Immigration

Chief Migration Officer, Stanis Hulahau, made the announcement today, welcoming passport holders from specific nations to access the VoA service at designated ports of entry in PNG.

Mr. Hulahau emphasized that the PNG government is reciprocating the same treatment to passport holders from countries offering similar privileges to PNG passport holders, whether Diplomatic, Official, or Standard.

The VoA facility had been temporarily suspended in 2019 due to the Coronavirus pandemic, which necessitated strict entry requirements.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Labour and Immigration, John Rosso said the move is aimed at supporting trade and investment in the country, restoring international travel arrangements to pre-pandemic settings, and facilitating business, trade, and investment opportunities.

The visa allows multiple entries within a 12-month period, with a maximum duration of 60 days per visit.

Chief Migration Officer, Stanis Hulahau said it requires multiple applications per year, and currently, individuals with a 30-day visa must exit the country and reapply for a new visa if they wish to stay longer.

However, the introduction of the Multiple Entry Visa allows individuals to travel multiple times within a 12-month period and stay for up to 60 days per visit, avoiding the inconvenience of having to leave and reapply every 30 days.

After last month’s announcement for the Australia Visa Office move to Port Moresby, Foreign Affairs Minister, Justin Tkatchenko today announced that the Visa Office will be established in the coming months.

This will make life easier for travel to and from the two countries, Minister Tkatchenko said that his aim is to work on outstanding issues in the department as well as better the relationship with partners and neighbours.

Key points:

• The then-opposition revealed plans for the visa in April 2022 as part of a wider scheme to deepen ties with the Pacific
• On Thursday, the bill for the new visa will reportedly be introduced to parliament
• If passed, the 3,000 successful applicants can bring partners and dependent children

The Pacific Engagement Visa has a two-step application process, under which applicants must first register in a ballot and pay a fee of $25.

In a joint investigation by Immigration and Police, the foreigner was arrested after police and the Immigration special investigations team received reports of the foreigner engaging in disreputable conduct.

This is the same foreigner that was alleged to have used PNG nationals as directors and shareholders when setting up companies with the Investment Promotion Authority (IPA).

High-skilled tech workers, non-agricultural seasonal helpers, au pairs and top executives will be affected.

The White House said the move will create jobs for Americans hurting economically due to the pandemic.

But critics say the White House is exploiting the coronavirus pandemic to tighten up immigration laws.

Who's affected?

In a briefing for reporters, the administration said the freeze, in place through the end of the year, would impact about 525,000 people.

Minister for Immigration and Border Security, Westley Nukundj, made this know whilst issuing a warning to foreigners who are conducting illegal businesses in the country.

Nukundj has committed to enforcing the warning issued by Prime Minister James Marape to penalise those foreigners who continue to violate the migration law and policies of PNG.

The Department of Immigration and Border Security, as one of the lead agencies of governance, will manage, monitor and support the Government to implement its “Take Back PNG” slogan.

Minister for Immigration and Border Security, Petrus Thomas clarified this today when given dual and naturalized citizenship to 21 foreign nationals.

Five of were given naturalized citizenships.

The minister said  All visitors coming in from China under Tourist visas will have be part of a group who will be monitored by an agent.

“When we look at tourists, Chinese tourists are the higherst. There is free money in tourism,” he said.

Minister Thomas says tourists visas on arrival are also for tourists who are in senior management.

Months later, the saga continues to provoke a much wider discussion, writes Kathy Marks in Sydney.

She is, by her own definition, "the perfect package for outrage" - a young, brown-skinned, feminist Muslim with outspoken opinions and the self-confidence to articulate them.

Even so, Yassmin Abdel-Magied could hardly have anticipated the ferocity, or the relentlessness, of the attacks which have rained on her in recent months. They have come from internet trolls, tabloid newspapers and even the Australian prime minister, culminating in the 26-year-old leaving the country.