Tuvalu: One in three citizens apply for climate change visa
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One in three Tuvaluans apply to relocate to Australia under climate visa scheme just 10 days after opening
Nearly a third of the population of Pacific island nation Tuvalu has applied for a new visa scheme that would allow them to relocate to Australia. Australia is offering 280 visas annually to Tuvaluan citizens under the Falepili Union treaty — a landmark agreement billed as the world’s first climate migration deal. Successful applicants will be afforded rights to work or study as permanent residents, with access to benefits like Medicare.Tuvalu is a clutch of reef islands and atolls roughly halfway between Brisbane and Hawaii and home to just over 10,000 people.
Australia is offering 280 visas annually to Tuvaluan citizens under the Falepili Union treaty — a landmark agreement billed as the world’s first climate migration deal.
Citizens of the climate change-threatened Polynesian nation are being encouraged to apply as rising seas threaten to engulf the tiny Pacific nation.
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Applications cost $25 and will close on July 18, with successful applicants selected at random rather than based on skills or other criteria.
Ballot winners will be afforded rights to work or study as permanent residents, with access to benefits like Medicare.
Since the ballot opened on June 16, 3125 Tuvaluans have registered for the first intake, according to official figures obtained by AFP — nearly a third of the entire population.
Tuvalu is a clutch of reef islands and atolls roughly halfway between Brisbane and Hawaii and home to just over 10,000 people.
It is the world’s most at-risk nation to sea level rise, with a highest point of under five metres.
Fears of being subsided by sea prompted the discussion of the immigration pathway between Australia and Tuvalu.
“The opening of the Falepili Mobility Pathway marks a significant moment for our elevated partnership and demonstrates Australia’s ongoing commitment to the government and people of Tuvalu,” Australian High Commissioner to Tuvalu David Charlton said.
Given the small population, it is possible that all citizens could use the pathway to relocate in Australia by mid-century, however Prime Minister Feleti Teo said he believed most would stay, and others would return.
“The Falepili Mobility Pathway is not just a one-way traffic,” he said.
“Tuvalu stands to benefit greatly from those that return to Tuvalu after exposure to work, study and life in Australia.”
Announced in late 2023, the Falepili Union is a multi-faceted pact with the climate change-threatened Polynesian nation which positions Australia as Tuvalu’s primary security partner.
In exchange, Australia has promised Tuvalu assistance in response to disasters, development assistance, and the migration pathway.
The treaty – named after a Tuvaluan word meaning good neighbour – has been criticised as neo-colonialist, given Australia’s influence over Tuvalu’s sovereignty and absorption of citizens.
One in three Tuvaluans has applied for a climate change visa
More than a third of the people of the Pacific island nation of Tuvalu have applied for the world’s first climate change visa. The visa will allow them to move permanently to Australia. The tiny archipelago lies just five meters above sea level, and its people are among the nations most threatened by climate change. As of the 27th of June, 1,124 applications had been submitted, covering a total of 4,052 Tuvaluan citizens.
Applications for the visa began on the 16th of June, and it is already clear that the program will be overwhelmed, as only 280 visas are to be drawn each year. The climate change visa program is run by the Australia’s foreign affairs department as part of a move to help people who have been forced to leave their homes because of climate change.
The tiny archipelago of Tuvalu lies just five meters above sea level, and its people are among the nations most threatened by climate change. As of the 27th of June, 1,124 applications had been submitted, covering a total of 4,052 Tuvaluan citizens. According to the 2022 census, the islands have a total population of 10,643 people.
Winners of the ballot will be able to live permanently in Australia, and will be able to leave and enter Australia without restrictions.
The visa will also provide the opportunity to receive assistance provided by the Australian government during the move – access to the health care system, support for raising children, and the opportunity to study at schools, universities and vocational training institutions with the same support as Australian citizens.
Applying for the lottery costs 25 Australian dollars, and will close on the 18th of July.
The new visas were created by the Australia-Tuvalu Union, which was established in August 2024. Canberra is committed to defending the islands against natural disasters, public health threats and against military aggression. Tuvaluan Prime Minister Feleti Teo said last year that for the first time in history, a country has made a legal commitment to recognize Tuvalu’s future statehood and sovereignty despite the effects of rising sea levels caused by climate change.
NASA scientists predict that by 2025, most of Tuvalu’s land and critical infrastructure will be underwater at high tide.
Read also: Farmers’ losses increase, but no fund exists – is Latvia ready for climate risks?
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Tuvalu: One in three citizens apply for climate change visa
A third of Pacific island nation applies for Australian climate change visa. Only 280 visas awarded to Tuvalu citizens from the random ballot each year. At just five metres (16ft) above sea level, the tiny Pacific archipelago is one of the most climate-threatened nations in the world. The visa programme has been pegged by the Australia’s foreign affairs department as a landmark response to the threat of climate-related displacement. If successful, holders of the Pacific Engagement visa will be granted indefinite permanent residency in Australia.
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Getty Images Tuvalu is the world’s second lowest-lying country
More than a third of Tuvalu citizens have entered the ballot for a world-first climate visa which would allow them to permanently migrate to Australia. Opening for the first intake on 16 June, the influx of registrations could indicate that programme will be hugely oversubscribed, with only 280 visas awarded to Tuvalu citizens from the random ballot each year. The visa programme has been pegged by the Australia’s foreign affairs department as a landmark response to the threat of climate-related displacement. At just five metres (16ft) above sea level, the tiny Pacific archipelago is one of the most climate-threatened nations in the world.
There have been 1,124 applications submitted to the ballot as of 27 June, which accounts for 4,052 Tuvalu citizens with the inclusion of family members. The island nation is home to 10,643 people, according to census figures collected in 2022.
Getty Images
If successful, holders of the Pacific Engagement visa will be granted indefinite permanent residency in Australia, with the ability to freely travel in and out of the country. The visa will also provide for Australian supports on arrival in the country, such as access to the country’s Medicare system, childcare subsidies and the ability to study at schools, university and vocational facilities at the same subsidisation as Australian citizens. Entry to the 2025 ballot costs A$25 (£11.93, $16.37), and will close 18 July.
The new class of visa was created as part of the Australia-Tuvalu Falepili Union, announced in August 2024, which includes a commitment by Canberra to defend the island in the face of natural disasters, public health emergencies and “military aggression”. “For the first time there is a country that has committed legally to recognise the future statehood and sovereignty of Tuvalu despite the detrimental impact of climate changed-induced sea level rise,” said Prime Minister Feleti Teo in a statement last year. Scientists at Nasa have predicted that the majority of land mass and critical infrastructure in Tuvalu will sit below the level of the current high tide by 2050.
Facing Rising Seas, Thousands in Tuvalu Seek an Escape Through Australia
Nearly a third of Tuvalu’s roughly 11,000 residents are seeking Australian visas to escape the encroaching waters. Australia will offer 280 visas per year, and the first batch became available on June 16. The first migrants should arrive in Australia by the end of the year.Tuvalu is located in the west-central Pacific Ocean and has an average elevation of less than 10 feet (3 meters) Some studies suggest many of its islands will become uninhabitable due to flooding, saltwater intrusion, storm surge, and erosion before the end-of-the-century. Despite accounting for just 0.02% of global emissions, the Pacific Islands face far greater climate risks than any other corner of the planet. The government is working to preserve its land and statehood by creating a digital copy of the country. The project aims to “recreate [Tuvalan] land, archive its rich history and culture, and move all governmental functions into a digital space”
Nearly a third of Tuvalu’s roughly 11,000 residents are seeking Australian visas to escape the encroaching waters. In 2023, Australia announced that it would launch these visas as part of a bilateral treaty it signed with Tuvalu—the world’s first to create a special visa in response to climate change. Australia will offer 280 visas per year, and the first batch became available on June 16. More than 3,000 Tuvaluans applied.
Successful applicants should know the results of the lottery by the end of July, and the first migrants should arrive in Australia by the end of the year, New Scientist reported. Upon arriving in Australia, visa holders will receive immediate access to education, Medicare, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), the family tax benefit, a childcare subsidy, and a youth allowance.
“Australia recognises the devastating impact climate change is having on the livelihoods, security and wellbeing of climate vulnerable countries and people, particularly in the Pacific region,” Australia’s foreign affairs department told The Guardian.
Tuvalu is located in the west-central Pacific Ocean and has an average elevation of less than 10 feet (3 meters). Some studies suggest many of its islands will become uninhabitable due to flooding, saltwater intrusion, storm surge, and erosion before the end of the century, according to the World Bank. NASA researchers, for example, have predicted that Tuvalu and other Pacific Island nations will see at least 6 inches (15 centimeters) of sea level rise in the next 30 years alone.
“I am living the reality of climate change,” Grace Malie, a Tuvalu citizen and youth delegate for the Rising Nations Initiative, told NASA in 2024. “Everyone [in Tuvalu] lives by the coast or along the coastline, so everyone gets heavily affected by this.”
Funafuti, Tuvalu’s capital and its most populous atoll, has already experienced a sea-level rise of about 5.5 inches (14 centimeters) over the past three decades, according to NASA’s Sea Level Change Team. That’s approximately 1.5 times the global average rate. Funafuti is home to 60% of Tuvalu’s population, and by 2050, scientists predict half of its area will become submerged by daily tides.
Tuvaluans are already feeling the effects of rising seas. The constant influx of saltwater has contaminated the country’s farmland and groundwater, forcing citizens to rely on rainwater collection tanks and central raised gardens. This has made the island nation more vulnerable to droughts, water shortages, and disease outbreaks, according to UNICEF Australia.
Tuvalu has implemented strategies to combat sea level rise, particularly through the Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project (TCAP), which the government launched in 2017. There have been successes, including improvements to coastal hazard monitoring, land reclamations, and coastal protections for outer islands. Still, many challenges remain.
As Tuvalu faces the reality of sinking beneath the waves, the government is working to preserve its land and statehood by creating a digital copy of the country. The project aims to “recreate [Tuvalu’s] land, archive its rich history and culture, and move all governmental functions into a digital space,” according to its website.
Tuvalu could be the first country to disappear as a result of climate change, but it almost certainly won’t be the last. Despite accounting for just 0.02% of global emissions, the Pacific Islands face far greater climate risks than any other corner of the planet. As more and more Tuvaluans make the difficult decision to leave their homes, citizens of many other island nations will get a glimpse of what’s to come.
How nearly ONE THIRD of a country’s population have applied to get a visa in Australia because of an Albo program
Australia is offering visas to 280 Tuvalu citizens each year under a climate migration deal Canberra has billed as ‘the first agreement of its kind anywhere in the world’ More than 3,000 people from the Pacific nation have already entered a ballot for the first batch of visas, according to official figures on the Australian program. The visa program has been hailed as a landmark response to the looming challenge of climate-forced migration. But it has also fanned fears that nations likeTuvalu could be rapidly drained of skilled professionals and young talent. Two of the archipelago’s nine coral atolls have already largely disappeared under the waves. The Pacific nation is one of just 12 states that still have formal diplomatic relations with Taipei rather than Beijing. The deal is part of Canberra’s efforts to blunt China’s expanding reach in the region. It commits Australia to defending TuvalU in the face of natural disasters, health pandemics and ‘military aggression’
Australia is offering visas to 280 Tuvalu citizens each year under a climate migration deal Canberra has billed as ‘the first agreement of its kind anywhere in the world’.
More than 3,000 Tuvaluans have already entered a ballot for the first batch of visas, according to official figures on the Australian program – almost a third of the nation’s population.
One of the most climate-threatened corners of the planet, Tuvalu will be uninhabitable within the next 80 years, scientists fear.
Two of the archipelago’s nine coral atolls have already largely disappeared under the waves.
‘Australia recognises the devastating impact climate change is having on the livelihoods, security and wellbeing of climate vulnerable countries and people, particularly in the Pacific region,’ Australia’s foreign affairs department said.
Australia and Tuvalu signed the groundbreaking Falepili Union in 2024, part of Canberra’s efforts to blunt China’s expanding reach in the region.
Under that pact, Australia opened a new visa category specially set aside for adult citizens of Tuvalu.
Australia and Tuvalu signed a ‘world first’ deal in 2024 which would allow people from Tuvalu to apply for a ‘climate migration’ visa
Already, there are signs the program will be hugely oversubscribed.
Official data on the program shows 3,125 Tuvaluans entered the random ballot within four days of it opening last week.
‘This is the first agreement of its kind anywhere in the world, providing a pathway for mobility with dignity as climate impacts worsen,’ a spokesperson for Australia’s foreign affairs department said.
Tuvalu is home to 10,643 people, according to census figures collected in 2022.
Registration costs A$25 ($16), with the ballot closing on 18 July.
The visa program has been hailed as a landmark response to the looming challenge of climate-forced migration.
‘At the same time, it will provide Tuvaluans the choice to live, study and work in Australia,’ Australia’s foreign affairs department said.
But it has also fanned fears that nations like Tuvalu could be rapidly drained of skilled professionals and young talent.
About 3000 people from the Pacific nation have already applied for the visa (stock image)
University of Sydney geographer John Connell warned that a long-term exodus of workers could imperil Tuvalu’s future.
‘Small states do not have many jobs and some activities don’t need that many people,’ he said.
‘Atolls don’t offer much of a future: agriculture is hard, fisheries offer wonderful potential but it doesn’t generate employment.’
The Falepili pact commits Australia to defending Tuvalu in the face of natural disasters, health pandemics and ‘military aggression’.
‘For the first time, there is a country that has committed legally to come to the aid of Tuvalu, upon request, when Tuvalu encounters a major natural disaster, a health pandemic or military aggression,’ Tuvalu’s prime minister, Feleti Teo, said at the time.
‘Again, for the first time, there is a country that has committed legally to recognise the future statehood and sovereignty of Tuvalu despite the detrimental impact of climate changed-induced sea level rise.’
The agreement also offers Australia a say in any other defence pacts Tuvalu signs with other countries, raising concerns at the time that the Pacific nation was handing over its sovereignty.
Tuvalu is one of just 12 states that still have formal diplomatic relations with Taipei rather than Beijing.
Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said last year that his country shared a vision for a ‘peaceful, stable, prosperous and unified region’.
‘It shows our Pacific partners that they can rely on Australia as a trusted and genuine partner.’