Work Permits for Papua New Guinea
- A General Work Permit
- A Volunteer Work Permit
- A BridgingWork Permit
General Work Permit
A General Work Permit will be granted where the employment contract between the employer and
employee is for work of a commercial nature. The law defines commercial work as employment
performed entirely or mostly for financial (i.e. money) reward.
"For instance, Mr. Brown has been offered a position working with Able Communication Company as the Operations Manager. Mr. Brown is to be paid a full market salary and will receive other entitlements such as accommodation and car allowance. In this case, Mr. Brown will be undertaking work of a commercial nature and must make application for a General Work Permit."
Volunteer Work Permit
A Volunteer Work Permit will be granted where the employment contract between the employer
and employee is for work of a voluntary nature. The law defines voluntary work as employment
performed entirely or mostly for reasons other than financial reward.
A decision as to whether an employee qualifies for a Volunteer Work Permit requires careful
consideration of factors such as: (1) salary, (2) allowances, (3) nature of the activities engaged in,
and (4) the history of the organisation in PNG.
"For instances, Ms. Lee has been offered a position with a community organisation as a Bible translator. Ms. Lee will receive a subsistence allowance and the organisation will provide basic accommodation whilst she is in PNG. In this case, Ms. Lee will be undertaking work of a voluntary nature and must make application for a Volunteer Work Permit. Government recognizes the important contribution made by volunteer organisations in PNG. For this reason, the fee for a Volunteer Work Permit is significantly less than the fee for a General Work Permit (see discussion on Fees). Non-citizens who are granted Volunteer Work Permits may not engage in work which is of a commercial nature while they are in PNG.
Duration of Work Permits
In accordance with Section 9 of the Employment of Non-citizens Act 2007 a work permit may be:
• A Short Term Work Permit - valid for up to six months from the date it is granted
• A Long Term Work Permit - valid from one year up to three years from the date it is granted
(or 5 years for Good Corporate Citizens)
• A Bridging Work Permit - valid for sixty days from the date it is granted.
The employer must indicate the duration or term for which the work permit is sought at the time
of application.
A Short Term Work Permit will only be granted for a period of 6 months. Short Term Work Permits
will not be renewed. If the employer wishes to retain a non-citizen after the expiration of the
Short Term Work Permit they must apply for a Long Term Work Permit.
A Long Term Work Permit may be granted for 1 year, 2 years or 3 years depending on the period of
engagement. The employer may choose the duration of the work permit to suit their particular
business needs. Only Good Corporate Citizens may be granted a Long Term Work Permit for
5 years.
A signed contract must be submitted at the time of application as evidence of the term of
employment
Download Applications Form on the links below.
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