What tax rate should a long-term worker pay?
- Long-term workers are considered Australian residents for tax purposes. Their tax rate is calculated on weekly earnings and is applied at the same rate as all Australian workers.
What tax rate should a short-term worker pay?
- Workers participating in the short-term stream of the PALM scheme will have a 15% tax flat rate withheld on payments made to them by their employer.
- Under the short-term visa stream, workers are considered non-residents of Australia for tax purposes and are not required to complete tax returns at the end of the financial year.
What industries can PALM scheme employers recruit workers in?
- The Australian Government has committed to expand and improve the PALM scheme to meet the needs of Australian businesses and reflect the aspirations of PALM scheme participating countries.
What postcode restrictions apply in the PALM scheme?
PALM scheme employers can hire workers in all regional and rural postcodes and there are no postcode restrictions for agriculture and select agriculture-related food product manufacturing occupations.
Video - First aged care workers into Queensland since borders closed
In October 2021, 80 I-Kiribati workers departed quarantine in Grantham, to begin work in Queensland. This is the first recruitment of aged care workers for Queensland employers since Australia’s borders closed due to COVID-19.
Video - Aged care workers greet new employer with song and dance
In early October 2021, 33 aged care workers from Samoa arrived in the Northern Territory and met with their new employers at ARRCS. They introduced themselves and their culture through a traditional performance – and welcomed their employers to the dance floor.
PALM scheme workers help family farm stay afloat in difficult times
Bulmer Farms in the Lindenow Valley, East Gippsland Victoria is a fourth-generation family business that has grown into one of Australia’s largest producers of fresh salad vegetables.
Why this business is recruiting more women through the PALM scheme
Simfresh is a family-owned farm that employs around 100 Pacific island workers across 2 sites in Queensland and Victoria. Approximately 60% of these workers are women.
Video - Celebrating 1000 women workers in Pacific Labour Scheme
In November 2021, we celebrated the arrival of the 1000th woman on the Pacific Labour Scheme (PLS). Through the PLS and the Seasonal Worker Programme, women are positively impacting businesses throughout Australia.
How this employer is reaping the benefits of a diverse workforce
Burlington Berries is one of many Australian businesses that have experienced the positive impacts of employing women through the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme.