Pacific Engagement Visa: Moving to Australia is easier now

Moving to Australia just got a whole lot easier for citizens of certain Pacific countries. Here you will discover which countries are eligible, what the new visa is and the requirements applicants have to meet in order to be selected.

Those traveling for leisure still need to apply for the Australia tourist visa.

What is the Pacific Engagement Visa?

The Pacific Engagement Visa is a new permanent resident visa for citizens of neighboring countries looking to relocate permanently to Australia. It was created for passport holders of the Pacific Islands and Timor-Leste.

How will the Pacific Engagement Visa work?

The Pacific Engagement Visa will be assigned through a lottery system for 3,000 applicants annually. The ballot system will extend to the partners and children of the applicants.

These are the Pacific Engagement Visa requirements:

• Applicants have to be between 18 to 45 years old
• They have to be selected through the lottery system
• The applicant or their partner must have already gotten a job or job offer in Australia
• They must meet certain English language proficiency, character and health checks
• They must have a passport from one of the eligible nationalities
• They must have been born or have a parent in one of the eligible countries

People looking to apply for this new visa will also have to pay AUD 25 each time they apply. 

Which countries are eligible for the Pacific Engagement Visa?

Citizens of these countries can apply for this new visa and ultimately obtain permanent residence in Australia:

• The Federated States of Micronesia
• Fiji
• Kiribati
• Nauru
• Palau
• Papua New Guinea
• Marshall Islands
• Samoa
• Solomon Islands
• Timor-Leste
• Tonga
• Tuvalu
• Vanuatu