Pacific Engagement Visa Factsheet 2025 - Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
A factsheet on how to apply for Australia's 2024 Pacific Engagement Visa and ballot.| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
Australian aid | PNG and the Pacific | Global development policy| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
As we honor George Veikoso’s legacy of unity through music, let’s reject the labels that have long divided our people. The recent passing of George Veikoso, known across Oceania as “Fiji”, sent waves of grief across the Pacific. Whether we grew up in the outer islands or in capital towns, Fiji’s reggae music was the ... Read moreAbout the author/s Amota Ataneka Amota Ataneka is an I-Kiribati PhD candidate at the University of Cincinnati, Ohio.| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
In the early 1990s, Australia, along with other wealthier countries, promised to give “new and additional” funding to help developing countries address issues associated with climate change. This is what we now call “climate finance”. Money is no substitute for wealthier countries reducing their emissions, but it does have the potential to help developing countries. ... Read moreDisclosure This research was undertaken with the support of the Gates Foundation. The views represent thos...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
Australian aid The 2025 Australian aid attitudes survey commissioned by the Development Policy Centre shows a large drop (-11%) in the proportion of people who think the government gives too much foreign aid compared to 2024. The survey results also show that when given information about the predicted impacts of US aid cuts, the proportion ... Read moreDisclosure Material for this update has been collected by Devpol staff; editorial responsibility lies with Cameron Hill. Devpol’s work on Au...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
On 13 August 2025, Australia and Vanuatu agreed to the Nakamal Agreement, a $500 million “win-win” partnership labelled “transformational” by the Australian Government. Unlike the 2022 bilateral security pact, which was not ratified and triggered political instability, this new deal has been approved by both Vanuatu’s National Security Council and Council of Ministers, promising, among ... Read moreAbout the author/s Elise Barandon Elise Barandon is a PhD candidate in international ...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
Aid hasn’t been an easy sell in Australia. In all the surveys we’ve run since 2015, more respondents have thought Australia gave too much aid than thought it gave too little. In our 2024 survey, 40% of respondents said Australia gave too much, while only 22% said it gave too little. Change is afoot though. ... Read moreDisclosure This research was undertaken with the support of the Gates Foundation. The views represent those of the authors only. About the author/s Terence Wood Terence Wo...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
The Falepili Union treaty stream visa ballot for Tuvalu citizens opened on 16 June 2025 and closed on 18 July. Registration cost A$25 (Tuvalu uses the Australian dollar) and 3,125 people applied in the first four days. In total, 8,750 or more than half of Tuvalu’s citizens applied by the close of the ballot — ... Read moreDisclosure This research was supported by the Pacific Research Program, with funding from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The views are those of the author...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
Although seven political parties have officially registered to contest Samoa’s general election on 29 August, three have been politically visible through their campaign activities and are likely to share among them the biggest slice of the parliament’s 51 seats. The question on everyone’s lips is: which one of them will win enough seats to form ... Read moreAbout the author/s Asofou So'o Asofou So'o was the founding professor of Samoan studies at the National University of Samoa from 20...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
Over the past few years, Papua New Guinea has witnessed some of the most significant anti-corruption reforms in its history. From establishing a new Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) to passing whistleblower legislation and holding inquiries into high-profile scandals, the Marape government has made bold moves. For a country long plagued by governance challenges, these ... Read moreDisclosure Funding for this research was provided by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
This blog is an edited version of a speech to launch Struggle, reform, boom and bust: an economic history of Papua New Guinea since independence delivered by the PNG Treasurer on 20 August 2025 at the University of Papua New Guinea. The book is free to download from the ANU Press website. Thank you for ... Read moreAbout the author/s Ian Ling-Stuckey The Honourable Ian Ling-Stuckey CMG MP is the Treasurer of Papua New Guinea.| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
At the start of last year, we analysed trends in the value of the kina (the PNG currency). We noted that although, as per government policy, the kina had fallen against the US dollar, it had hardly moved at all when assessed against a trade-weighted bundle of currencies, as measured using a Trade-Weighted Index (TWI). ... Read moreDisclosure This research was undertaken with the support of the ANU-UPNG Partnership, an initiative of the PNG-Australia Partnership, funded by the Department of F...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
In June 2025, the Samoan Ministry of Finance introduced employer fees for recruitment of Samoan workers under Australia’s Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) and New Zealand’s (Recognised Seasonal Employer) RSE schemes. Employers are to pay A$50 and NZ$50 respectively, for each worker mobilised. For RSE employers that recruit from Samoa, the fees are not insignificant. ... Read moreDisclosure This research was supported by the Pacific Research Program, with funding from the Departme...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
The Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV) is a new permanent residency visa dedicated to the Pacific and Timor-Leste. Some 56,000 people entered the first PEV ballot which opened in June last year. The 3,000 people lucky enough to be selected through the ballot were then eligible to apply for a PEV. The key requirement at this ... Read moreDisclosure This research was supported by the Pacific Research Program, with funding from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The views are those of the a...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
A factsheet on how to apply for Australia's 2024 Pacific Engagement Visa and ballot.| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
Please note that this article contains a description of violence that could be distressing for some readers. Rosa Yakapus was tortured and murdered by a group of men who believed she killed her estranged husband by removing his heart and eating it without leaving a mark on his body. The location was a remote and ... Read moreAbout the author/s Michael Main Michael Main is a researcher with the School of Regulation and Global Governance at the Australian National University working on communit...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
This is a further instalment in the Pacific Family Matters series. The rise of China in the Pacific region has brought countries like Solomon Islands, and the region at large, into the spotlight. Australia’s Albanese government has ramped up spending and engagement to balance influence and the US has made sharp rebukes about Chinese regional engagement. ... Read moreDisclosure The Pacific Research Program is an independent Pacific-focused research program that supports evidence-based polic...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
Transparency matters. It matters to the Australian public, who want to know their tax dollars are being spent responsibly, accountably and effectively. It matters to our partners in our region, who expect honesty and openness in how we work together. And it matters for our national interest because transparency builds trust and respect — and ... Read moreAbout the author/s Anne Aly The Hon Dr Anne Aly MP is Australia's Minister for International Development, Minister for Small Business and ...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
Aid, by its very nature, is harder to monitor than domestic spending. This makes transparency integral to good aid practice. Transparency makes it easier for donor publics to track how their taxes are being spent. Transparency also makes it easier for people in aid recipient countries to learn about the aid affecting them. The Development ... Read moreDisclosure This research was undertaken with the support of the Gates Foundation. The views represent those of the authors only. About the auth...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
In Indonesia, some careers go beyond simply earning a living and serve as a means of establishing one’s reputation. Attaining a position as a public official, whether as a civil servant or a member of a Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Daerah (DPRD or local parliament), is often regarded as the peak of achievement. It is more ... Read moreAbout the author/s Garry Rosario da Gama Garry Rosario da Gama is a PhD student at Crawford School of Public Policy. His research is focussed on integrity networks...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
On 26 July 2025, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) handed down its long-awaited Advisory Opinion on the legal obligations of states in relation to climate change. The judgment reaffirmed that states have a legal duty not just to reduce carbon emissions, but to protect the environment and respect the human rights of those affected ... Read moreAbout the author/s Bal Kama Dr Bal Kama is in legal practice and consults on Pacific socio-political and legal affairs. He is an Adjunct Assistan...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
PNG’s lowest tier of government, local level governments, or LLGs, face a variety of problems. Key among them is that LLG numbers (and the ward electorates they comprise) have grown uncontrollably since being introduced in 1995. This has made running their elections this year problematic and has partly led to the inequitable distribution of grants ... Read moreAbout the author/s Maholopa Laveil Maholopa (Maho) Laveil is a PhD candidate at the Arndt-Corden Department of Economics at the Aust...| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
The Murder in the Pacific series reveals wider truths about the sustainability and impact of aid projects, says Gordon Peake.| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
Strengthening online safety and security is essential to ensure digitalisation benefits all Timorese citizens, say Tim Mann and Juvita Pereira Faria.| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
Pacific nuclear powers should accept responsibility for environmental destruction and adequately compensate victims of past injustices, says David Robie.| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
The re-elected Albanese Labor Government's domestic and international climate initiatives must address our Pacific family's concerns, says Melanie Pill.| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
Devpolicy's monthly update of news and analysis on aid and international development, with a focus on Australian aid.| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
The cost of sending remittances to the Pacific is believed to be high, but there are in fact low-cost options, say Maeda, Edwards and Suryadarma.| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
Macro-level monitoring of remittance-sending costs must be complemented by fine-grained analysis of short-term cost variations, says Haiqa Sarosh Fatima.| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
The re-elected Labor Government‘s political capital should be used to improve the quality and measurement of Australia’s aid to PNG, says Terence Wood.| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
The Prabowo government’s vast investment in free school meals is sub-optimal without parallel literacy investments, says Rifky Pratama Wicaksono.| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
Significant barriers remain for PALM workers in accessing sexual and reproductive health services, including for survivors of gender-based violence.| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
A recent study shows there is a need for arrival screening of PALM workers for sexually transmitted infections, say Mikaela Seymour and Stefanie Vaccher.| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
Increased risks of disease spread, migration, regional instability and extremism cannot be ignored, says Richard Brennan.| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
Survivors of sorcery accusation related violence often prefer to seek reconciliation over legal justice, say Anton Lutz and Miranda Forsyth.| Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
