The Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) stream of the Temporary Work (International Relations) visa (subclass 403) allows workers from participating Pacific island countries and Timor-Leste to take up jobs with approved Australian employers. The PALM scheme replaced the former Seasonal Worker Programme (SWP) and Pacific Labour Scheme (PLS) in 2022, bringing both under a single program that offers short-term and long-term work placements across regional and rural Australia.
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🌏 Who is the PALM stream for?
The PALM scheme is open to citizens of ten participating countries: Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. Workers are recruited through their home country’s labour sending unit and must be employed by an Australian business approved as a PALM scheme employer.
✅ Eligibility requirements
- Be a citizen of a participating Pacific island country or Timor-Leste
- Be at least 21 years of age
- Have an offer of employment with an approved PALM scheme employer
- Meet health, character and health insurance requirements
- Be supported by your country’s labour sending unit
📅 Short-term and long-term placements
Short-term placements allow workers to stay in Australia for up to 9 months in any 12-month period — ideal for seasonal roles such as harvest work. Multi-year visas allow workers to return each season for up to 4 years.
Long-term placements allow workers to live and work in Australia for between 1 and 4 years in a single placement, filling ongoing labour shortages in eligible industries.
🏭 Eligible industries and locations
Approved employers can recruit PALM workers in sectors including agriculture, meat processing, aged care, hospitality and tourism, with placements available in regional and rural postcodes across Australia (agriculture and agriculture-related food manufacturing roles are not restricted by location). See also our Agriculture visa (403) page.
👨👩👧 Family accompaniment
Following reforms introduced under the Migration Amendment (Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Scheme) Regulations 2024, eligible long-term PALM workers can be joined in Australia by their partner and dependent children. Short-term workers cannot bring family members.
🛡️ Worker protections and conditions
PALM workers have the same workplace rights as Australian workers, including minimum wage, workplace safety laws and Fair Work protections. Workers are employed by their sponsoring employer and cannot change employers without approval from the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR). A Minimum Net Pay Guarantee ensures workers receive a minimum weekly take-home pay after deductions. Short-term PALM workers are taxed at a flat 15% rate withheld by their employer.
💲 Visa application charge
The visa application charge for the PALM stream is AUD $365 for the main applicant (fees are indexed on 1 July each year — check the current charge before applying).
🛂 Looking for permanent residence?
The PALM scheme is a temporary work program. Pacific island and Timor-Leste citizens seeking permanent residence in Australia may be eligible for the Pacific Engagement Visa (subclass 192), a permanent visa allocated by annual ballot with up to 3,000 places each year.
❓ Frequently asked questions
What happened to the Seasonal Worker Programme (SWP)?
The SWP and the Pacific Labour Scheme were consolidated into the PALM scheme in April 2022. The subclass 403 PALM stream is now the visa pathway for all PALM scheme workers.
Can I apply for the PALM stream directly?
No. Workers are recruited through their home country’s labour sending unit and must have a job offer from an approved PALM scheme employer before a visa application can be made.
Can I change employers once in Australia?
Not without approval. PALM workers are sponsored by a specific approved employer, and transfers between employers require DEWR approval.
Can my family join me in Australia?
Eligible long-term placement workers (1–4 years) can bring their partner and dependent children under the family accompaniment arrangements. Short-term workers cannot.
Can I play sport while on a PALM visa?
Yes — many PALM workers train and play with local sporting clubs in their own time while working in Australia. Athletes coming to Australia primarily for sport should consider the 408 Sporting Activities visa instead.
Does the PALM scheme lead to permanent residence?
The PALM stream itself is temporary, but the Pacific Engagement Visa (subclass 192) offers a permanent residence pathway for citizens of the same participating countries.
📞 Speak to a Registered Migration Agent
Whether you are an employer looking to become an approved PALM scheme employer or a worker with questions about your visa, our team can help. Book a consultation with VisaEnvoy today.
Who can employ a domestic worker
To employ a domestic worker under this visa, you must:
- hold a Diplomatic visa (subclass 995) and be accredited as a diplomat or consular officer in Australia
- not be a permanent resident of Australia
- have formal support from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to employ a domestic worker, before the worker applies for their visa
- intend to employ the worker to perform domestic duties in your private household
- sign an employment contract that is in accordance with Australian workplace conditions, as well as applicable state and territory legislation.
The Fair Work Ombudsman can provide information and advice about workplace rights and conditions, including employer obligations.
Employer obligations
You must:
- ensure the domestic worker is employed only to perform domestic duties in your private household
- tell the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade when your domestic worker first arrives in Australia and when they finally leave
- ensure that the domestic worker leaves Australia when they finish working for you.
Who can sponsor a seasonal worker?
For the Seasonal Worker Programme, the sponsor must be an approved employer recruiting seasonal workers for the horticulture, tourism (accommodation), aquaculture, sugar cane and cotton industries.
To be a sponsor, your organisation must be lawfully established and actively operating in Australia. In addition:
- you must be an Australian organisation or government agency
- there must be nothing adverse known about your organisation or it is reasonable to disregard any adverse information
- if your organisation has previously sponsored overseas workers to Australia, you must have a satisfactory record of complying with Australian laws.
How long does the sponsorship last?
A sponsorship lasts for up to five years.
If you are approved as a temporary activities sponsor, you can apply to vary (extend) your sponsorship before it expires to allow you to continue to sponsor people. If the sponsorship period expires, you will need to reapply and be approved as a sponsor, to sponsor further visa applicants.
403 visa fees
As an example fees for 403 visa for the main applicant, spouse and a dependent under 18 would be:
| PRODUCT | QUANTITY | PRICE |
|---|---|---|
| 403 visa | 1 | AUD 365 |
| Additional Applicant Charge 18+ | 1 | AUD 355 |
| Additional Applicant Charge U18 | 1 | AUD 85 |
| GST | 0.00 | |
| Total | AUD 805.00 |
*You can’t include family members in your 403 visa (Domestic Worker (Diplomatic or Consular)) application.
Sponsorship
All charges shown below are in Australian Dollars.
| TYPE OF APPLICATION | FEE |
|---|---|
| Temporary activities sponsorship | $420 |
Contact us today for a commitment free briefing with our Registered Migration Agents in Melbourne to find more about your visa options.
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