Immigration
Immigration Act 2010 plus a citizenship-by-investment programme
Residence permits under the Immigration Act 2010, with work permits from the Department of Labour — and one of the region's few active citizenship-by-investment programmes.
Key rules
- Deadline — Work permits are ordinarily granted for up to one year and renewed annually
- Deadline — Naturalisation by residence generally requires ten years
Governing law
- Immigration Act 2010 (s. 12)
- Labour (Work Permits) Act 1987
- Citizenship Act 1980, pt. 3
- Citizenship (Development Support Programme) Regulations
In practice
The Development Support Programme and related schemes grant citizenship in exchange for a contribution, with processing measured in months and no residence requirement — which is why Vanuatu passports feature in international mobility discussions. That programme has attracted scrutiny: the European Union suspended and then fully revoked visa-free access for Vanuatu passport holders over due-diligence concerns, so the practical value of the citizenship acquired this way has changed materially and any advice quoting historic visa-free access to the Schengen area is out of date. Ordinary work-permit practice is separate and requires labour-market justification.