PALM Scheme Solutions
AHWC Immigration Law — 6-Step PALM Scheme Solution
Australia's meat processing, agriculture, tourism & hospitality and aged care sectors face a persistent and structural labour shortage — one that casual hire and short-term visa pathways can't reliably solve. The Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme offers a proven alternative: a government-backed pathway connecting Australian employers with reliable, work-ready staff from Pacific Island nations and Timor- Leste, on visa terms built for long-term retention.
Lorg Talent, in partnership with our in-house immigration law firm AHWC Immigration Law, delivers a fully integrated PALM solution — from Approved Employer status through to visa compliance and ongoing welfare obligations — so you can build a stable, direct-hire workforce without carrying the administrative and legal burden alone.
Our 6-Step PALM Scheme Solution
Approved Employer Assessment
We start by assessing your eligibility for PALM Scheme participation — reviewing your workforce needs, industry classification, and readiness to meet Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) requirements. Where you're not yet an Approved Employer, AHWC Immigration Law manages the full application on your behalf, from documentation through to DEWR sign-off.
Workforce Brief
We map out exactly what you need — roles, headcount, seasonal or ongoing requirement, site location, and timeline. This brief drives every sourcing decision that follows, ensuring the right workers are matched to the right roles from day one.
Worker Sourcing
Drawing on our established networks across the Pacific and Timor-Leste, we identify and shortlist workers suited to your roles — verifying availability, work history, and readiness to relocate. Our sourcing pipeline is built specifically for the meat processing and agribusiness sectors, so candidates arrive with relevant experience.
Selection & Screening
We manage candidate presentation and screening in full — profiles, health and character checks, English proficiency where required, and reference verification — so you're only reviewing work-ready candidates before final sign-off.
Visa & Compliance
Our in-house immigration law firm, AHWC Immigration Law, manages the entire PALM visa process — applications, welfare arrangements, and ongoing DEWR compliance obligations — giving you a fully compliant pathway without the administrative burden.
Mobilisation & Ongoing Support
We coordinate worker arrival, onboarding, and settling-in, then stay engaged well beyond day one — supporting pastoral care obligations, DEWR reporting, and welfare requirements for the life of the placement.
Three focus occupation panels:
01
Agribusiness
Meat processing, horticulture, and farm labour roles suited to direct-hire PALM workers. Slaughter floor, boning room, packing, and farm labour positions with strong retention and award-rate wages.
02
Regional Hospitality
Trainee cooks, kitchen hands, and accommodation staff for regional pubs, restaurants, motels, and hotels.
03
Aged Care
Personal care and support roles for residential and home-based aged care providers, addressing chronic workforce shortages in regional and outer-metro facilities.
Is your business eligible for the PALM Scheme
Change Free PALM eligibility assessment to ‘Contact us now for a PALM Scheme eligibility assessment’
PALM Scheme vs. 482: The Employer Advantage
For employers weighing up their options, PALM Scheme sponsorship offers real, measurable advantages over the traditional 482 pathway:
482 Visa
PALM Scheme
Minimum salary
Bound by TSMIT ($79,350 + super)
Governed by relevant award rates — significantly lower than TSMIT for semi-skilled roles
482 Visa
PALM Scheme
Visa costs
SAF levy + full visa application fee
No SAF levy; visa application fee a fraction of 482 cost
Retention
Employees can move employers
99% of workers stay the full term — can't switch employers under PALM
How it works
01
Consultation
We assess your labour needs, timeframes, and role requirements to determine the right PALM pathway — seasonal or long-term.
02
Approved Employer Support
We guide you through (or help maintain) your Approved Employer status under the PALM Deed, handling the compliance groundwork.
03
Worker Sourcing
We source and screen candidates from our Pacific and Timor-Leste partner networks, matched to your role and industry.
04
Visa & Compliance
AHWC Immigration Law manages the visa process end-to-end, ensuring full compliance with PALM Deed obligations.
05
Onboarding & Logistics
We coordinate pre-departure briefings, travel, and arrival logistics so workers are ready to start on day one.
06
Ongoing Support
We provide continued welfare checks and support throughout the placement, for both employer and worker.
The Bigger Saving: Cutting Out the Labour Hire Margin
For meat processing employers, the most compelling cost case isn't the 482 vs. PALM comparison above — it's the shift away from labour hire altogether. Labour hire firms typically charge a margin of $25,000–$30,000 per worker, per year, on top of the worker's actual wage. For an abattoir employing 100+ meat workers, that margin compounds into a substantial cost over a 4-year period — often the single largest controllable labour cost in the operation.
Lorg Talent helps employers exit this arrangement by building their own direct-hire PALM Scheme workforce — engaging workers directly rather than through a third-party labour hire firm, and capturing that margin as savings rather than paying it away indefinitely.
Worked example: 30 workers × $27,500 average margin = $825,000/year in savings — scaling to $3.3M over a 4-year visa cycle, or $11M at 100 workers.
Getting Started
Transitioning an entire workforce at once is a significant undertaking. We typically recommend employers start with a sample cohort of 25–30 workers, allowing them to test the direct-hire model, validate the processes and agreements in practice, and build internal confidence and capability before scaling to their full workforce requirement.
