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What is the Pacific Engagement Visa?

The Pacific Engagement (Subclass 192) visa is a new permanent residence visa program for eligible citizens of participating Pacific island countries and Timor-Leste. The Australian Government will make available up to 3,000 visas each year, which includes selected participants from the ballot and their immediate family members. 

Applying for a Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV) is a two-step process:

  1. Applicants must first register in the Pacific Engagement Visa ballot.
  2. Participants who are randomly selected from the ballot are invited to apply for the visa. 

As a permanent residence visa, PEV holders can choose where they live and work in Australia. There are no restrictions on work location, type of work or employer. PEV holders are entitled to the same conditions as Australians doing the same work. 

People selected in the Pacific Engagement Visa ballot are notified by the Department of Home Affairs that they have been selected. Following selection, applicants must demonstrate they meet all relevant criteria before being granted a visa, including having a formal ongoing job offer. 

  • An offer of employment can be permanent full-time, permanent part-time or a fixed-term contract (for example, a contract for 12 months). ​
  • Fixed-term contracts must have the same work entitlements as a permanent full-time or a permanent part-time employee.​
  • Casual contracts are not considered ongoing employment.​

The inaugural PEV program commenced in June 2024. The next ballot is expected to start in mid-2025 for the 2025-26 program year. 

Unlike the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme, the PEV is not an employer-sponsored visa. Visit our PEV and PALM visas comparison page for more information.

Can I promote vacancies in my organisation to PEV applicants?

Your organisation can share job opportunities with the PEV Employment Support Service. The Support Service will promote these roles to groups of interested applicants invited to apply for the visa.  

We partner with employers across Australia to facilitate the recruitment process and help guide employers throughout the PEV process, ensuring that job offers meet Australian labour standards.

Deliver a webinar to applicants

We can facilitate webinars and share videos about your organisation with PEV applicants. This includes explaining available positions, role requirements, location, start dates and the employment process for your company.

Contact us to discuss promoting your job opportunities

Send us an email at employment@pevsupport.com.au 

We will contact you to discuss your job opportunities, including job descriptions, the recruitment process and any specific employment requirements for your organisation.

How will the job matching work?

For those applicants utilising the PEV Employment Support Service, Support Service staff will be the liaison between PEV applicants and employers.

We support applicants by providing job search, application and employer information through webinars. We also help prepare applicants for work in Australia, building their understanding of workers’ rights and responsibilities when working in Australia.

Verifying a PEV applicant

For those PEV applicants choosing to use our Employment Support Service to find a job, the PEV Support Service verifies their selection in the PEV program with the Department of Home Affairs prior to any job matching. 

It is important to note not all PEV applicants will choose to use the PEV Employment Support Service in their job search. As an Australian employer, you may be contacted by PEV applicants independently.

We can verify a job applicant's selection in the PEV program by providing a letter of support confirming their invitation to apply for the visa.

If you would like help to verify an applicant who has applied for a job within your organisation, please contact employment@pevsupport.com.au

You can also ask to see the applicant’s Notification of Selection letter from the Department of Home Affairs to verify they are a genuine PEV applicant.

Obligations and requirements as an employer

The PEV Employment Support Service helps applicants prepare for life and work in Australia by educating them on the different types of jobs and work contracts in Australia, employee and employer rights and responsibilities and what it is like to work in Australia.

Employers may wish to offer support for applicants, in addition to an offer of employment, but it is not a requirement.

Unlike the PALM scheme, the PEV is not an employer-sponsored visa. As permanent residents, PEV holders are entitled to the same conditions as Australians doing the same work. 

If you choose to employ a PEV applicant, you will need to provide a written letter of offer of ongoing employment in Australia. This is a visa requirement for eligible applicants applying for the PEV.

It is important to understand that PEV applicants do not have a visa to Australia until the Department of Home Affairs have assessed their application and granted a visa. Applicants need to meet all of the visa requirements, including having a genuine, ongoing job offer from an Australian employer.

 

For more information about the Pacific Engagement Visa, you can visit the websites of the Department of Home Affairs and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.