Treaty stream (Tuvalu)

• stay in Australia permanently
• live, work and study anywhere in Australia
• travel to and from Australia indefinitely
• sponsor eligible relatives to come to Australia
• access Australia's public health care scheme, Medicare
• if eligible, apply for Australian citizenship.

Newly arrived residents may have to wait before they can access certain Australian Government payments and benefits. Learn more about newly arrived resident's waiting periods.

The Australian Government is providing free support for Falepili Mobility Pathway participants, both in Tuvalu and Australia.

Falepili Support Service (Tuvalu) ‘The Hub’

The Hub is in Funafuti and provides Treaty stream visa applicants and holders with pre-departure and mobilisation support. This includes information sessions on life in Australia and employment support services for those visa holders looking to find a job in Australia before they move.

Treaty stream visa applicants and holders are strongly encouraged to contact the Hub as soon as possible to access pre-departure support and information.

The Hub is open Monday to Friday, 11am–4pm.

Drop in to the Hub or email them at falepilipathway@pevsupport.com.au

For more information see: Welcome | Falepili Mobility Pathway (Treaty stream visa).

This is a permanent visa. It lets you stay in Australia indefinitely.

For citizenship purposes, your permanent residence starts on either the day:

• we grant the visa, if you are in Australia or
• you enter Australia on this visa, if you are outside Australia.

You can travel to and from Australia as many times as you want from the date we grant you this visa.

You might also want to consider Australian citizenship. If you become an Australian citizen, you don’t need a visa to enter Australia. Once you are an Australian citizen you can apply for an Australian passport. You can travel to and from Australia on your Australian passport. For more information, see Australian Citizenship.

You must include all members of the family unit who wish to come to Australia with you in your application. You will not be able to add them to your application after you have submitted your application.

Where you have included a non-biological child as a member of the family unit due to adoption, you need to provide further supporting evidence.

Generally, adoptions are either formal or customary. In a formal adoption, the child who is adopted becomes the legal child of the adopting parents and a legal member of the adopting family.

Customary adoptions are generally not recognised in Australia. Australia recognises adoptions which formally establish parental rights and responsibilities. These adoptions must comply with specific legal requirements to be recognised under Australian migration law.

For visa purposes, members of the family unit do not include your

• parents
• partners parents
• aunts
• uncles
• cousins.

Family members who apply for this visa must meet our health and character requirements.

They must have also complied with the conditions of any previous visas held. Family members not coming to Australia might also need to meet health and character requirements.

Find out what to do if your child is born after you apply.

From AUD205.00, for the main applicant.

From AUD50.00, for each family member who applies for the visa with you.

Your application will be invalid if you do not pay the correct visa application charge.

To work out what your visa will cost, you can use the Visa Pricing Estimator. The estimator does not take into account other costs, such as health checks, police certificates and biometrics.

You can be inside or outside Australia, but not in immigration clearance, when you apply for the visa and when we decide on your application.

An indication of the processing times for this visa is not yet available as it is a new visa program. A guide on the estimated processing times for this visa will be available using the visa processing time guide when data becomes available at a later date. For general information on processing times see Global visa processing times.

We assess applications on a case-by-case basis. Actual processing times can vary due to individual circumstances including:

• whether you have submitted a complete visa application, including all supporting documents (see Check twice, submit once)
• how quickly you to respond to requests for more information
• how long it takes to perform required checks on supporting information provided
• how long it takes to receive further information from external agencies, particularly about health, character, and national security requirements.

We will electronically link your visa to your passport. You will not get a label in your passport.

You can only apply for this visa if you have been randomly selected in the Pacific Engagement visa (subclass 192) - Treaty stream (Tuvalu) ballot. If we have invited you to apply, you will have received a Notification of Selection letter.

The letter provides a link to the visa application and details on how to apply for this visa.

You must apply for this visa on or before the date specified in your Notification of Selection letter. We cannot accept your application if you try to apply after this date.

You can monitor the status of your ballot registration through your ImmiAccount.

We will publish the status of each ballot on the PEV Treaty stream Country Ballot Status table.

After the ballot selection process is shown as expired, no further registrations will be selected.

You must be a citizen of and hold a valid passport from Tuvalu.

You must apply for this visa as a citizen of Tuvalu.

You must not have obtained your citizenship of Tuvalu due to an investment to Tuvalu.

You must have been born in, or have a parent or grandparent that was born in Tuvalu.

You must not be a citizen of New Zealand.

New Zealand citizens who have been living in Australia for four years or more might be eligible to apply directly for Australian citizenship.

For more information, see Pathways for New Zealand citizens.

You must be aged at least 18 years on the date the Treaty stream ballot registration period opens for Tuvalu.

To check when the registration opens for Tuvalu PEV Treaty stream Country Ballot Status.

You may be in or outside Australia, but not in immigration clearance, when you apply for this visa.

If you are applying in Australia, you must hold a:

• substantive visa or
• Bridging visa A
• Bridging visa B
• Bridging visa C.

You and any included family members, must have substantially complied with any conditions that apply or applied to a held Australian substantive visa or bridging visa. If you were unable to substantially comply, there must have been compassionate and compelling circumstances.

We will consider the immigration history of you, and any included family members, when we decide on your application. This means you might not be eligible for this visa if you have had a visa cancelled or refused.

In some situations, you might still be able to apply for a permanent visa if you have had a visa cancelled or an application refused. For more information, see Limitations on applications in Australia.

If applying for a visa from outside Australia, see Can I go to Australia.

If you want immigration assistance, see Who can help with your visa application.

You, and any family members who apply for the visa with you, must meet our health requirement.

You should not organise your health examinations until after you are successful in the ballot and invited to apply for the visa.

If you currently live in Tuvalu, contact the Falepili Mobility Pathway Hub (the Hub) to organise your health examination.

You can contact the Hub by emailing falepilipathway@pevsupport.com.au.

You can also make an appointment in person at the Hub. It is located at Kiatoa's place (opposite Ioasa's house) on the Vaiaku side.

Opening hours are 8:30 am to 4:30 pm and 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm Monday to Friday.

The results of health examinations are generally valid for 12 months.

You and family members aged 16 years and over who apply for the visa with you must meet our character requirement.

Family members not included in the visa application might also need to meet the character requirement.

If you or any family members owe the Australian Government money, you or they must pay it back or have arranged to pay it back. This includes family members who did not apply for the visa with you.

You, and any family members aged 18 years or older in your visa application, must have:

• read, or had explained to you, the Life in Australia booklet
• signed an Australian Values Statement. This confirms you will respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws.

We will not grant this visa if it is not in the best interests of an applicant under 18.

Before you travel

Check your travel documents

You must have:

• a valid visa to enter Australia
• a valid passport or other travel document.

Arrive before first entry date

Your first entry to Australia must be on or before the date provided in your visa grant notification letter. The first entry date is generally 12 months from the date of visa grant.

If you do not enter Australia before this date, your visa will cease. You will no longer be allowed to travel to Australia as the holder of a permanent resident visa.

At the border

Complete an Incoming Passenger Card

All people arriving into Australia must complete the Incoming Passenger Card.

Use the SmartGate

We have an automated process that uses facial recognition technology and your ePassport. You might be able to leave the airport faster if you use SmartGate.

When you have this visa, you can:

• live, work and study anywhere in Australia
• travel to and from Australia indefinitely
• sponsor eligible relatives to come to Australia
• access Australia's public health care scheme, Medicare
• if eligible, apply for Australian citizenship.

What you must do on this visa

You and your family members must obey all Australian laws.

You can check visa details and conditions in VEVO.

Tell us if things change

See what to do if your situation changes.

How long you can stay

This is a permanent visa. It lets you come and go to Australia and stay in Australia indefinitely. See also travelling on your visa below.

Access Australian Government benefits

As a newly arrived resident, you might have to wait to access certain Australian Government payments and benefits. Learn more about newly arrived resident’s waiting periods from Services Australia.

Support for Treaty stream visa holders

The Australian Government is providing free support for Falepili Mobility Pathway participants, both in Tuvalu and Australia.

Falepili Support Service (Tuvalu) ‘The Hub’

The Hub is in Funafuti and provides Treaty stream visa applicants and visa holders with pre-departure and mobilisation support. This includes information sessions on life in Australia and employment support services for those visa holders looking to find a job in Australia before they move.

Visa applicants and visa holders are strongly encouraged to contact the Hub as soon as possible to access pre-departure support and information.

The Hub is open Monday to Friday, 11am–4pm.

Drop in to the Hub or email them at falepilipathway@pevsupport.com.au

Falepili Support Service (Australia)

The Falepili Support Service is available to visa holders upon arrival in Australia. It provides a range of assistance, from on-arrival transport and connections to essential services, to help finding employment and long-term housing.

The Support Service also engages with the Tuvaluan diaspora in Australia to help connect new arrivals with the broader community.

Visa holders are strongly encouraged to let the Support Service know of your intended arrival date in Australia so you can access support as soon as you arrive.

The Support Service is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Email them at FMPP@ames.net.au

For further information see: Welcome | Falepili Mobility Pathway (Treaty stream visa).

Settlement support

You are entitled to a range of settlement support services that will help you and your family have a positive experience settling into Australia. These include:

• Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP)
• Settlement Engagement and Transition Support (SETS) Program.

The SETS program gives settlement-related information and assistance, and referral to relevant services.

As a permanent resident, you will have access to certain Australian Government benefits, including:

• Medicare
• Commonwealth-supported university places
• the Child Care Subsidy
• Family Tax Benefit Part B.

As a Pacific Engagement visa (subclass 192) – Treaty stream (Tuvalu) holder, you will have access to additional supports to help with the cost of education, training and raising a family in Australia. These include:

• Higher Education Loan Program (HELP)
• VET Student Loans (VSL)
• Youth Allowance (Student)
• Youth Allowance (Apprentice)
• Family Tax Benefit Part A.

Travelling on your visa

You can travel to and from Australia indefinitely from the date we grant the visa. You do not need a resident return visa. If you renew your passport you will need to update your details in ImmiAccount before you travel.

For information on your visa and travel facility use VEVO.

Proving you have a visa

To prove you have a visa and show your conditions to someone, use VEVO.

Working

You are protected by Australian workplace law. See your workplace rights and entitlements.

Bringing family

As an Australian permanent resident, you might be able to sponsor eligible family to come to Australia.

To find a visa for your family member, explore visa options.

Becoming an Australian citizen

After a certain amount of time, you might be eligible for Australian citizenship. Find out more about becoming a citizen.

For citizenship purposes, your permanent residence starts on either the day:

• we grant the visa if you are in Australia
• you enter Australia on this visa if you are outside Australia.

Before you leave

Check your travel documents

You must have a valid passport or other travel document to leave Australia and return.

If you renew your passport you will need to update the department before you travel.

At the border

Leaving the airport faster

We have an automated process that uses facial recognition technology and your ePassport. You could leave the airport faster if you use SmartGate.

After you leave

Proving you have been to Australia

To get proof of your travel in and out of Australia, you can request a copy of your international movement records.

Return to Pacific Engagement landing page