Visa Processing Officer, PLF – Tonga

Project Overview:

The Pacific Labour Facility (PLF) facilitates seasonal and longer-term work opportunities for Pacific workers in Australia. It connects Australian employers with Pacific workers under the newly introduced Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme which combines the existing Pacific Labour Scheme (PLS) and Seasonal Worker Programme (SWP).

Role Overview:

The Visa Processing Officer will assist the Visa Team of the Tonga Overseas Employment Division (OED) to organize and process the subclass 403 Visa for PALM workers going to Australia in accordance with the requirements of the Government of Tonga and the Government of Australia. The role will be responsible for coordinating visa application schedules; providing letters of offer briefing for the PALM workers; coordinating the signing of appropriate documents; conducting interviews of the PALM workers; and updating the mobilized workers into the internal database.

Tonga Overseas Employment Division Unit

The Overseas Employment Division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs exists as the Labour Sending Unit (Overseas Employment Division) for Tonga. On average, over 3,000 SWP workers are mobilised from Tonga each year, and the number is expected to further increase particularly as the PALM scheme is expanding.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

• Liaise with OED team members on the recruitment process for the worker groups to be mobilised to meet Australian Approved Employer (AE) requirements
• Coordinate documents for lodging of Visas online and coordinate visa application schedule according to specific AE recruitment plans
• Respond to any queries or requirements from Immigration Australia
• Liaise and consult relevant agencies on issues that need further clarification to support visa processes, e.g., Police record or health check
• Support the Training Unit to assist coordination and scheduling of Pre-Departure Training for the mobilising workers
• Support the interviewing and vetting of new or replacement workers
• Conduct briefings with mobilising workers on Letters of Offer/Contracts for individuals to make an informed decision on participating in the program
• Convey and consult with Supervisor or AE on issues and clarifications raised by the mobilising workers
• Provide administration support to finalise travel documents for mobilising worker groups
• Assist with “Check-In” of departing groups at the airport and consult/advise Supervisor of any problems or changes to the list of workers departing at the point of departure
• Undertake other tasks as reasonably requested by the Deputy CEO, Overseas Employment Division (OED) and the Labour Mobility Engagement Manager.

Qualifications, Experience, Skills and Abilities:

• Qualification in Management, Social Science, Computer Science or relevant field
• Up to 2 years of experience working on labour mobility recruitment and mobilisations
• Excellent communication skills in both Tongan and English
• A willingness to support work outside of the direct scope of PALM worker mobilisations
• Relevant and up to date experience with modern databases and technologies
• Outstanding attention to detail and analytical thinking skills
• Skills in the use of Microsoft Office products including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook
• Experience in customer service and pay attention to details
• Strong interpersonal skills

Application Requirements

This position is open to Tongan Nationals and permanent residents. We encourage people with disabilities to apply. Salary is competitive and based on the Public Service Pay Agreements under Band K.

The successful candidate will be offered an initial contract to 30 June 2023. Applications close on 21st June 2022 and will be assessed on a rolling basis.