Australia Releases Names of 12 Countries Whose Citizens Are Eligible for Pacific Engagement Visa

• Australia published the list of 12 countries whose citizens qualify to apply for the Pacific Engagement Visa programme
• The visa offers a pathway for eligible nationals from Pacific Island nations and Timor-Leste to live and work in Australia
• Each country on the list has a specific annual allocation of visa spots available under the programme

Australia has officially released the names of 12 countries whose citizens are eligible to apply for its Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV), opening a new migration pathway for thousands of people across the Pacific region.

The Pacific Engagement Visa is designed to allow nationals from designated Pacific Island nations and Timor-Leste to live and work permanently in Australia.

The programme reflects Australia's broader commitment to strengthening ties with its Pacific neighbours through managed migration.

Countries eligible for the Pacific Engagement Visa

The 12 countries whose citizens qualify for the visa are Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu, along with Timor-Leste.

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Each country has been assigned a specific annual cap on the number of visa places available.

The allocations vary by country, with nations such as Papua New Guinea and Fiji receiving larger quotas given the size of their populations.

How the Pacific Engagement Visa works

Applicants must first register through a ballot system, from which successful candidates are randomly selected and invited to apply for the visa.

Once granted, holders can bring immediate family members with them and settle permanently in Australia.

To be eligible, applicants must be a citizen of one of the listed countries, be aged between 18 and 45 at the time of application, and meet standard health and character requirements set by Australian immigration authorities.

English language proficiency is not listed as a mandatory requirement for the initial ballot entry, which broadens access for many applicants across the region.

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The programme was introduced as part of Australian government's commitment under the Australia-Pacific Security Agreement and its wider Pacific Step-Up policy, which seeks to deepen economic and social ties across the region.

Australian authorities have framed the visa as a genuine opportunity for Pacific Islanders to build lives in Australia while maintaining cultural and family connections to their home countries.

Eligible nationals from the listed countries are encouraged to monitor official Australian government channels for ballot opening dates and further application guidelines.

Australia publishes skills visa eligible occupations

Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh had reported that Australia had released its Core Skills Occupational List, which named 456 roles eligible for employer-sponsored migration.

The list spanned sectors including engineering, ICT, health services, education, and skilled trades such as carpentry and plumbing.

Immigration experts said workers whose jobs appeared on the list had a clear pathway if their employer was willing to sponsor them.

Source: YEN.com.gh