How to Apply for Australian Regional Skilled Visas
The Regional visas have been designed to meet the shortage of skills in Regional Australia. The Regional include some rural and designated areas of Australian States and Territories.
187 Visa – Regional Sponsorship Migration Scheme (Permanent Visa)
This visa is a permanent visa for skilled workers who want to work in regional Australia. It allows application under one of two available streams:
- the Temporary Residence Transition stream;
- the Direct Entry stream.
The Temporary Residence Transition stream is for subclass 457/482 TSS visa holders who have worked for two or three years (depending on particular circumstances), while holding a subclass 457/482 TSS visas, in the same originally nominated occupation and with the same nominating employer. The nominating employer must be willing to support the nomination for the Permanent Residency.
The Direct Entry stream is for people who have been nominated by their employer under the Direct Entry stream people who have never, or only briefly, worked in Australia, or temporary residents who do not qualify for the Temporary Residence Transition stream.
It is important to mention that before an employer nominates a worker for the position, they must seek opinion from a relative Regional Certifying Body (a local government).
Our employer-sponsored consultants are able to assess your eligibility and provide you with the highest service and leadership with the application.
489 Visa – Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa
This visa relates to the General Skilled Migration program.
It consists of the following streams/pathways:
- Invited pathway
- Extended stay pathway
- Subsequent entry pathway
Invited Pathway. This visa is by invitation only and is for skilled workers with skills in demand in a particular state or territory, to live and work permanently in the state/territory that invited the candidate.
To receive the potential invitation the candidate must lodge an Expression of Interest via SkillSelect immigration system and score enough points (minimum 65). Note that for some occupations the number of points can be higher than 65.
Please contact us for assessment of your points and visa eligibility.
Extended stay pathway. This pathway is available to those candidates who hold a subclass 475, 487, 495 or 496 visa.
At the time you apply for this visa you must hold 1 of the following provisional visas and have complied with all conditions of that visa for at least 2 years:
- Skilled Regional Sponsored visa (subclass 475)
- Skilled Regional Sponsored visa (subclass 487)
- Skilled Independent Regional visa (subclass 495)
- Skilled Designated Area Sponsored Provisional visa (subclass 496)
The applicant must have never held more than 1 of these visas.
Subsequent entry pathway.
This visa is for a member of the family unit of someone who holds a Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 489) or a subclass 475, 487, 495 or 496 visa.
Our skilled visas consultants are able to assess your eligibility and provide you with the highest service and leadership with the application.
887 Visa – Skilled Regional (Permanent Visa)
This visa is for candidates who have lived and worked in specified areas of regional Australia on a previous, eligible visa.
The candidate must have held an eligible visa for at least a total of 2 years before the application for the Skilled Regional (subclass 887) visa.
Eligible visas include either: a subclass 489, 495, 496, 475 or 487 visa, or
a Bridging visa A or Bridging visa B, after having made a valid application for a subclass 489, 495 or 487 visa.