Australia is about to launch a new visa that will for the first time create a Pacific quota in Australia’s permanent migration regime. 3,000 visas will be issued every year for the Pacific Islands and Timor-Leste. It’s a huge opportunity yet awareness of this new visa is low.
The Pacific Engagement Visa or PEV will utilise a ballot. That’s a deliberate decision in order to reduce the skew of visas to the skilled.
We know that over time the PEV ballot will become very popular. New Zealand has a similar visa, in fact two — the Pacific Access Category (PAC) Resident Visa and the Samoa Quota Resident Visa — and in some countries there are 40 ballot entries for every available visa. But we want the ballot to be popular from the start because the more popular it is the more equitable the PEV will be. It would be unfortunate if only the most skilled and best connected were to enter the PEV ballot in the first few years.
The legislation to authorise the visa was passed last year, but regulations have just been issued, and ballot applications are not yet open. The biggest hurdle still to be crossed is the announcement of the division of the 3,000 visas between the countries eligible to participate, namely the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. There are plenty of rumours, and we are anticipating that the great bulk of the available visas will go to PNG, Timor-Leste, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. We are expecting an announcement soon, but don’t know when.
After the quotas have been announced, when will the PEV ballot open? When the PEV was first promised – by Labor when in opposition – it was meant to be in place by July 2023. Liberal opposition meant that deadline was missed. Given the regional support for the visa, and the high-profile nature of this election commitment, we expect subsequent delays to be minimised and the ballot to open in the first half of this year.
So, get ready. What will entering the ballot involve?
First, the primary applicant will have to be between 18 and 45. The primary applicant will be able to apply on behalf of their family. The New Zealand ballot only allows each person to enter the ballot once (so a husband and wife can only make a single application).
Second, you’ll need to be a citizen of and a child of someone born in one of the participating countries. So, contrary to the messages now appearing on the web, those who have bought a Vanuatu passport will not be eligible. (This condition is actually a condition of the visa, but there is no point entering the ballot if you won’t be eligible for the visa.)
Third, you’ll need a passport from one of the participating countries. Passports are not easy to obtain in some Pacific countries, so this will be a difficult requirement for many.
Fourth, applications will have to be made online. So you’ll need access to a computer, or at least a mobile phone, and the internet. (The equivalent New Zealand schemes are also online.)
Fifth, applications will have to be accompanied by an online payment equivalent to 25 Australian dollars. This is per application, not per family member included on the application. In New Zealand, the fee is paid by a credit or debit card, and in the local currency equivalent of the fee in New Zealand dollars. Applicants will need either a bank account or access to an intermediary with such an account.
Applicants will not need to be in their home country to apply. There are some 40,000 Pacific workers in Australia on PALM visas and they are expected to be among the first to enter the ballot.
There will be more – and more difficult – hurdles to cross if an applicant’s ballot entry is successful. The applicant or their partner will need to obtain a job offer, pass some sort of English language test, and pass character and health checks. The job offer requirement will be the hardest, but the Australian government is establishing a free service to connect successful ballot applicants with employers in Australia, so don’t let that put you off.
There will be a limit on how long ballot winners will be given to meet these criteria, but this hasn’t been announced yet. In New Zealand, visa applications must be made within eight months of ballot success.
And that’s it. Ballot entry will be simple, but it will also be easy to miss out. New Zealand’s ballot is only open for a month. Rural residents and the poor are less likely to have access to the internet, and are less likely to have a bank account and passport, so will definitely be at a disadvantage. But this is a great opportunity for rich and poor alike.
Look out for scams. Remember that the fee will be only $25 per application (per family), so beware of anyone charging $50 per family member to put in an application on your behalf.
And, remembering that the PEV will only gain in popularity, your chances of gaining permanent residency in Australia will never be higher than the first time around.
Hello, Stephen. If I’m selected and invite to apply but I divorce my partner, is that okay for me to include my children in my application?
I am very interested to be the participant of Pacific Engagement Visa,I have current valid passport and education relevant documents, so please do not hesitate to accept me too. I am willing.
Thank you.
Hi Mr. Howes,
Are people with current Australian Tourist visas eligible to apply for the PEV?
Yes.
Hi, I am Olimpio da Silva Pinto.
I am from Timor Leste. Can you help me to register.
Hi Mr. Howes, I really appreciate your times answering some of the difficult questions from all around the Pacific region. Thank you.
I have a question, there are few people who have applied to travel to Australia for holidays but unfortunately their visas were refused. Are they eligible to apply?
Can I assist the unfortunate PNG citizens who have no access to online services and apply for their PEV using my email address?
Hi Anne, Yes, it doesn’t matter if you’ve had a tourist visa rejected. As long as you have a passport and meet the other criteria regarding age and birth you can apply. And yes, you can help others apply. As long as the application is in their name, they (or you) can put down any email address. Good luck! Stephen
For some of us who already has a Visa Police Clearance, is this enough or should we apply again for another police clearance? I’m from PNG.
More details about the PEV have now been released. Among other details: ballot will only be open from June 3 to August 1 and applicants will then have four months to meet the visa conditions.
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/pacific-engagement/pacific-engagement-visa-subclass-192#Eligibility
and
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/pacific-engagement/ballot-registration/overview
Thanks Stephen. I will apply on June 3.
Hello Stephen! I’m from Timor Leste, now I work in Perth Australia, as a seasonal work 9 months a year! This year I have worked for second season in western Australia, under controlled by PALM, and my passport will expire next year on January 3, 2025, can I register on the 3rd now? Big regard from me.
Yes!
Hello stephan, I have filled out all the forms provided, but I was rejected because I did not mention the number of children or a wife de facto, on the grounds that I am single, I don’t understand the PEV VISA only for partners group or for single person as well?
Thank you 🙏
Yes, you can certainly apply as a single person. Try again.
Good morning Mr Stephen, I would like to ask you again, so now I’m on step payment, there is a few questions about the CARDHOLDER’s address. I’m currently working in Australia, should I fill the current address or my Timor Leste address?
Hi, Stephen am working in Australia for three years now under the PALM scheme but currently am on holiday and I will return August. But I really interested to apply. Is it still okay for me to apply while I on holiday in my country?
100%. You can apply from anywhere in the world, as long as you have access to the internet, meet the other criteria (age, citizenship, and birthplace) and have a passport (which you obviously do).
Thank you so much, Stephen for providing this very useful information.
Hi Stephen,
Thanks for sharing this vital information. I am quite interested in this program, however, I will be turning 46 this December. I understand that the post-selection period may take awhile. Do you think this will affect my eligibility to participate? Thanks again!
You need to be no older than 45 when the ballot opens, so you should be fine.
Hello,
I’m from PNG, I applied for the Palm seasonal work scheme two months ago,I’m still waiting for my call, currently this month, I registered for the PEV,,,do you think I have a chance for the PEV,,,or is it gonna affect my palm application,,, please reply, thank you.
The PEV ballot hasn’t opened yet, so there is no way you could have registered yet. Make sure you weren’t scammed. The PEV ballot opens June 3. You will certainly have a chance if you enter the ballot, and it won’t affect your PALM application.
Can those people with a bridging C visa apply for PEV visa?
I cannot find the online link for the PEV help please
The PEV ballot isn’t open yet, but we expect it to open soon so watch out for it. We will also put out an update when it is opened.
Ballot opens June 3. Some info here: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/subclass-pacific-engagement-visa-192
Hi ,can I apply from my country?
I’m traveling to Australia next month for a job.
Provided you are from one of the participating countries (from the list in the article, but not yet confirmed exactly which ones will be participating), and you meet the other criteria set out in the article (have a passport, meet the birth criterion, and are of the right age) you can apply from your country or from Australia.
Hi, can I apply from my country? Not from within Australia?
Yes, provided you are from one of the participating countries, definitely. The potential list of participating countries is in the article. Most countries are expected to participate, but not necessarily all. We’ll definitely provide an update when the list of participating countries is known.
I’m from Papua new Guinea and I am really interested please keep me updated
As per the earlier query, provided you are from one of the participating countries (from the list in the article, but not yet confirmed exactly which ones will be participating), and you meet the other criteria set out in the article (have a passport, meet the birth criterion, and are of the right age) you can apply from your country or from Australia.
Hi, I am Joao Freitas. I’ve been in Australia since 2019 till now and I am really interested.
However I am bridging visa A holder.
Please have a look at the regulations that have just been issued. https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2024L00327/latest/text. According to Schedule 1, para 1140(3)(c), you can apply if you are on a Subclass 010 Bridging A visa.
The regulations also require that applicants have complied with their previous visa conditions. 192.213. Applicants that have previously breached their conditions will not be eligible.
For Papua new Guinea, police clearance certificates normally take a while. Hopefully the eight months grace period can be enough.
The age restriction 18-45 is already a barrier to those who have just turned 46 and are currently on the PALM scheme in Australia for one or two years now and will be there for 4 years. Will they be given an opportunity to apply as I am sure this visa will be of very high interest to them as well. Can there be special considerations for under 50 ? (Solomon Islands case).
From what I understand, to apply for the PEV, either you or your partner has to be within this age range.
What happens in the event the quota for country A is met, but the applicants fail to meet the post-selection process such as English language test, failure to secure a job, or character and health checks? Will there be a second (or third) rounds of random selection process to fill the quota?
The post selection requirements, which seem easy to many, are actually difficult for a region where English is not the first language, have huge rural populations – most without formal IDs, and police and health clearance/checks combined which cost half of minimum wage (in PNG’s case).
Hi Michael, Those are very good points. From what I understand either more “ballot winners” will be announced than there are visa places AND/OR visa shortfalls will be made up the following year by an increased number of visas.
I agree with you that the post-selection criteria will not be easy to meet. The pre-selection criteria won’t be easy and I encourage anyone thinking of applying for the PEV to apply for a passport now.
Regards
Stephen