The Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme allows eligible Australian businesses to hire workers from 9 Pacific islands and Timor-Leste when there are not enough local workers available.
Through the PALM scheme, eligible businesses can recruit workers for short-term jobs for up to 9 months or long-term roles for between one and 4 years in unskilled, low-skilled and semi-skilled positions.
The PALM scheme helps to fill labour gaps in rural and regional Australia and nationally for agriculture and select agriculture-related food product manufacturing sectors by offering employers access to a pool of reliable, productive workers. It also allows Pacific and Timor-Leste workers to take up jobs in Australia, develop their skills and send income home.
Updated PALM scheme Approved Employer Guidelines 2.1
The PALM scheme Approved Employer Guidelines (guidelines) version 2.1 were published on 17 March 2026 and will take effect from 27 March 2026.
They focus on improving clarity, streamlining processes and strengthening existing requirements to support consistent administration of the PALM scheme and enhancing protections for PALM scheme workers.
They include refinements across key areas such as:
- Incident management and reporting
- Minimum hours
- Worker welfare, wellbeing and health insurance
- Accommodation standards
- Cultural competency and training requirements, and
- Privacy and personal information handling and more.
PALM scheme employers are encouraged to review the updated guidelines ahead of commencement and begin preparing for the changes. The PALM scheme Approved Employer Guidelines 2.1 update reflects clearer guidance for stakeholders, and clarifies compliance and administrative requirements, while strengthening protections for PALM scheme workers.
DEWR is implementing these updates ahead of the outcomes of the recent Review into the impact of key PALM scheme Deed and Guidelines settings, which remains subject to government consideration. The updated guidelines are available at PALM scheme Approved Employer Guidelines.
If you have any questions, please call the PALM scheme support service via phone (1800 51 51 31) or email (palm@dewr.gov.au).
iComply Horticultural Compliance Specialists is no longer a PALM scheme Approved Employer
The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations has terminated the PALM scheme Deed of Agreement of Approved Employer, iComply Horticultural Compliance Specialists Pty Ltd (iComply), due to non-compliance with the Deed.
The department redeployed all workers to other PALM scheme approved employers ahead of termination and continues to engage with workers to ensure they are supported under new employers.
Want to join the PALM scheme as an employer?
If you are an Australian business needing additional workers you may be able to source them through the PALM scheme. You will need to check your eligibility and the requirements you will need to meet.
Australian businesses can access PALM scheme workers either by applying to become an approved employer or recruiting through an approved PALM scheme labour hire company.
Learn more about becoming an approved employer.
Want to join the PALM scheme as a worker?
If you are a resident of one of the participating countries and want to apply to join the PALM scheme, you will need to check your eligibility and contact your country’s labour sending unit.
Learn more about signing up as a worker.
Supporting workers while they are living in Australia
The wellbeing of Pacific and Timor-Leste workers in Australia is of the highest priority for the Australian Government. All participating workers have the same rights and protections as Australian workers.
A range of measures is in place to protect workers, including stringent employer vetting, a rigorous monitoring and compliance framework, regular spot checks and a support service phone line. Workers are also encouraged and supported to connect to their local communities across Australia.
Learn more about PALM scheme employers' obligations to ensure workers are supported, or read the PALM scheme grievance management policy.