The Department of Home Affairs on 5 November 2025 tabled its official response to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee’s report on the Migration Amendment (Australia’s Engagement in the Pacific and Other Measures) Bill 2023 and the companion Visa Pre-Application Process Charge Bill 2023.
The government broadly accepted the committee’s recommendations, confirming that the Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV)—a lottery-style permanent-residence pathway offering 3,000 places per year to Pacific and Timor-Leste nationals—will launch in July 2026. Home Affairs rejected calls for a higher ballot fee, opting to retain the AUD 25 entry charge to keep the process “accessible and equitable”.
![Canberra Responds to Senate on Pacific Engagement Visa Bills, Signals 2026 Roll-Out]()
Key operational details emerged: applicants will submit an online expression of interest, pay the charge, and, if selected, secure an Australian sponsor within six months. Successful entrants will receive work-rights on arrival and access to Medicare after four years of residence. The department pledged additional settlement-services funding and a Pacific Liaison Unit in Brisbane.
For employers in agriculture, aged care and hospitality, the PEV promises a new pipeline of workers with unrestricted mobility, distinguishing it from the tied-employer Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme. However, industry groups warn that without streamlined skills-recognition rules, migrants may remain confined to lower-paid roles.
The Bills now head back to the House of Representatives for final amendments in February 2026. Companies planning workforce strategies for 2026-27 should map sponsorship processes early and monitor forthcoming regulations on skills-assessments equivalency and mobility-rights within Australia.
The government broadly accepted the committee’s recommendations, confirming that the Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV)—a lottery-style permanent-residence pathway offering 3,000 places per year to Pacific and Timor-Leste nationals—will launch in July 2026. Home Affairs rejected calls for a higher ballot fee, opting to retain the AUD 25 entry charge to keep the process “accessible and equitable”.
Key operational details emerged: applicants will submit an online expression of interest, pay the charge, and, if selected, secure an Australian sponsor within six months. Successful entrants will receive work-rights on arrival and access to Medicare after four years of residence. The department pledged additional settlement-services funding and a Pacific Liaison Unit in Brisbane.
For employers in agriculture, aged care and hospitality, the PEV promises a new pipeline of workers with unrestricted mobility, distinguishing it from the tied-employer Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme. However, industry groups warn that without streamlined skills-recognition rules, migrants may remain confined to lower-paid roles.
The Bills now head back to the House of Representatives for final amendments in February 2026. Companies planning workforce strategies for 2026-27 should map sponsorship processes early and monitor forthcoming regulations on skills-assessments equivalency and mobility-rights within Australia.
