Permanent Residency Made Easy in Australia
3,000 permanent visas Shall be Issued to the Nationals of Pacific Island Countries and Timor-Leste
To cater to a vast and diverse population, the Australian Government has introduced a new permanent residency visa called the Pacific Engagement visa (PEV) for nationals of participating Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste.
The new Subclass 192 – Pacific Engagement visa will commence in 2024. It will provide up to 3,000 permanent places annually for citizens of participating Pacific Island countries, Timor-Leste, and their immediate family members. This is in addition to Australia's permanent migration program. The PEV will grow Australia's Pacific diaspora. On October 19 2023, the Australian Government passed immigration legislation to enable the use of a ballot for the new PEV. The ballot ensures that eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste nationals of all skill levels, genders and backgrounds have equal opportunity to apply for a permanent visa to Australia.
To qualify for the PEV, an individual must be selected randomly through the PEV ballot and between the ages of 18 and 45. Additionally, the candidate must have a formal job offer and meet all other visa requirements, including an English language test and character and health checks. PEV holders will access Medicare, government-funded schools, and higher education institutions.
After the Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (Australia's Engagement in the Pacific) Bill 2023 was approved on November 14, 2023, PEV holders who met the eligibility criteria started having immediate access to several benefits, including Family Tax Benefit A, Austudy, Youth Allowance (for students and apprentices), Higher Education Loan Program, and VET Student Loans (VSL) programs.
On the other hand, it is pertinent to mention that Australia is currently experiencing a labour shortage, prompting people to apply for an Australian visa.
To address skill gaps and enhance the labour market's workforce, Australia has introduced a new Skills in Demand visa to replace the Temporary Skills Shortage (Subclass 482) visa. The country has more than 800,000 job vacancies, and candidates will be able to fill these vacancies through this visa. The new program will provide three pathways catering to specific workforce needs.
This visa offers a four-year validity term with clear routes to permanent residency. A unique feature allows employees to switch employers while their visa is still valid and gives them 180 days to find a new sponsor. Firms can cover the cost of recruiting overseas workers under investigation.
Efforts are underway to simplify the process for accredited sponsors to hire migrant workers. Visas are granted within seven days for the specialist skills channel, while other streams may take up to 21 days.