A new Pacific visa is expected to be a hit — but some warn it could bring challenges for the region (2024)

Vasa Selupe is about to enter the lottery.

She's been travelling between Australia and Tonga for three years, working as a fruit picker.

Now she hopes to become one of the first Pacific Islanders to settle permanently in Australia under its new Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV) scheme.

Ballots opened on Monday, and a random selection process will determine who is invited to apply to live, work and study in Australia.

For Ms Selupe, the decision to enter is an easy one.

"The cost of living here in Tonga is very high compared to the pay that we get," she said.

"The salary that I get from work [in Australia] is way more than what I get in Tonga …There are more opportunities in Australia."

The visa opens a major new migration pathway for Australia's closest neighbours, letting up to 3,000 citizens from Pacific countries and Timor-Leste migrate each year.

Fijian legal practitioner Kesa Baleiwai also wants to enter the ballot, and hopes to bring her husband and two children.

She's drawn by Australia's health care and opportunities to further her education.

"We cannot compare the [medical] specialists that Australia might have and Fiji, especially if the kids have pre-existing medical conditions," Ms Baleiwai said.

On Australia's part, the government hopes to grow the country's relatively small Pacific Island diaspora and build connections to the region.

The Pacific community made up about 340,000 or 1.3 per cent of the population at the 2021 census.

Professor Stephen Howes from the Australian National University calls the new visa a "big shift" in Australia's migration.

"Don't underestimate the significance of this reform," he said.

The government expects to grant the first Pacific Engagement Visas in the fourth quarter of 2024.

But while the new visa is being welcomed, experts and community leaders say the government needs to manage it carefully as migrants and Pacific nations adjust.

A growing diaspora

The first round of ballots closes on August 2, when officials will learn the level of interest in the visa among the 10 countries already part of the scheme.

Experts in Pacific migration expect it will be popular.

For some Pacific countries, such as Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu, the visa creates a level of access to migration not available to their people before.

If they're selected in the random ballot, applicants have to pass checks and secure employment to gain a visa.

Australian National University researcher Natasha Turia said migrants from the Pacific could be absorbed into Australian industries facing skills shortages.

"We might end up getting quite a broad range of people with different skill sets, applying for the PEV," she said.

And some PALM workers applying, such as Ms Selupe, hope to move out of seasonal work and into other industries.

Visa holders will have access to financial support for education, training and costs of raising a family — such as Family Tax Benefit Part A and the Higher Education Loan Program — but will have to wait four years before they're eligible for the Jobseeker unemployment benefit.

And if a visa holder loses their job after settling in Australia, they will receive government support to find new work or begin study or training.

Pacific Islands Council of South Australia chief executive Tukini Tavui said one challenge for new migrants could be securing housing in Australia's competitive market — but that the Pacific Islander culture of sharing accommodation with family members could help.

"Obviously, the concern is we don't want to burden our community members, our diaspora who are already here, but we've got ways and strategies to manage that," he said.

Pacific Islander community leaders in Australia believe new migrants will also find support outside the diaspora.

"We are fortunate here in Australia, you've got the church networks, you've got some of the social groups that can provide that support," Pacific Islands Council of Queensland president Ema Vueti said.

A fair share?

The visa is open to people of all skill levels — a reason the government is using random ballots based on similar visas in New Zealand and the United States.

A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson said the Australian government designed the visa in close consultation with Pacific and Timor-Leste governments "to ensure the program meets shared needs and priorities".

The Australian government also expects the visa will help Pacific countries through remittances, and opportunities to gain skills and further education.

But some limitations of the visa could pose barriers to potential migrants and create social issues for Pacific countries, experts say.

Griffith University's Kirstie Petrou said the visa, restricted to applicants aged 18 to 45, could impact aged care arrangements in Pacific Islands if migration numbers suddenly increased.

The visa allows people to include their partner or spouse, and legally dependent children, in their application.

"That's the definition of a family based on Australian immigration law," Dr Petrou said.

"But the definition of family from a Pacific perspective is much broader.

"Multigenerational families are essentially the norm. So if you've got people moving, and they can't bring their elderly family members who they're caring for, at least not in the first instance, who takes on those caring responsibilities?"

The Australian government should also be aware of pressures the new visa could put on stretched Pacific Island bureaucracies processing new passports and police checks for applicants, she said.

And while random ballots are intended to prevent "brain drain", Dr Petrou said there is still the risk Pacific nations will lose skilled workers.

Applicants will need internet access, which is costly throughout the Pacific and often scarce in remote islands and villages.

Passports — another visa requirement — take a long time to acquire in PNG and other Pacific countries.

A $25 fee to enter the ballot is another barrier in a region where minimum wages are a fraction of Australia's.

Ms Turia estimates applying for the visa and moving to Australia could cost up to 10,000 kina ($3,900), an amount that would be higher for people bringing their family.

Some communities in Papua New Guinea may use fundraising to help applicants with costs, she said.

There are also mixed views about the way the Australian government has allocated visas between countries.

The government based the allocations on population size, diaspora in Australia, existing migration opportunities, expected demand and the views of participating countries.

It will review country allocations annually and consult with governments of participating nations.

Ms Turia would prefer to see allocations informed by a "Pacific Mobility Index" designed by Pacific Islanders that considers factors like vulnerability to impacts of climate change, and other priorities within the region.

Professor Howes believes there could have been more allocations for Timor-Leste and Melanesian countries like PNG and Vanuatu, that have few existing migration pathways.

And a question remains about the participation of three Pacific countries — Samoa, Marshall Islands and Kiribati — yet to join the Pacific Engagement Visa.

The ABC approached the governments of these countries for comment.

Professor Howes said it might only be a matter of time before at least Samoa and Kiribati begin participating.

"It is a great opportunity. These countries are democracies. I think if you did a referendum or a poll, you would find a lot of support for these countries … to join the Pacific Engagement Visa."