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Pacific Engagement Visa

The Pacific Engagement Visa is a new permanent resident visa for participating countries across the Pacific and Timor-Leste which will deepen connections between Australia and the region.

Up to 3,000 visas, inclusive of partners and dependent children, will be made available annually to Pacific and Timor-Leste nationals through a ballot process.

The Pacific Engagement Visa will grow the Pacific and Timor-Leste diaspora in Australia with ongoing connections to their home countries, strengthen people-to-people links, and encourage greater cultural, business and educational exchange.

The Government has been consulting extensively with Pacific partners to ensure the program meets shared needs and priorities.

The inaugural Pacific Engagement Visa ballot will OPEN on 3 June 2024.

Applications for the ballot will be able to be lodged online with the Department of Home Affairs once the ballot opens.

For the latest updates on the Pacific Engagement Visa, please visit the official Facebook page.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for a Pacific Engagement (subclass 192) visa, primary applicants will need to first be randomly selected in the ballot.

To register for the ballot, applicants must:

be aged between 18 to 45
hold a valid passport for a participating country
have been born in, or have a parent who was born in, an eligible country
pay a $25 registration fee.

If randomly selected in the ballot, the primary applicant or their spouse/partner must secure a formal ongoing job offer in Australia and meet basic English language requirements.

Applicants will also need to meet health and character requirements before being granted a visa.

Applicants can include a partner and legally dependent children in their application.

Pacific Engagement Visa ballot

Prospective applicants will be able to register for the ballot online through the Department of Home Affairs' ImmiAccount. The ballot involves an electronic random selection process. Those drawn from the ballot are then able to apply for a Pacific Engagement Visa. Applicants will need to demonstrate that they meet all relevant criteria before being granted a visa.

The ballot aims to provide eligible individuals from Pacific island countries and Timor-Leste fair and transparent access to the program by randomly selecting ballot participants. This includes providing access to the ballot for existing Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme (PALM) workers in Australia.

The charge for entering the ballot is $25.

If the registered person is not selected, a new registration will need to be submitted for participants to enter the next ballot.

Further information about the ballot and visa application process is available via the Department of Home Affairs.

For more information on the Pacific Engagement Visa visit Pacific Engagement Visa | Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (dfat.gov.au)

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