Legislation currently passing through the Australian Senate could affect the outcome of investment in the offshore oil and gas industry.

The Greens party has made a move to disallow visa arrangements for offshore resources work on non-Australian flagged vessels.

The Migration Amendment Repeal Bill serve to repeal the Migration Amendment Act 2013 to remove the requirement for foreign workers to hold a visa when they participate in, or support, offshore resource activities taken to be in the migration zone.

It moved out of the House of Representatives in March and into the Senate in June.

According to the Australian Mines & Metals Association, the changes would “impose major costs and disruptions in the offshore oil and gas industry” and could threaten jobs.

On Wednesday the Greens will try and disallow the regulation.

The previous Australian government extended the legislation regarding Australia’s migration zone to include offshore resources projects in international waters.

Without the accompanying visa arrangements, the AMMA believes offshore infrastructure work could end.

AMMA executive director Scott Barklamb said the past two governments made a mockery of the system.

“The former Labor government made a mess of regulating work in the offshore oil and gas sector and left it to the Abbott Government to find a workable solution,” he said.

“Unions and the Greens now want to remove even that solution to a problem of their making.

“This would put critical project timelines as risk, harming a $200 billion industry and the contribution it makes to living standards and work opportunities for Australians.”