Have you considered working in Australia’s regional areas?
If you are a skilled worker with an occupation in demand you may be eligible to apply for a regional visa!
A ‘regional area’ of Australia is anywhere apart from Australia’s major metropolitan areas. So basically … everywhere except Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast and Perth. The current postcodes for regional Australia and low population growth metropolitan areas are linked below:
The government has announced two new skilled regional (provisional) visas that will be available to migrants from 16th November 2019. .
- Subclass 494 – Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa: for people sponsored by an employer in regional Australia.
- Subclass 491 – Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa: for people who are nominated by a State or Territory government or sponsored by an eligible family member to live and work in regional Australia
Migrants who obtain these visas will be required to live and work in regional Australia for a minimum of three years before they are able to apply for permanent residence. The Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa will commence in November 2022. Both provisional visas will be valid for up to 5 years.
For the subclass 491 and 494 visa holders to be eligible for permanent residence, they will be required to demonstrate that they have lived and worked in regional Australia holding one of the new Skilled Regional Provisional visas and meet a number of other visa requirements.
PROS
- The government has stated that it will provide priority processing to regional visa applications. This is great news!
- Employers in regional areas will have access to a significantly broader range and large number of occupations when it comes to sponsoring skilled workers, lots more than in the non-regional visas.
- What more, the government is planning to boost the points available to migrants applying for a subclass 491 visa. They will be able to score extra points for a regional family sponsorship or State / Territory nomination. These valuable extra points will provide increased visa options for people who want to live in beautiful regional Australia.
- Migrants hoping to apply for a Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa ,will also have access to a significant number of additional occupations.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
- There will be additional benefits for international students studying at regional universities including an extra year of post-study work rights
EXISTING VISAS
- The new regional visas that commence in November 2019 will not impact on people already holding a 489 or a 187 visa.
- The Department has stated that applications for 489 and 187 visas submitted prior to 16th November 2019 will be processed as usual.
HOW CAN EASIVISA HELP YOU WITH YOUR REGIONAL VISA?
Lots of people dream of living and working in Australia. Our team gets thousands of emails every week from people all over the world. Most people want to find out whether they can get a visa that will enable them to live and work in Australia. For some people, it’s really easy to secure a job and a visa. For others, it can be an uphill struggle and they often need lots of help and guidance. Many will also need an employer sponsor.
Our team can sometimes connect people looking for jobs with employers looking for skilled people. We are keen to do whatever we can to help.
Employers will want to know that you have the skills, qualifications, work experience and English level required for sponsorship purposes and you need to be 100% sure of that too! Consider getting professional advice.
Migration law and policy seems to change on an almost daily basis. Some of the changes may be dramatic and some may be very subtle. It’s important to understand what the Department of Home Affairs wants from you. If you can’t provide the Department with the documents and information they require, it’s likely that your visa application will be refused.
Many of our clients’ visa applications are processed significantly faster than the Department’s published processing times. Engaging an experienced migration team to manage the visa application process for you can make a huge difference. Quality applications lodged as “assessment ready” or “decision ready” are often prioritised when it comes to visa processing.
If you want top quality migration advice and a highly qualified and experienced team managing your visa application, you’ve come to the right place. Our team of registered migration agents consistently deliver excellent service and outstanding results. We are very good at what we do!
GET IN CONTACT WITH EASIVISA
Email catherine.hoyle@easivisa.com or call +61 8 9429 8860 for more information. You can also book a consultation online.