Omika Upadhayay, Policy Research, WAFarmers

Being a recent migrant myself, hailing from Nepal, I’ve had more than a little to do with the Australian immigration system. And I’m not alone—nearly half a million people navigate the same maze each year. My own path was smoother than most because I arrived with an agricultural science degree that sat neatly on the skills shortage list. Not everyone is so fortunate. Even qualified migrants can wait months and spend thousands before the government recognises their skills and allows them to get on a plane.

One way farmers are cutting through this bureaucratic headache is by working with an approved employment provider and sourcing workers through the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) Scheme. Companies like the Regional Workforce Management Group (RWM) are long-established pre-approved sponsors. Instead of farmers wading through sponsorship applications, labour market testing, flight bookings and welfare checks, the provider does the heavy lifting. But it comes at a cost.

Here’s how it works in practice. A farmer puts in a request for workers, specifying numbers, contract length (anywhere from a few months up to three years), and role requirements, with the understanding that the PALM scheme is designed for unskilled and semi-skilled workers. The provider submits the plan to government to ensure it complies with the rules, then taps recruitment networks across the Pacific to source job-ready candidates through in-country contacts. They handle the entire process—visas, flights, health insurance, and induction programs. Farmers can do this themselves, but that means becoming a registered recruiter, something a few corporates, machinery dealerships, and grower groups are starting to attempt. For most individual farms, leaving it to the agents is simpler and safer.

The PALM scheme is a win-win for Australia and the Pacific. Between 2018 and 2023, long-term PALM workers (at ANZSCO skill levels 3–5, mechanics and below) sent an estimated $168 million in remittances back to Pacific nations and Timor-Leste, while contributing nearly $82 million in income tax to the Australian economy. Short-term workers alone remit an average of $1,061 each month to their families—a life-changing sum in countries like Papua New Guinea, Fiji, and Timor-Leste, where a truck driver earns on average just $3 an hour, barely ten per cent of what they can make here.

As of February 2024, Queensland hosts the largest share of PALM workers (32 per cent), followed by Victoria (21 per cent) and New South Wales (18 per cent). Western Australia, by comparison, is only just beginning to use the scheme at around 10 per cent. The program is concentrated in primary industries: around 67 per cent of workers are on-farm and another 28 per cent in meat processing, with small numbers in care, hospitality, and tourism. While Canberra frames the scheme as regional development for the Pacific, its economic footprint is just as significant for Australian farmers, processors, and rural towns—particularly in the eastern states—that now rely on this workforce to keep operations running.

The benefit for farmers is speed. Within about 12 weeks of signing an agreement, workers can be on-farm, in the tractor, or in the workshop, ready to go. Providers ensure recruits are not just a good fit for the job but are also settled into life in Australia. Induction programs cover workplace laws, town orientation, driving lessons, and even basic tasks like setting up a phone or buying groceries. Depending on the contract, workers can stay for months or for up to four consecutive years before returning home for six months to a year, depending on their country of origin. After that, they can roll over for another stint.

Employers still carry responsibilities. They must provide suitable accommodation, transport, and a minimum of 30 hours of work each week on the short-term stream (38 hours for the long-term stream). The provider, however, manages compliance, welfare, and paperwork. Farmers must also agree to pay parity: PALM workers are paid the same hourly rate as local staff doing the same work at the same skill level and with comparable experience. For example, if your farm pays under the Pastoral Award and you start tractor drivers at Level 2, then your charged hourly rate to the approved employer will be about $38, inclusive of on-costs. That figure covers the Pastoral Award FLH2 base rate of $24.95 plus 12 per cent superannuation, 5.5 per cent payroll tax, 4.82 per cent workers’ compensation, and the agency commission. Overtime, of course, remains subject to the award.

The attraction for farmers is obvious. A bush mechanic from Vanuatu who can operate earthmoving equipment, a road-gang truck driver from Fiji with years of heavy vehicle experience, or a worker returning with prior PALM experience on cane or cotton farms represents a reliable option when the backpacker talent pool dries up. Better still, farmers can rotate crews seasonally, bringing them for nine months and sending them home in the off-season, or keep them on-farm for four straight years, enabling workers to save and set their families up for life.

The result is a more stable workforce and a growing network of friendships across the Pacific. The challenge lies in integrating crews into local communities. Pacific Islanders are often conservative workers who want to attend church and remain connected to their culture, while also pursuing their savings goals. Having a critical mass of workers in town helps, and it’s something small groups of farmers, shire development officers, or grower groups can actively support by coordinating through the same recruitment agency.

For farmers weary of the backpacker lottery or reluctant to gamble on a 482 visa, the PALM model offers a practical bridge. It means less time wrestling forms, fewer Irish backpackers disappearing on benders when their soccer team is winning, and more time spent keeping machinery running and crops either going in or coming off.

For those interested in more information, contact the Regional Workforce Management Group (RWM) via Adrienne Ritchie at Adrienne.Ritchie@rwmgroup.com.au or 0467 576 419, or visit Agri Labour Australia’s website, which sets out much of what’s covered above.

Related story: The great Australian skills black hole: Why the bush can’t find a mechanic, builder or plumber