Kiribati Nationals Aged 18 to 45 Enter Ballot for Australian Pacific Visa

Australia has released the list of countries whose citizens are eligible to apply for its Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV), a route that lets nationals of designated Pacific Island nations and Timor-Leste live and work permanently in Australia. Kiribati is among the countries named.

Key facts

• Eligible nationalities: Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu, along with Timor-Leste
• Age requirement: 18 to 45 at the time of application
• How to enter: register through a ballot; successful candidates are selected at random and invited to apply
• What it grants: permanent settlement in Australia, with immediate family members able to join the holder
• Annual caps: each country has its own allocation of visa places
• Ballot opening dates: not yet announced

Which countries are on the list?

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

Each country has been given a specific annual cap on the number of visa places available. The allocations differ from country to country, with Papua New Guinea and Fiji receiving larger quotas because of the size of their populations.

Who is eligible?

Applicants must be a citizen of one of the listed countries and be aged between 18 and 45 at the time of application. They must also 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 the programme's rules say widens access for applicants across the region.

How does the application process work?

Applicants first register through a ballot system. Successful candidates are selected at random from that ballot and then invited to apply for the visa itself.

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

Why has Australia introduced this visa?

The programme was introduced as part of the Australian government's commitment under the Australia-Pacific Security Agreement and its wider Pacific Step-Up policy, which aims to deepen economic and social ties across the region. Australian authorities have framed the visa as an opportunity for Pacific Islanders to build lives in Australia while keeping cultural and family connections to their home countries.

What this means for travellers

Citizens of Kiribati and the other listed countries who are aged 18 to 45 can look out for the ballot to open. Entry is through the ballot first, and only those randomly selected are invited to submit a visa application.

No ballot opening dates have been announced. Eligible nationals are being encouraged to monitor official Australian government channels for the ballot opening dates and further application guidelines.