How to apply for the Pacific Labour scheme (PLS)
What is the Pacific Labour scheme (PLS)?
The Pacific Labour Scheme allows people from Pacific island countries to work in low and semi-skilled jobs in rural and regional Australia for up to 3 years. After 3 years you must spend a mandatory period outside Australia before you can apply for this visa again. Workers are currently placed in a range of sectors including meat processing, agriculture, aged care, accommodation, fisheries and forestry.
How do I apply for the Pacific Labour scheme (PLS)?
Workers that come to Australia through the Pacific Labour Scheme must usually be aged at least 21 when applying. You must be a citizen and resident of a specified Pacific Island nation. Countries currently participating in Pacific labour mobility are Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
You must be invited by an Australian employer endorsed by DFAT who is a Temporary Activities sponsor. Each Sponsor will have a Temporary Activity Sponsorship application ID or Transaction Reference Number (TRN). You will need this reference number from your Sponsor to apply for your visa.
You must be endorsed by DFAT to participate in the PALM scheme - PLS stream. DFAT will assess your eligibility for the PALM scheme - PLS stream and will provide you with a PLS stream endorsement number. Contact your government labour sending unit (LSU) with current contact details below.
Fiji: Please email the National Employment Centre at (fores@govnet.gov.fj) or call (+679 3303 500), (+679 9906 421), (+679 892 5098) 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 (swp@treasury.gov.pg). You can also visit the PNG Labour Mobility Unit website.
Samoa: Please contact the Labour and Employment Export Division on (+685 20 441) or by email on (leep@mcil.gov.ws).
Solomon Islands: Please contact the labour mobility unit 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 SWP please contact (swp.lsu.tl@gmail.com). For PLS 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 (+ 67626820) 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 SWP please contact (snaio@vanuatu.gov.vu). For PLS contact (gvuti@vanuatu.gov.vu).
NOTE: No payments or gifts are required to join the Seasonal Worker Programme (SWP). Costs may be incurred for flights and other expenses once successful applicants have been placed in jobs in Australia. These costs are paid up front by the employer and reimbursed later by the worker once they start earning a wage.
Step by step
Before you apply:
You might need to have health examinations. You can complete them before you apply or you can wait until after you apply. Find out the examinations you need and how to arrange them if you want to have them before you apply here: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-support/meeting-our-requirements/health/what-health-examinations-you-need.
You must have adequate health cover for the whole of your stay to be granted this visa. Your cover should cover you for medically necessary treatment, including transport. See more about health insurance for overseas visitors here: https://www.privatehealth.gov.au/health_insurance/overseas/index.htm.
Apply for the visa online in ImmiAccount:
You must be outside Australia when you apply. Create an account or log in to ImmiAccount here: https://online.immi.gov.au/lusc/login.
Attach documents: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-support/applying-online-or-on-paper/online#content-index-2.
Pay the application charge: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-support/applying-online-or-on-paper/online/how-to-pay.
Note the transaction reference number (TRN).
After you apply:
If you lodged your Pacific Labour Scheme stream application outside of Australia, you must be outside of Australia when they decide your application. They will let you know when they have received your application. If it is within standard processing times do not call. You can see if they have asked for more information in your ImmiAccount (https://online.immi.gov.au/lusc/login).
If you did not have health examinations before you applied: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-support/meeting-our-requirements/health.
Do not arrange to travel to Australia until they let you know, in writing, that they have granted you the visa. If they grant your visa, they will tell you: your visa grant number, how long your visa is valid for, and your visa conditions (if applicable).
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/temporary-work-403/pacific-labour-scheme
