Specialist short-term employment route

Papua New Guinea Restricted e-Visa

The Restricted Employment Visa (REV) is for foreign workers with specialist technical skills and expertise that are not available in Papua New Guinea. It is designed for short, controlled deployments rather than ordinary long-term employment, and it carries strict limits on entry frequency, stay length and status changes.

Check REV limits Review sponsor evidence
  • For specialist technical skills not available locally
  • Single entry for up to 30 days
  • Limited to four entries per calendar year
  • No extension or change of status

What REV is for

Short specialist work, not a general business visit

ICA describes the Restricted Employment Visa as a route for individuals who possess specialist skills and technical expertise that are not available in Papua New Guinea and who need to undertake paid employment.

This makes REV different from a business visa. A business visitor can attend meetings or negotiations without performing ordinary labour. An REV holder is entering specifically because technical work is required and the relevant expertise cannot be sourced locally.

Use REV for the work that was approved. If the assignment becomes long-term employment, managerial residence or another broader role, the Working Resident Employment pathway may be more appropriate.

Specialist-skills test

The applicant must fill a genuine short-term skills gap

ICA's public REV criteria require the applicant to demonstrate specialist technical skills needed to fill a short-term gap in Papua New Guinea.

Worker evidence

  • Specialist qualifications
  • Relevant technical experience
  • CV or professional history
  • Evidence that the worker can perform the assigned task

Role evidence

  • Defined scope of work
  • Short deployment period
  • Technical duties clearly described
  • Reason specialist expertise is required

PNG business context

  • PNG-based sponsor
  • Business location identified
  • Purpose and duration explained
  • Entry frequency tied to the actual work program

Validity and entry limits

REV is intentionally narrow: 30 days and four entries

ICA's public REV page says the visa permits a maximum of four entries in a 12-month period and that each stay must not exceed 30 days. The current eVisa class describes the issued visa itself as single entry for 30 days from arrival and limits REV use to four entries per calendar year.

30 days Maximum stay for an REV entry.
Single entry Each issued REV is a single-entry permission.
4 entries Current ICA material limits REV use to four entries within the relevant annual period.
No extension The current eVisa class does not permit an extension.
Do not market REV as a long-stay technical visa. If the worker needs to remain in PNG beyond the short REV structure, reassess the immigration category before deployment.

Annual usage limit

The four-entry limit is a ceiling, not an entitlement

The fact that ICA permits up to four REV entries does not mean a worker should automatically plan four deployments. Each entry should correspond to a genuine short-term technical need and remain consistent with the sponsor's stated scope of work.

Repeated assignments that begin to look like continuing employment may point to the wrong visa category. If the role becomes recurring operational employment rather than occasional specialist intervention, review the Working Resident route.

Application documents

Build the dossier around the current ICA checklist

Evidence Why it matters
Online Application or Form 1 Starts the Restricted Employment Visa application.
Passport biodata page Connects the applicant's identity to the visa record.
PNG business / sponsor letter Explains the purpose, duration, work location and proposed frequency of visits.
Scope of work Shows why the deployment is specialist and short-term.
Technical qualifications / CV Supports the claim that the worker has the expertise required for the task.
Return / onward ticket ICA's 2025 visa booklet lists evidence of return travel for REV.

Work permit relationship

Do not automatically add the normal Working Resident work-permit workflow to REV

Older third-party sources often describe a separate Department of Labour short-term work permit as a universal prerequisite. Current ICA eVisa data for REV, however, marks the class as online and does not identify a separate work permit as a required field in the eVisa class metadata.

REV is its own work visa class

It is specifically designed to permit paid specialist employment under the restricted framework.

Do not mix it with Working Resident

The Sponsor Portal work-permit integration used for ordinary Employment cases is a different process.

Follow live ICA instructions

If ICA or the sponsor is asked for an additional labour approval in a particular case, provide it—but do not publish it as a universal REV prerequisite without current ICA support.

Health and character

Extra checks can apply, but do not invent a universal test panel

ICA's current public REV page focuses on specialist skills, validity, application method, extensions, changed circumstances and fees. Older REV material included supplementary health forms, while broader employment routes can require police and medical evidence.

That does not justify stating that every REV applicant must provide HIV tests, chest X-rays or a home-country police certificate unless the current application or ICA officer specifically requires those items.

Use the live checklist. If the eVisa portal or ICA requests health, police or additional character evidence, supply it according to that current instruction.

Current fee structure

REV currently carries a US$350 MSF plus US$50 online lodgement fee

ICA's current live eVisa class lists both components for online REV applications.

US$350 Current Migration Service Fee.
US$50 Current online lodgement / administrative fee where applicable.
PGK conversion ICA converts USD-equivalent fees into Papua New Guinean Kina before finalisation.
Live total The portal provides the payable total before payment details are entered.

How to apply

REV can now be lodged online

ICA's public REV page still refers to the downloadable paper form, but the current live eVisa class explicitly states that Restricted Employment Visa applications can be lodged online.

1

Confirm REV is the correct class

Make sure the assignment is genuine specialist paid employment rather than ordinary business travel or long-term employment.

2

Prepare sponsor and worker evidence

Gather the passport, scope-of-work letter and supporting technical evidence.

3

Lodge online

Use the current ICA eVisa application route where available for the applicant and class.

4

Pay the current fee

Review the live PGK-converted total before authorising payment.

Paper-only is outdated as a blanket statement. The live eVisa portal now exposes REV as an online visa class.

Visa conditions

REV also carries restricted-facility controls

The current eVisa class states that travel to restricted facilities in Papua New Guinea without permission from the Chief Migration Officer is prohibited.

This matters for technical staff whose assignment involves infrastructure, industrial compounds or sites with additional access controls. A visa does not replace site-specific or government permissions.

Extensions and status

Current online REV rules prohibit both extension and change of status

ICA's live REV class states that no extension of stay is allowed and that change of status to another visa type is not permitted.

This is stricter than the generic wording on ICA's older public REV page, which says extension eligibility can depend on the visa issued and individual circumstances. For current online REV planning, follow the more specific class rule.

Plan the assignment within 30 days. If the technical work cannot realistically be completed within the REV structure, choose the correct longer-term employment route before travel.

Passport and arrival

Use the passport you applied with and meet current entry requirements

Passport

  • Use the same travel document as the visa application
  • Meet current PNG passport-validity rules
  • Keep the biodata page and approval accessible
  • Notify ICA if the passport changes

Travel evidence

  • Return or onward ticket
  • Employer / sponsor contact
  • Technical assignment details
  • Work location

PNGDAC

  • Complete the PNG Digital Arrival Card
  • ICA allows submission up to 72 hours before arrival
  • Keep confirmation available
  • PNGDAC does not replace the visa

Digital arrival requirement

PNGDAC is separate from Restricted Employment approval

All travellers entering Papua New Guinea must follow the current Digital Arrival Card requirements. The card can be completed up to 72 hours before arrival and should be treated as an arrival/declaration requirement, not as a substitute for immigration permission.

Visa

Authorises the specialist employment entry under the REV conditions.

PNGDAC

Captures current passenger and arrival/declaration information.

Employer documents

Explain the technical assignment and sponsor relationship.

Common REV mistakes

Avoid mixing old work-permit guidance with the current eVisa class

Mistake Better approach
Calling REV paper-only Current ICA eVisa data shows REV can be lodged online.
Assuming every REV needs the ordinary Working Resident work-permit workflow Follow the current REV application instructions for this distinct visa class.
Planning stays over 30 days REV is limited to 30 days per entry.
Planning more than four REV entries ICA limits REV use to four entries in the relevant annual period.
Assuming an extension is available The current live eVisa class states no extension is allowed.
Planning to convert REV in-country The current class prohibits change of status.
Publishing generic HIV/X-ray requirements Use the health or character evidence actually requested by the current application.
Using invented upload-filename rules Follow current portal file controls rather than unsupported scanner myths.

REV vs Working Resident

Choose based on duration and employment structure

Both are work-purpose routes, but they solve different problems.

Restricted Employment Visa

Short specialist deployment

  • Specialist skills unavailable locally
  • 30-day stay
  • Single entry per issued visa
  • Four-entry annual ceiling
  • No extension
  • No change of status
Working Resident Employment

Longer employment relationship

  • Employer-sponsored paid employment
  • Longer residence period
  • Integrated Sponsor Portal process
  • Broader employer/worker evidence
  • Different fee and processing structure

Related work visa guides

Working Resident Visa For longer employer-sponsored employment. Business Visa For meetings and commercial activity that does not amount to labour. Short-Term Business For repeated short business visits without ordinary employment. Supporting documents Prepare sponsor, passport and technical evidence.

Technical deployment planned?

Confirm that REV really matches the assignment

The role should be specialist, short-term and supported by a PNG-based business. If the worker needs a longer or broader employment arrangement, review the Working Resident route before lodging.

Check work visa route Pre-application checklist

Official references

Use current ICA REV rules before deployment

REV eligibility, fees, application channels and supporting-document requirements can change. VisaPNG is an independent planning resource and is not the Papua New Guinea Immigration and Citizenship Services Authority.

ICA Restricted Employment Visa: https://ica.gov.pg/visa/work/restricted-employment-visa ICA eVisa REV class: https://evisa.ica.gov.pg/evisa/evisa/visaclass ICA Visa Information Booklet: https://ica.gov.pg/uploads/media/post_file_3195072-visa-information-booklet-2025.pdf ICA Work visa categories: https://ica.gov.pg/visa/work VisaPNG information sources