Can I work freely on Australia's 408 Workplace Justice visa in 2026? Condition 8107 explained

Plain-language guide · general information, not immigration advice

Yes. As of the July 2026 version of the Australian Department of Home Affairs page Australian Government Endorsed Events (Workplace Justice Pilot) (Subclass Temporary Activity visa (subclass 408)), condition 8107 imposes no work restrictions on Workplace Justice visa holders in Australia. You can work in any occupation or industry, anywhere in Australia, change employers, work for more than one employer at the same time, or be self-employed. The only boundary is the purpose of the visa itself: the work must not prevent you from pursuing your workplace exploitation claim.

This article is general reference material, not advice tailored to an individual case, and it is not legal representation. Your own visa grant letter and your VEVO record remain the authority for the conditions attached to your grant, and published settings change over time — check anything time-sensitive against the Department's current page.

What makes condition 8107 different on this stream?

Condition 8107 is the standard work-related condition attached to many Temporary Activity (subclass 408) grants; under the Migration Regulations 1994 it is described in terms of working for a sponsor or in the nominated activity. On the Workplace Justice stream, the Department states plainly that there are no work restrictions, provided the work does not get in the way of your claim.

That is unusual, and it is deliberate. The Workplace Justice Pilot was designed so that temporary migrants can stay in Australia while they seek workplace justice, which means earning a living cannot depend on staying with the employer you are in dispute with. Because conditions can vary between grants, confirm your own by reading your grant letter or pulling up your record in VEVO before you rely on any of this.

Which jobs does "no work restrictions" actually cover?

The page does not publish an approved occupation list or an industry list, so the test is exactly what it says. The Department's own wording allows you to:

work in any occupation or industry, anywhere in Australia
change employers whenever you want to
work for more than one employer at the same time
be self-employed

So a transition from hospitality to warehousing, from cleaning to skilled trades, or into running your own small business is within what the page describes. Nothing in it restricts skilled or unskilled work, casual or ongoing arrangements, or the number of employers. Being free under migration law is not the same as being free under employment law: Australian workplace law still governs pay, hours and conditions once you start work.

Do you have to tell the Department about a new employer?

No. Home Affairs states explicitly that you do not need to tell them about any change in your employment. Starting a job, leaving one, adding a second employer or going self-employed triggers no notification by itself.

A short list of other changes does have to be reported. Keeping the two separate helps avoid the common mistake of holding off on a job change while letting contact details go stale.

Employment changes — no notification	Personal changes — must be reported
Starting a new job	Change of phone number, email, address or passport
Leaving or changing employers	Change in relationship status
Taking on additional employers	Birth of a child
Moving into self-employment	—

Your visa is digitally linked to your passport rather than stamped as a label, and VEVO is the tool the Department points to for showing your conditions to an employer.

What can put the visa itself at risk?

One thing above all: you must not stop pursuing your workplace exploitation claim. If you do, the consequences set out on the page are that you may have to leave Australia, or apply for and be granted a new visa in order to stay. Beyond that, you and any family members on the grant must meet all visa conditions and follow Australian laws.

There is also a practical dimension worth understanding. Home Affairs may disclose the information you provide — including personal and sensitive information and details of the exploitation you experienced, potentially including the place of employment — to other Commonwealth, State or Territory bodies for investigation or enforcement activity, as set out in its privacy notice (Form 1442i). The stated aim is employer compliance and reducing workplace exploitation. In other words, the claim and the visa move together; a well-paid new job does not replace the purpose of the grant.

How long do these unrestricted work rights last?

They last for the visa stay period, which starts on the date the visa is granted and is set out in your grant letter; VEVO shows the same details. Travel outside Australia is allowed as many times as you like during that period, but time spent outside Australia does not extend the visa, and the stay period does not restart each time you re-enter — any time abroad counts as part of it. You cannot arrive back at the airport with a fresh permission to work.

Nor can you stay longer by extending this visa. The page sets out two situations:

Claim not finalised before expiry: you may be eligible to apply for another visa, but you cannot reuse your original workplace exploitation claim certification. You need a new certification from a participating government agency or an accredited third party explaining why you need more time in Australia.
Claim finalised and visa about to expire: you need to apply for and be granted another type of visa to remain, or plan your departure.

For reference on cost, there is no visa application charge for this visa itself, although other costs such as health checks and police certificates can arise.

What protections apply while you are working?

Temporary visa holders who have permission to work are protected by Australian workplace law, and changing employers under this visa does not cost you those protections. The Department refers holders to the Fair Work Ombudsman's material on the workplace rights and entitlements of visa holders and migrant workers.

This matters most in exactly the situation the visa was built for: if a new employer pays below the minimum, withholds entitlements or threatens you with your visa status, the protection sits with Australian workplace law, and your migration status does not depend on staying in that job.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change employers on a 408 Workplace Justice visa without telling Home Affairs?

Yes. The Department states there are no work restrictions for Workplace Justice visa holders, including changing employers, and that you do not need to tell it about any change in your employment. Your grant letter and VEVO still set out the specific conditions attached to your visa.

Am I allowed to be self-employed on this visa?

Yes. Self-employment is listed explicitly among the permitted arrangements, alongside working for one employer or more than one employer. The work still must not prevent you from pursuing your workplace exploitation claim.

Can I work in a different industry from the one I worked in before?

Yes. The page allows work in any occupation or industry anywhere in Australia, and it publishes no approved occupation list or industry restriction for this stream. Australian workplace law continues to apply to the new role.

What happens if I stop pursuing my workplace exploitation claim?

You may have to leave Australia, or apply for and be granted a new visa to remain, according to the obligations set out on the Department's page. Continuing to pursue the claim is a core condition of holding this visa, independent of whether you are working.

Can my family members also work freely?

The page states that members of the family unit in Australia can be included in the application and must meet health and character requirements, but it directs each holder to VEVO for their own specific conditions and work entitlements. Check every family member's record individually rather than assuming the main applicant's position applies to them.

Does travelling overseas restart my visa or my work rights?

No. The stay period starts on the date of grant, does not restart when you re-enter Australia, and time spent outside counts towards it. You can travel and return as many times as you like within the stay period.