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Skilled and Business Migration

For further information about skilled and business migration you can visit Skilled and Business Migration

Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM)

  • The PALM scheme enables Australian businesses to hire workers from 9 Pacific Island countries and/or Timor-Leste, when there are not enough suitable local workers available. In turn, PALM workers build skills, while sending money back to their families at home.
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  • PALM workers can fill unskilled, low-skilled, or semi-skilled positions for short -term placements (generally from 6 months, and up to 9 months at a time) or longer-term placements (of between one and 4 years).
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  • These positions are at ANZSCO levels 3-5 and can be in any sector in SA. ANZSCO relates to classifications of occupation skill levels.
  • An application process is required to become an ‘Approved Employer’ (an AE). The requirements include the need to become a temporary activity sponsor through Dept of Home Affairs as well as demonstrating aspects such as financial viability and various other background checks. This is currently a lengthy process, taking around 6-8 months.  As an alternative, some employers choose to work with one of the labour-hire companies that have already been assessed as an AE to recruit and place PALM workers for them.
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  • If AE status is given, Recruitment Proposals (RPs) for PALM workers can then be considered. These outline the numbers of workers required and from which country, the type of work, location, pay, conditions etc.
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  • Once RPs are approved, the AEs then work in collaboration with what are called ‘Labour Sending Units’ (LSU), located in each of the countries involved. The LSUs assist with identification and preparation of individual applicants, subject to the needs of the AE.
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  • RPs require attention to be given to various aspects including accommodation and transport options, worker welfare and development of community connections. Commitment to worker welfare is critical and applies both while the worker is at the work site and at any other time.