Who needs this visa?

This visa is for skilled applicants that wish to live and work in regional Australia for up to four years and does provide a permanent residency pathway. Applicants are not required to have an employer to sponsor them, but do need to be nominated by a State or Territory government or sponsored by an eligible family member living in regional Australia.

Subclass 489 visa holders must live and work in a designated regional area of Australia for the duration of the visa (up to four years). The definition of regional Australia will be expanded and simplified to include all areas of Australia except the metropolitan areas of; Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong, the Central Coast, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast and Perth.

In order to be eligible for permanent residency (the subclass 887 visa) the applicant must continue to live and work in regional Australia for at least two years before applying.

What are the application requirements?

• be under 45 years of age

• have a nominated occupation on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) or Consolidated Skilled Occupation List (CSOL)

• obtained a positive skills assessment

• have at least competent English - e.g. IELTS 6.0 for all bands or equivalent (higher scores may be required to be awarded additional points)

• score at least 65 points from the Point Test

• Be nominated by a State or Territory government or sponsored by an eligible family member living in regional Australia

What is the application process?

1. Check eligibility against points test

2. Obtain positive skills assessment and required English test results

3. Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) through SkillSelect

4. Apply for State or Territory government nomination

5. Submit visa application within 60 days of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) and include all supporting documents for the application

Do note that this is a simplified overview of the steps involved. Preparing and providing the right documents and information as required is an important factor in ensuring your application is processed smoothly.

How can Work Visa Lawyers help?

Work Visa Lawyers is highly experienced in all parts of the General Skilled Migration (GSM) visa application process. We are able to assist with all aspects of the application, and can also advise on complications in relation to:

• skills assessments

• nominating the appropriate ANZSCO code

• state/territory nomination applications

• difficulties in obtaining documents to demonstrate work experience or family relationships

• upcoming deadlines which will affect your points total, such as age or expiring documents. We prepare your application efficiently to enable your visa application to be submitted as quickly as possible

Work Visa Lawyers will provide an eligibility assessment before advising you to proceed with a visa application.

Our team of experienced Immigration Lawyers and Migration Agents look forward to assisting you with your Australian visa or appeal.

Based in Adelaide South Australia, we provide Australian Immigration advice to people and businesses from all over the world.