Vuvale Union to allow longer stays for Fijians in Australia

Fijians travelling to Australia will soon be able to stay longer and enjoy easier access to education and business travel under an expanded Vuvale Union and Ocean of Peace alliance announced by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Speaking during a joint press conference at the Grand Pacific Hotel yesterday, Mr Albanese said the agreement would align the treatment of Fijian visitors with that already enjoyed by Australians travelling to Fiji.

"What the Vuvale Agreement provides for is an increase in the period of stay for Fijians coming to Australia, so that it is equal with the treatment of Australians coming to Fiji," he said.

The announcement follows repeated calls by the Fiji Government for greater mobility and easier movement of Pacific people.

Under the enhanced people-to-people provisions of the Vuvale Agreement, Fijians will be able to apply for stays of up to four months in Australia, while business travellers will be eligible for five-year, multiple-entry visas.

The agreement will also allow selected cohorts of Fijian students to study at Australian universities under the same fee arrangements as Australian students from 2029, a commitment valued at FJ$46 million.

The measures form part of a broader package aimed at strengthening ties between Fiji and Australia through greater people-to-people links, education and economic cooperation.