PALM family accompaniment pilot commences

The Federal Government has officially launched the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme family accompaniment pilot, which gives provision for 200 PALM scheme workers to bring their family members to Australia, starting with long-term workers from Kiribati and Timor-Leste.

The initiative will reunite PALM scheme families, and deepen connections between Australia and the broader Asia Pacific region, and comes in response to feedback from Pacific and Timor-Leste Governments about the impact of family separation for workers who come to Australia for extended periods, and further recognises the important contribution PALM scheme workers make to essential sectors and regional communities across Australia.

The number of PALM scheme workers in Australia has nearly doubled since the sitting government was elected in 2022, with the intent of the scheme being to provide benefits to Australian employers facing labour shortages, particularly in regional communities, and in Pacific countries who benefit from the remittances and the opportunity for PALM workers to learn new skills.

The first selection process will be open from 26 January to 23 February 2024.

A second selection process for the pilot will be run later this year. More information is available on the PALM scheme website.