Pacific Engagement Visa

The Pacific Engagement Visa programme allocates up to 3000 visas from nine Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste to live and work in Australia permanently.

ANU's Development Policy Centre director Stephen Howes says the more than 50,000 successful applications have come in across the socio-economic spectrum. Audio

Over 56,000 applicants from the Pacific Islands and Timor-Leste applied for the Pacific Engagement visa, the head of ANU's Development Policy Centre says.

Analysis - As Pacific Island nations navigate their way out of pandemic debt, work abroad schemes could help, Paresh Narayan and Bernard Iyke write.

Australian National University's Development Policy Centre head, Stephen Howes, says Papua New Guinea has emerged as a big winner for the program.

The program will use an online ballot to select participants, who can then apply for permanent residency annually.