in six months. Workers recruited in January may not have visas in time, and some have already left their previous employment.

The mismatch

Employer recruitment timelines, visa processing and business planning cycles are meant to move together. They do not. Pigs keep breeding while a visa queue moves slowly, and cattle supply chains cannot wait for an abattoir to open. The department's position on the Meat Industry Labour Agreement stream is that applications are processed according to program requirements and established processing arrangements. That is little comfort when there is no timing visibility and nobody to call.

A safer plan for you

1. Keep your job until the visa is granted, whatever date an employer suggests.
2. Ask for written updates on timing and keep them.
3. Gather documents early, including ZIMSEC or HEXCO certificates and a police clearance from the Criminal Record Office if one is requested.
4. Build savings so that a later start date does not create hardship.

A clear CV makes it easier to respond when an employer calls. Build AI CV and an optional verified profile can both help; a verified Talent Tabloid profile lets employers check your experience and can help your application stand out. Read more in the working holiday visa shake-up and what it means for farms, which covers a route that does not apply to Zimbabwean passport holders, and in how regional Australia pays for visa pauses. Each advert on the jobs page states its own terms.

Where this could go

Prioritisation frameworks aimed at protecting the national labour market do not automatically cover sectors and regions with no realistic local workforce. Carve-outs, faster processing or clearer communication could change that. Without them, expect more employers in remote industries to face the same bind: workers identified, fees paid and operations stalled.

Common mistakes while waiting for a visa

• Giving notice at work on the strength of an unconfirmed start date.
• Assuming employers can move faster than the department.
• Waiting for a phone call instead of asking for updates.
• Taking advice from anyone other than a migration agent registered with MARA.

Frequently asked questions

Why are meat and pork not prioritised?

They are not among the industries placed above the bottom tier.

Can local workers fill the gap?

In remote areas very few apply, and one abattoir had a single local application for 60 positions.

How long will a visa take?

There is no stated timing, which is the heart of the problem.

Should I tell my employer I have a job offer?

That is your choice, but avoid resigning until the visa is granted.

Who gives reliable advice?

A migration agent registered with MARA.

Key takeaways

• Meat and pork sit outside the priority list, so offshore applicants wait.
• Remote employers cannot find local staff.
• Some workers resigned and then faced uncertainty.
• Keep your job until the visa is granted.

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