Immigration
Compact residence in the US, and tight inbound labour permits
Palauan citizens may live and work in the United States under the Compact. Inbound, foreign workers need permits and quotas apply, with citizenship restricted to those of Palauan descent.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — National, administered by the Bureau of Immigration under the Ministry of Justice.
Governing law
- Palau National Code, title 13immigration
- Compact of Free Association (art. IV, s. 141)
- Foreign Investment ActPNC title 28
- Constitution of Palau 1981 (art. III (citizenship))
In practice
Outbound, section 141 of the Compact allows Palauan citizens to reside and work in the United States without a visa as habitual residents, and Palauans also serve in the US armed forces at high rates. Inbound is comparatively controlled: the foreign workforce is large relative to the citizen population, particularly in construction and tourism, and permits are employer-tied with sectoral limits and repeated policy tightening. Article III restricts citizenship to persons of Palauan descent, so naturalisation is not generally available and long residence does not lead to citizenship, which also means the constitutional bar on non-citizen landownership is effectively permanent for foreign residents. Visitors are subject to the Palau Pledge, a conservation undertaking stamped into passports since 2017, and an environmental impact fee is collected on departure.