A new Australian permanent residence Subclass 192 (Pacific Engagement) visa (the Pacific Engagement visa) is available from 29 March 2024.
The Pacific Engagement visa will provide access to permanent residence in Australia for citizens of a number of Pacific island countries and Timor-Leste, who are randomly selected on the basis of a ballot conducted in accordance with a visa pre-application process for that country.
Some key features of this permanent visa subclass are:
- The application fee is: $325 (AUD) | VAC Additional applicant charge: $80 (AUD)
- An applicant may be in or outside Australia
- An applicant in Australia must hold a substantive visa, BVA, BVB or BVC
- Members of the family unit must make a combined application. Therefore, an applicant cannot apply to meet the secondary criteria after the primary person has been granted a Subclass 192 visa.
The Primary visa applicant must meet all the following :
- Be a selected participant in a visa pre-application process (ballot);
- At the beginning of the registration open period for a visa pre-application process the applicant has to be over 18 and less than 45;
- At time of registration for the visa pre-application process applicant had a valid passport issued by a country relevant to that process;
- Applicant or parent of the applicant must have been born in a country specified in Schedule 1 to the visa pre-application process determination for the relevant process;
- Citizen of a country to which the visa pre-application process relates;
- Must not be a citizen of New Zealand;
- The application must be made on or before the date specified in the notice of selection given to the applicant as the date by which the applicant must make a valid visa application for a Subclass 192 (Pacific Engagement) visa;
- Primary applicant or secondary applicant (spouse/partner) has a written offer of ongoing employment for a position that is genuine and in Australia.
- The employment conditions for the position are not less favourable than those that apply, or would apply, to an Australian citizen performing equivalent work at the same location.
- There is no adverse employer information known to Immigration (as defined in the regulations) about the employer, or a person associated with the employer; or it is reasonable to disregard any adverse employer information known to Immigration.
- Applicant has/access to adequate means to support themselves and each secondary applicant for first 12 months in Australia as the holder of the visa.
English language requirements: Applicants who can demonstrate English language proficiency, for example through time spent working or studying in an English speaking country or by previously satisfying an approved English language test would not be required to take an English test. Applicants who do not meet these circumstances would have the option of undertaking to participate in the (free of charge) Australian Migrant English Program (AMEP) in Australia or satisfying the English test requirements specified in the legislative instrument.
If any member of the family unit of an applicant seeking to satisfy the primary criteria fails to meet a relevant public interest criterion, whether or not the family unit member is also an applicant for a Subclass 192 visa, the primary applicant will fail to meet the primary criteria.
The applicant may be in or outside Australia when the visa is granted
Pacific Engagement visa (sc 192) pre-application (ballot) charge
The charge for registration as a registered participant in a ballot for the new Pacific Engagement visa (subclass 192) is $25.00 (AUD). The charge must be paid at the time of registration. If the charge is not paid at this time, the person is taken to never have been registered as a registered participant in the visa pre-application process.
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