Australia’s current government has a commitment to deepen connections with our neighbours in the Pacific Islands and Timor-Leste. As part of this, the Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV) has been introduced.
This working visa sits alongside the PALM visa as part of an objective to facilitate economic prosperity through talent mobility and job creation between Australia and the Pacific.
In case you are not familiar with these programs and how they benefit your organisation, we summarise the key differences between these two visas:
PALM Scheme
The Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme is a temporary visa program which allows eligible Australian businesses to hire workers from Pacific island countries and Timor-Leste, providing there are not enough local workers available.
Under this initiative, Pacific Islander and Timor-Leste workers can accept a short term position for up to 9 months or for a longer term job for between one and four years. The roles they apply for can include unskilled, low or semi-skilled positions making this program more flexible than the standard skilled work visa program.
The goal is for workers to be able to develop skills and send income home to support their families and communities. As explained by the Department of Immigration, PALM scheme workers will be required to return home to connect with their communities for three months after a short term placement or six months after a long term placement. After this, they can apply to return under the same scheme. Given this, the program is suited to roles which are non-ongoing and to fill short term shortages.
Participating countries include Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. Applicants must be 21 years and over, sponsored by a PALM scheme employer, and there may be English language proficiency,
health and character requirements.
Additional visa conditions apply. For example, under the PALM scheme visa conditions, workers cannot work with any employer other than their approved visa sponsor unless approved by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations. What’s more, employers must be based in regional or rural Australia unless it is an agricultural business.
For employers:
The program entails some onboarding and settlement support for your PALM visa holders. The employer will fund initial worker mobilisation costs (e.g., visa, flights) which they may recoup from workers through deductions from wages, less a $300 employer contribution.
Prior to arrival employer will also need to:
- Conduct labour market testing to ensure the position cannot be filled via the local market
- Provide a recruitment plan to DEWR to be approved
Upon arrival, employers are responsible for:
- Conducting an arrival briefing;
- Meeting accommodation standards
- Arranging transport
- Providing sufficient hours of work
- Supporting worker wellbeing, including supporting connections to community and sporting groups, churches and diaspora groups
- Comply with Australian workplace laws and regulations.
The official visa for the PALM scheme is the Temporary Work (International Relations)
visa (subclass 403) Pacific Australia Labour Mobility stream. This visa is demand-driven, meaning there isn’t currently a cap on applicants.
As of March 2024 over 30,000 workers from approximately 10 countries are working in Australia under the PALM scheme. They are working predominantly in agriculture, the meat industry, accommodations and residential care.
Recent Extensions to PALM
The PALM Scheme has been extended to include the following:
- Metropolitan areas for the agriculture industry, ie meat, seafood, fruit & vegetables
- Aged Care Expansion – 500 additional workers for the aged care sector who have Certification III in Individual Support (Ageing) qualification
- Family Accompaniment (pilot).
Pacific Engagement Visa
The Pacific Engagement Visa is a permanent residency visa for eligible applicants from Pacific and Timor-Leste, subject to meeting eligibility criteria.
Each year, up to 3,000 visas for individuals, their partners and their dependent children are allocated through a random electronic ballot process under the Pacific Engagement Visa program.
PALM workers who have valid temporary visas will be able to register for this ballot.
| “The (PEV) program will grow Pacific and Timor-Leste diasporas in Australia, strengthening linkages between our people and encouraging greater cultural, business, economic and educational exchange with Pacific countries.” – Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Pat Conroy MP |
Participating countries include the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji,Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. Participants will be selected randomly after entering the ballot, and will be eligible to remain in Australia permanently and can work anywhere, for any employer, without restrictions.
Conditions are as follows for citizens of participating countries:
- Born in or have a parent born in an eligible country.
- Aged 18-45 years to enter the ballot (applicants can include partner and legally dependent children in their application).
- English language
- Health and character requirements.
The primary or secondary applicant must also have received an ongoing job offer in
Australia to be eligible to be granted a PEV, however, a job offer is not required to enter
the ballot. Support will be provided to connect successful ballot entrants with employers so they can complete the process and be granted a Pacific Engagement Visa.
For employers:
PEV holders will be responsible for all costs associated with moving and settling in Australia. A free service will be available to connect applicants with Australian
employers and support the visa application process, plus pre-departure briefings will provide culturally relevant information in suitable languages about life in Australia.
Both these visas give Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens the ability to relocate to Australia for work, and provide Australian employers with a deeper pool of workers to draw from.
