The Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV) program is a permanent resident visa for eligible countries to help address the underrepresentation of Pacific and Timor-Leste nationals in Australia’s permanent migration program. Priority has been given to countries with limited permanent migration opportunities to Australia, and countries without citizenship rights with New Zealand, France and the United States. New Caledonia and Wallis-and-Futuna are therefore not eligible to participate in the PEV program.
Information is available at Pacific Engagement Visa | Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (dfat.gov.au) and Pacific Engagement (homeaffairs.gov.au).
For information on travel to and from Australia, including immigration (visas) and proof of exit and travel records to Australia, Australian citizenship, border protection, the Tourist Refund Scheme (TRS), Biosecurity-Customs, and how to contact Home Affairs, please read the Home Affairs information available at Home Affairs - Immigration Citizenship and Border Protection. If you require further information or assistance, please speak to the Home Affairs multilingual Global Services Centre (GSC) directly. The Home Affairs multilingual GSC is open Monday-Friday from 9am to 5pm (except Australian national public holidays):
- The Home Affairs multilingual GSC can be contacted directly on +61 2 6196 0196 (outside Australia) or on 131 881 (in Australia). Alternatively, callers from New Caledonia or Wallis-and-Futuna can call +687 27 24 14 and press option 2, from Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm (except local public holidays).
- the Home Affairs phone options are provided in English but if you prefer to speak with someone in your language, press 6 and say your language in English (for French-speakers, say “French”) and confirm “Yes” when prompted. If the operator speaks to you in English, keep saying your language in English to be put through to an interpreter.
Home Affairs does not have an office at the Australian Consulate-General in Noumea. The Australian Consulate-General in Noumea will not respond to Home Affairs enquiries and will not escalate these to Home Affairs.