Cabinet has approved the following changes
articulated in the Samoa's Policy for Temporary Labor Migration under the Labor
Mobility Schemes of Australia and New Zealand. The amendments are designed
to strengthen the Seasonal Employment initiatives which is benefiting thousands
of local family’s year in and year out.
The changes include:
 Increase safe and secure employment opportunities for Samoans that are
most vulnerable,
 Prioritize the mobilization of persons that are unemployed, and have been
unemployed for a significant period of time (i.e., more than 6 months
without employment),
 Ensure that the labor mobility opportunities are equally distributed
amongst the whole of Samoa (i.e., equal opportunities available by
Constituency and Village) through the newly established Constituency
Committees,
 Involve the Constituency Committees in the vetting of candidates process
for the labor mobility schemes,
 Ensure workers are appropriately compensated for their services rendered,
 Enhance safety measures for workers while they are deployed oversees,
 Consolidate and centralize all labor mobility operations through the
Government of Samoa, ensuring registration and oversight of all private
recruiters, employer companies and/or contractors and workers:
 Regulating the operations of private recruiters to ensure equitable and
transparent recruitment process and avoiding unethical practices where
workers are subject to excessive up-front costs or recruitment fees and
recruiting from other districts.

 To strengthen oversight of the schemes, all approved employers wishing to
recruit from Samoa must first inform the Government (MCIL-LEEP) of its
intentions.
 To assess the level of obligation on approved employers related to costs of
recruitment and mobilization including travel, wage deductions, and
pastoral care/housing/utilities.
 Strengthening information sharing mechanisms amongst the Governments
of Samoa, Australia, and New Zealand, The Employers, And All Other Labor
Mobility Stakeholders Involved.
 To commit all individual employers and contractors to properly engage in
negotiating fair contractual arrangements to include benefits and all other
conditions of employment prior to departure.
SEASONAL EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMS
1. Recognised Seasonal Employment (RSE)- New Zealand
Established in 2007 in the horticulture and viticulture industries for up to
seven months in any 11- month period. Most workers are based in Nelson,
Marlborough, Hawkes Bay, and the Bay of Plenty regions.
2. Pacific Labour Scheme (PLS) In Australia
Established in 2018 opportunities for low and semi-skilled workers to
participate in employment for up to 3 years in rural and regional Australia in
accommodation and food services, health care and social assistance, and
non-seasonal agriculture, forestry, and fishing.
3. Seasonal Workers Program (SWP} in Australia
Seasonal work in the agriculture sector as well as the accommodation and
tourism sectors for up to 9 months at a time.
4. Pacific Trade Partnership (PTP) In New Zealand (This Was A Pilot
Initiative)
A joint initiative of Ministry of Business, Innovation &
Employment (MBIE-NZ) and Minitry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT-
SAMOA) to connect New Zealand Construction Employers experiencing
labour shortages with skilled and experienced carpenters and hammer

hands from Samoa on temporary work visas for up to three years.
Primarily in Christchurch.

5. Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV} in New Zealand
The Labour and Employment Export Program Division (LEEP) Division is also
responsible for facilitating employment of Samoan workers for select New
Zealand employers who want to work in partnership with Ministry of
Commerce, Industry and Labor (MCIL.) This is a visa pathway and
accredited employers currently can facilitate recruitment outside of MCIL.
Employers must have NZ accreditation to recruit workers to fill occupations
where there is a genuine labour skills shortage or no New Zealand citizens
or residence class visa holders are available to carry out work. This visa
pathway, established in August 2022, replaces six (6) former work visas.