Last call: Pacific Engagement Visa ballot for 3,000 permanent places closes on 29 July

The Department of Home Affairs has reminded Pacific and Timor-Leste nationals that registrations for the inaugural Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV, subclass 192) ballot will close at 23:59 AEST on 29 July 2026. The on-line ballot—open since 1 July—will randomly select up to 3,000 primary applicants who can then lodge permanent-residence visas for themselves and eligible family members. Participating countries include Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands. Successful registrants will be notified between 5 August 2026 and 26 February 2027 and must submit full applications within 120 days. The programme echoes New Zealand’s long-running Pacific Access Category, offering a managed migration pathway designed to strengthen people-to-people links and address regional labour shortages. For Australian employers, particularly in agriculture, aged care and construction, the ballot matters because PEV visa-holders receive permanent residence on arrival, allowing immediate, unrestricted work rights. Mobility professionals should therefore monitor the talent pool emerging from December onwards and prepare onboarding processes that recognise overseas qualifications from participating nations. The scheme also introduces a digital-first workflow: ballot registration, selection notification and visa lodgement all occur via ImmiAccount. Organisations providing migration assistance will need to adapt internal checklists to capture ballot reference numbers and selection-period deadlines. Key dates: 29 July — ballot closes; 5 August — random selection begins. Employers seeking to widen sourcing strategies in regional Australia should align recruitment calendars accordingly.