2014-Jun 13: Religious Worker Instructions

Visa Pak 166: Clarification for staff on the changes to Religious Worker Instructions in 2011 and to use the responsibilities of the position to determine if the work is religious, not the job title they have been given.

Visa Paks

13 June 2014

Religious Worker Instructions

Operations Support has recently been asked whether ‘Lay Missionaries’ that do not hold the title of ‘Priest’ or ‘Ordained Minister’ are able to be granted a work visa under WM2 and residence visa under RW7.5.1.

Instructions

Religious workers apply for work visas under WM Religious Worker instructions.  Before 5 November 2011, applicants applied under either the Ministers of religion, missionaries, and members of religious orders instructions or the WS2(g) Specific Purpose Lay Missionaries instructions.

The intention of the new instructions (effective from 7 November 2011) is to define ‘religious work’ holistically, rather than categorise workers into specific roles, as some religious organisations were unfairly disadvantaged under the previous instructions.

When assessing applications under religious worker instructions it is not the title of the occupation that needs to be considered but the nature of the work. An applicant must meet the definition of ‘religious work’ to be approved a visa under WM Religious Work instructions.

The definition for religious work can be found at WM2 and RW7.5.1.

Please ensure that religious worker instructions are applied correctly taking into account the nature of their work as defined at WM2 and RW7.5.1, (not the applicant’s job title).