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Pacific Labour Scheme stream (Subclass 403)

AustraliaWork

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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Get your free results Read the five questions ↓

What type of worker, employment situation, occupation or professional activity is this pathway actually designed for?

This visa stream is now closed to new applications: on 4 April 2022 it closed and was replaced by the Temporary Work (International Relations) visa (subclass 403) Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) stream, into which both the Seasonal Worker Program and the Pacific Labour Scheme were consolidated. It was designed for workers intending to enter Australia temporarily to work for their approved sponsor in the position endorsed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and specified in their visa application.

See recorded sources

Does the applicant need a job offer, employer, sponsor, transfer relationship or other employer involvement? What is important about that employer relationship?

The applicant must be employed by a sponsor and continue to be employed by that sponsor; the visa is tied to the sponsor and the industry covered by the visa.

See recorded sources
  • Your obligations
    Your obligations You must: continue to be employed by your sponsor, only do the work in the industry covered by the visa, not work for yourself or anyone other than the sponsor, comply with all visa conditions and Australian laws.

What are the few decisive professional characteristics of the pathway: occupation, qualifications, experience, salary, skill level, shortage status, labour-market condition or equivalent?

This stream closed to new applications on 4 April 2022. Holders worked for their approved sponsor in the position endorsed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT): the holder had to continue to be employed by the sponsor, only do the work in the industry covered by the visa, and not work for themselves or anyone other than the sponsor. The official source does not state any occupation, qualification, experience or salary requirement.

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What work does the permission allow? Is the holder tied to an employer, occupation or sector? Can family accompany where clearly established?

The visa is tied to the sponsor and the industry covered by the visa, and the holder must continue to be employed by that sponsor. Family members cannot be included in the visa application.

See recorded sources
  • About this visa — Include family
    You can't include family members in your application.
  • Your obligations
    Your obligations You must: continue to be employed by your sponsor, only do the work in the industry covered by the visa, not work for yourself or anyone other than the sponsor, comply with all visa conditions and Australian laws.

How long is the permission normally granted for, how is it renewed, and what longer-term residence direction exists if officially stated?

This stream closed to new applications on 4 April 2022. It was a temporary visa valid until a specified date of up to 3 years, usually the length of employment in Australia, and it could not be extended. Time in Australia on consecutive PLS stream visas could not exceed 3 years in total, after which a mandatory period outside Australia was required before applying again. During the COVID-19 travel restrictions, workers who had spent 3 years in Australia on PLS stream visas could apply for a new PLS stream visa for up to 12 months if they held a valid PLS stream visa, were endorsed by DFAT and continued to work for an Approved Employer. The official source does not state a longer-term residence direction.

See recorded sources

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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