Your Quick Guide to the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) Scheme
We recently blogged about the new Pacific Engagement (Subclass 192) Visa program which will provide up to 3,000 Pacific Island and Timor-Leste nationals with permanent residence every year, pending their registration and selection in a ballot.
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If you are from one of the following countries and are either not eligible for the Pacific Engagement (Subclass 192) Visa program or are not selected as part of the ballot, you may consider the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Scheme instead:
Fiji
Kiribati
Nauru
Papua New Guinea
Samoa
Solomon Islands
Timor-Leste
Tonga
Tuvalu
Vanuatu
The Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme allows Australian business to hire workers from the above Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste to undertake short-term or long-term work in Australia, and sponsor them for a Temporary Work (International Relations) (Subclass 403) visa.
As its name suggests, the Subclass 403 visa is a temporary visa as opposed to the permanent Subclass 192 visa, however under the PALM scheme, overseas workers have the opportunity to gain valuable skills and experience in Australia, as well as earn income to send back to their communities.
Who is eligible to join the PALM scheme as a worker?
Citizens of the above Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste who want to participate in the PALM scheme should contact the relevant government Labour Sending Unit (LSU) in their country, who are responsible for ensuring that only eligible candidates are put forward to PALM scheme employers for consideration.
Broadly, to be eligible, workers must meet the following criteria:
hold or obtain a valid passport for the duration of the contract or be able to obtain one
be physically fit and healthy for the work specified
have no criminal record (workers who have lived in a foreign country for 12 months or more after the age of 16, or worked on a foreign ship for 12 months or more, require a police check from that country)
be of good character
have the right qualifications and/or work experience required by employers
demonstrate a positive attitude to work and a willingness to learn and commit to the employer’s values
have an intention to return to their participating country
be over 21 years of age
have a reasonable standard of English (for longer-term workers only)
If you are from one of the participating countries and satisfy the above criteria, you can contact the relevant LSU in your country at the following contact details:
Fiji
Register your interest at your local National Employment Centre or email (fores@govnet.gov.fj). You can also call (+679 3303 500), (+679 9906 421) or (+679 892 5087).
Kiribati
Please email the Senior Labour Officer at the Ministry of Employment and Human Resources at (lo.eu2@employment.gov.ki), (lo.ner@employment.gov.ki), (slo.eu@employment.gov.ki) or phone (+686 750 21068) or (+686 750 21018).
Nauru
Please contact the Ministry of Labour by phone (+674 5561510) or email the LMU Director (rebecca.amwano112@gmail.com) or Labour Mobility Coordinator (lynsydab25@gmail.com).
Papua New Guinea
Please email (lmu_admin@treasury.gov.pg) or call (+675 313 3578).
Samoa
For more information, please contact the labour mobility unit by phone (+685 20 441) or by email (leep@mcil.gov.ws).
Solomon Islands
Please contact the labour mobility unit for more information by phone on (+677 212 50), (+677 202 51), call the support service on (20452), email (lmu@mfaet.gov.sb) or visit the office at Ground Floor, Anthony Saru Building, Point Cruz.
Timor-Leste
For seasonal work opportunities please contact (swp.lsu.tl@gmail.com). For longer-term work opportunities contact (pls.lsu.tl@gmail.com). Otherwise, you can visit dnee.sefope.gov.tl or facebook.com/sefopednee for more information.
Tonga
Please contact the Overseas Employment Division by phone on (+ 676 7401851 or +676 7401854) or by email on (aaltuihalamaka@gmail.com).
Tuvalu
Please contact the Department of Labour, or email (meafou.brian@gmail.com) or (tellyfinauga@gmail.com).
Vanuatu
For seasonal work opportunities please contact (snaio@vanuatu.gov.vu). For longer-term work opportunities contact (gvuti@vanuatu.gov.vu).
If and once you are selected, you will be able to apply for a Subclass 403 visa after -
you have received an Offer of employment for an approved PALM scheme work placement; and
you have received from your sponsor a PALM scheme Recruitment Approval letter that includes the PALM endorsement number that you will need to lodge your online application.
You will also need to meet other requirements for the grant of the Subclass 403 visa, including health and character requirements, as well as the genuine temporary stay requirement.
What if I am an employer who wants to employ overseas workers under the PALM scheme?
To be eligible to join the PALM scheme for the recruitment of overseas workers in unskilled, low-skilled and semi-skilled positions, you will need to demonstrate that you are an eligible business registered and operating in Australia, and that you are not an individual, sole trader or unincorporated company.
You will also need to be based in an eligible postcode, except for employers in the agriculture and select agriculture-related food product manufacturing sectors where there are no postcode restrictions:
There are further eligibility requirements including but not limited to -
having good immigration practices and a history of compliance with immigration legislation
having a good history of compliance with Australian workplace relations, work health and safety legislation, and other relevant laws
demonstrating that its directors or trustees have a history of compliance with the above laws
having or being able to obtain a labour hire license if applicable (not required for direct employers)
being in a sound financial position – a financial viability assessment will be conducted to determine if the business can meet the upfront costs associated with recruiting seasonal workers including:
at least 3 years of financial solvency for a direct employer
and at least 3 years of financial solvency and 5 years of continuous operation – for a labour hire/contractor employer.
demonstrating understanding and an intention to comply with the requirements of becoming a PALM scheme employer (as outlined in the PALM scheme Approved Employer Deed of Agreement and PALM scheme Approved Employer Guidelines).
While the PALM scheme presently operates in the agriculture, meat processing, aged care, hospitality and tourism sectors, the Australian Government has announcement its commitment to expanding the PALM scheme to new sectors in the future, “[o]ver the coming months”.
If you are an employer interested in joining the PALM scheme and who meets the above eligibility requirements, you can apply on the official PALM scheme website.
For more information about the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme, you can contact us at info@inclusivemigration.com.au.
