Australian Regional Work visas
A Regional Visa may be suitable for individuals who want to live and work in smaller cities and/or rural or remote areas. It is generally available for use in most locations outside the major cities of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Regional visa holders can live in any designated regional area and can also move between designated regional areas.
Regional visas
There are currently three regional skilled visas available to skilled migrants who want to live and work in regional Australia are subclass 491, 494, and 191 visa. The Skilled Regional subclass 491 is a provisional visa for people nominated by a state or territory government or sponsored by an eligible family member to live and work in regional Australia. The subclass 494 is a provisional visa for people sponsored by an employer in regional Australia. To be eligible for permanent residence, holders of the skilled regional provisional visas will need to show they have lived and worked in regional Australia while holding one of these visas.
Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491)
The Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) allows skilled migrants to live, study and work in designated regional for a period of 5 years. However, visa holders may be eligible to apply for a Permanent Residence visa which is Subclass 191 after 3 years, provided they fulfil all the requirements. To be eligible for the visa, you must be nominated by a state/territory government or be sponsored by an eligible relative in a designated regional area. In addition, visa subclass 491 applicants must have a designated occupation on the skilled occupation list, and have a suitable skills assessment for the occupation in question. Along with being invited to apply and meeting the occupation requirements, applicants must also satisfy the SkillSelect points test.
With this visa, you can stay in Australia for 5 years but you are only allowed to live, work, and study in a designated region of the country. Most locations of Australia outside major cities (Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane) are classed as designated areas for migration purposes. After living and working in a regional area for at least 3 years, you can apply for a permanent Subclass 191 Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa.
Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494)
The 494 Regional Visa is another regional provisional visa. It allows skilled workers to be sponsored by an employer in designated regional areas of Australia. It provides a 5 year visa period with provisional access to Permanent Residence. To be eligible for this visa, you must be skilled in an occupation on the Regional Occupation List and be nominated by an employer in a Designated Regional Area. Similar to the 491 visa, the 494 visa also provides provisional access to Permanent Residence. Dependent family members may be included and must also live, work and study in the designated regional area.
Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (subclass 191)
The Skilled Regional (subclass 191) visa is a pathway to permanent residency for holders of the Skilled Work Regional (subclass 491) or Skilled Employer-Sponsored Regional (subclass 494) visas. It allows skilled workers and their families to live and work in designated regional areas of Australia and eventually obtain permanent residency. This visa offers many benefits, including access to Medicare, the ability to study and work in regional Australia, and a pathway to citizenship.
Temporary skilled visas
Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482) – Sponsorship needed
The Temporary Skill Shortage visa allows employers to tackle the shortage of employees they cannot find in Australia by attracting skilled workers from overseas. The subclass 482 does not require the visa applicant to work in a particular area, meaning they can work anywhere in Australia. That is why the 482 visa is very popular for skilled migrants who are currently working in Melbourne, Sydney, or Brisbane because it is hard for them to get PR with Skilled nominated Visa 190.
Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 489)
The Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 489) offers temporary residency for skilled workers in designated regional areas of Australia. While this visa is no longer available for new applicants, the Extended Stay Pathway is still an option for those who hold a qualifying provisional visa. This pathway provides an opportunity to extend their stay in Australia and potentially apply for permanent residency.
Permanent skilled visas
Regional Sponsor Migration Scheme (subclass 187) – Sponsorship needed.
The Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme subclass 187 is a visa program that allows employers in regional, remote or low population areas to sponsor (nominate) skilled overseas workers for permanent residence. This is a permanent residence visa. It allows you and any family members who have also been granted this visa to live, work and study in Australia indefinitely.
Skilled Regional visa (subclass 887)
Another visas
Do you ever hear about the Working Holiday Maker (WHM) program or the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme. These visas are designed to allow young people from certain countries to do short-term work in Australia, which may include work in the agricultural or hospitality industries. The WHM program now includes over 40 partner countries or jurisdictions in two visa subclasses, the Working Holiday (subclass 417) visa and the Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa. The Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme allows people from Pacific island countries and Timor-Leste to work in unskilled, low-skilled, and semi-skilled jobs in rural and regional Australia for up to 3 years.
Working Holiday Maker visas (subclass 462 and 417)
The Working Holiday visa (subclass 417 and 462) is another temporary visa that many expats use as a stepping stone to get a temporary sponsored work visa then a Permanent Residence Visa. It allows people between 18 and 30 years old (or 35 years old for some countries) to work in Australia for up to 12 months. The Working Holiday Maker program offers a second and third year visa option for people who have worked in a regional area and within an eligible industry - this is a different list to the designated regional areas. This visa pathway increases most people’s chances of finding a sponsor significantly and it also allows you time to see if you want to live in Australia.
Temporary Work (International Relations) visa (subclass 403) - Pacific Australia Labour Mobility stream
The 403 visa is a temporary visa that allows individuals to come to Australia to undertake a specific type of work related to international relations. This visa has four streams that applicants can apply under. Each stream has its own eligibility criteria. The subclass 403 visa provides a great opportunity for individuals to gain valuable work experience in Australia while also building international relations.
Second Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) - Post-Study Work stream visa
The Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) – which has a Graduate Work stream and a Post-Study Work stream – allows international students to remain in Australia for up to 4 years (5 years for students from Hong Kong). Students who graduate from regional universities can stay in Australia on a second Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485), as long as their first Temporary Graduate visa was in the Post-Study Work stream. This is a great option for students who wish to extend their stay and work towards achieving permanent residency.
The Graduate Work Stream 485 visa is still a temporary visa and if you’re looking to stay in Australia on a permanent basis, you’ll need to consider other visa options.
How do I get a Regional visa for Australia?
First of all your skills need to be in short supply in Australia, then if you manage to get a job or get sponsored by one of the Australian state it could be in months.
If you apply by self sponsoring, your skills must be in short supply, and then your application will be processed by queue system. If you are a professional like engineer, doctor or IT professional, then your qualifications need to meet Australian standards. They will be assessed by appropriate professional body in Australia. You need to be medically fit, be of good character. Once you meet all the requirements then you qualify of PR visa.
How do I find a sponsored job in Australia?
If you are a skilled person and have an employment offer from a business that operates in a designated ‘Regional Area’, the new subclass 494 visa system might assist you. This is by far a quicker and more defined pathway to obtaining a skills-based visa that can lead to Permanent Residency and eventually Australian Citizenship. Unfortunately, finding an Australian employer to sponsor you can be the most difficult part in emigrating to Australia.
From the outset, it is important to realise that you will not often find advertisements from Australian employers on online job search engines specifically stating that they are looking to sponsor someone from overseas. If you are applying online for a job, there is almost no response. You are just told that there was no vacancy, or that the manager will contact me (which never happened). There are many unemployed people in Australia so why don't they pick foreigner. Therefor, you must have a special skills. This is a big one that most people fail to understand.
Many employers will only employ those with working rights in Australia, however if you have skills in high demand they may be willing to sponsor you. Only some employers are willing (or able) to sponsor. We recommend investigating large Australian companies for sponsorship opportunities, as the associated costs that go along with sponsorship can be difficult for smaller companies to meet. However, some small companies are still willing to sponsor the right person, so don’t completely rule them out.
You may also have luck in reaching out to the companies directly for sponsorship opportunities. Yahoo Companies Directory is a good tool to use to find Australian companies. Look at www.seek.com and Gumtree Australia and refine your search to regional areas. LinkedIn is another fantastic social media site designed for professional networking and has the benefit of assisting employers in finding you. Contact the companies that interest you and work in the areas that you have work experience in, then send them your resume/CV and enquire as to whether they have any sponsored job opportunities available. Larger companies like mining firms usually have a “Careers” section on their website. Career sections enable job seekers to search for their current vacancies, and also to submit their resume and cover letter into their database.
Compile a list of companies you would like to work for in Australia. When you have a substantial list of companies you would like to work for, write to them and let them know you are coming to Australia on a trip and would like to meet up and discuss sponsorship opportunities.
There is an advantage of you already being in the country, as you are available for job interviews and able to make personal connections with Australian employers. However, you may need to take this one step further by being willing to take on a role other than your dream job in a bid to get you the visa you so want and need. Think of any job offer as a step towards your dream life, and even if you have to remain in that role for a number of years to fulfil visa rules. Since sponsoring is a bit risky for companies, try to work with them as an intern or part time in a project so they know your work, but don't work for free (nobody likes desperate people).
How to apply for a Australian Regional visa?
The first thing you’ll need to do is to establish that your occupation is eligible for sponsorship in the first place.
If you meet the Department of Home Affairs visa criteria and state nomination requirements, you will need to prepare and supply a range of documentation to complete your application. Before you apply, you must have ready all information and documentation to support your state nomination application and prove the claims you make. Once you have ensured you meet all nomination and visa requirements, and prepared all documentation needed for your application:
Lodge an expression of interest in SkillSelect, choose a state and select the relevant subclass. Make sure you record your EOI ID number as you will need this for your state nomination application.
Submit a state nomination application through the Skilled & Business Migration portal.
Track your application online. Once a decision on a nomination application has been made it will be reflected on the Skilled & Business Migration application page.
If you are approved for state nomination, you will receive an email from the Department of Home Affairs inviting you to apply for your visa.
Lodge your visa application with the Department of Home Affairs.
