Regional Visas - Making Migration Easy

Skilled Regional Migration Visas Australia

The Australia Government has introduced new skilled regional migration visas for potential immigrants and in this category all of Australia except Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne are now classed as ‘Regional Australia’.

And as Perth in WA and the Gold Coast in Queensland have been added to the ‘Regional’ pathway scheme this move is a significant development for Skilled Workers, International Students, and Employers alike.

More than 700 occupations are now eligible in this category and a pathway to permanent residency is also provided.

The current subclass 187 (Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme) visa has been replaced with the subclass 494 skilled employer-sponsored visa.

The Government also announced the introduction of the subclass 491 visa, which replaces the subclass 489 visa. This points-based visa is for skilled workers who are nominated by a state or territory or sponsored by an eligible relative living in a designated area in Australia.

Prospective applicants can apply for this type of visa by invitation only. The invitation will be issued subject to a specified time-frame in which the application can be lodged. This significant change means that it is now more important than ever that you engage the services of an Australian Registered Migration Agent.

The threshold English language requirement will also be lower (finalized regulations have not yet been released), but this will greatly benefit non-English speaking immigrants.

An applicant, however, will meet the English language threshold requirements if they hold a valid passport from, and are a citizen of, one of the following countries;

• the United Kingdom;
• the United States of America;
• Canada;
• the Republic of Ireland; or
• New Zealand.

Once a prospective applicant has submitted their intention, it will be ranked on the basis of the claims they make about their skills and attributes. Specific evidence to support those claims therefore must be provided to support an application.

The current pass-mark to be eligible to apply for a skilled independent visa is 65, however, significant incentives to apply for Australia Skilled Regional Visa in the UK which have been introduced and don’t forget Perth in WA and the Gold Coast is now classed as regional.

An example of these incentives are;

• 10 additional points for an assessed skilled spouse or de facto partner if he/she is under 45 years of age or 5 additional points if not.
• 10 additional points for applicants without a spouse or de facto partner.
• 10 additional points for an applicant with an Australian citizen or permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen spouse or de facto partner;
• 5 additional points for an applicant without an Australian citizen or permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen spouse or de facto partner who has competent English
• 10 additional points for certain Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics qualifications;
• 15 additional points for an applicant nominated by a State or Territory government agency or sponsored by a family member residing in regional Australia, to live and work in regional Australia;

Please note that all these incentives may not apply to you, so to fully understand the factors that will affect your eligibility and to determine if you meet the basic requirements for an Australian Skilled or Regional Migration Visa complete a General Enquiry today.

An invitation to apply for a skilled independent visa is issued to prospective applicants who achieve the highest rankings. Consequently, engaging ASC Migration, who for many years have been successfully processing visa applications for prospective Australian immigrants, will ensure your skills and experience are enhanced. Your application will then receive purposeful attention which is of paramount importance to the success of your application.