The Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa is a four-year provisional visa which requires visa holders to live and work in a regional area to obtain permanent residence in Australia.
You would need to be sponsored by either a relative living in a ‘Designated Area’ or by a State or Territory Government and live in a ‘Regional Area’.
Regional Nomination by a State or Territory Government
Each State and Territory Government has its unique list of occupations in demand and reserves the right to update the lists at their own discretion.
Each state also has their specific eligibility criteria which must be met at time of state nomination request lodgement i.e. number of years of work experience, minimum English language score or other requirements.
You can be living & working in or outside Australia and be eligible to apply for this visa.
Processing of skilled nominated applications are by invitation only and prospective applicants must submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) via SkillSelect and be invited by the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) post nomination request approval by the relevant State or Territory Government.
Since this is a regional nominated visa, you do not have to face the EOI points test score competition as in skilled independent visa.
In this visa, if you meet the minimum points criteria of 60 points and once the Australian State or Territory you apply to, approves your nomination request, you will receive an invitation to apply via SkillSelect.
Pathway to Permanent Residence
If you are nominated by a state or territory government, you will need to live for 2 years and work full-time for 12 months in a “regional or low population growth area” (Regional Area) to qualify for permanent residence through the Skilled Regional (Permanent) (887) visa.
The visa is a provisional residence visa and allows applicants to remain in Australia indefinitely with full living and working rights.
The nominating State or Territory generally ask for your commitment to live in the state for two years and contribute 10 additional points to your overall points score.
Sponsorship by a Relative Living in a Designated Area
You can also apply for a 489 visa if you are sponsored by a relative living in a Designated Area.
If your nominated occupation is on the Medium and Long-Term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL), you can be sponsored by an eligible relative living in a designated area.
The relative must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or Eligible New Zealand Citizen.
The following relatives can sponsor for the 489 visa:
Parents, Brothers and Sisters, Uncles and Aunts, Nephews and Nieces, First Cousins, Grandparents, Child
If you are sponsored by a relative, you will need to live for 2 years and work full-time for 12 months in a regional or low population growth area to qualify for permanent residence through the Skilled Regional (887) visa.
In the Points-test criteria, points are awarded for key categories such as:
- Age
- English Language Test Score
- Australian and Overseas Work Experience
- Tertiary Qualifications
- Australian/Regional Australian Study
- Credentialled Community Language
- Spouse Skills
- Relevant Professional Year completion
- State/Territory Government regional nomination.
Once you are invited to apply for this skilled visa, you must lodge your application within 60 days, otherwise the invitation lapses.
Hence, it is critical that you have all necessary documentation prepared to lodge your DHA visa application as soon as possible after receiving the invitation.
The Skilled Regional visa pathway is dependent on nomination by an Australian State or Territory Government or sponsorship by an eligible relative.
To qualify for a Skilled Regional (Provisional) (489) visa:
- Your nominated occupation must be listed on either the current Medium to Long Term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) or the Short Term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL) as given by Department of Home Affairs
- Pass the Full Skills Assessment in an occupation listed on the relevant State/Territory Occupations List
- Meet the EOI pass mark in the skilled migration points test (currently 60 points including Regional Nomination or Eligible Relative Sponsorship –
10 points)
- Lodge an EOI via SkillSelect and be nominated by an Australian State or Territory Government or sponsored by an eligible relative and receive an invitation to apply
- Be sponsored by a relative living in a ‘Designated Area’ or nominated by a State or Territory Government and live in a ‘Regional Area’
- Be aged between 18 and 44 (inclusive) at time of invitation
- Have at least Competent EnglishScore or higher
- Meet health and character requirements
Hotspot has proven expertise in handling skilled migration visa applications for clients from over 22 countries. We can help you with:
- Full Skills Assessments preparation and lodgement across all the Skills Assessment Authorities in Australia such as VETASSESS, Australian Computers Society (ACS), Engineers Australia, CPAA, TRA etc.
- Strategies to increase your points-test score to maximise your prospects of receiving an Invitation to Apply via SkillSelect
- Lodging your Expression of Interest (EOI) and Department of Home Affairs (DHA) visa applications within strict deadlines
- Lodging decision-ready State Nomination applications to the relevant Australian State or Territory Government
- Managing your bridging visas and liaison with DHA until visa decision stage