Australia’s visa system is complicated. There are a lot of different types, which last for different time frames and permit different types of stay—permanent or seasonal work, for example. Some depend on your skills, others on having corporate sponsorship; it’s a bit of a bureaucratic maze.
Regional visas are specific to certain parts of the country, and reflect those areas’ need for different types of workers. Here’s Remitly’s guide on what you need to know when applying for an Australia regional visa.
Overview of regional visas
Regional visas in Australia allow eligible expats to live, work, and study in selected regional areas—that essentially means anywhere outside Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne.
Purpose and benefits of living and working in designated regional areas
Living and working in Australia’s smaller cities like Perth, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Newcastle, Adelaide, Illawarra, Lake Macquarie, Geelong, Newcastle, Wollongong, or Hobart may sound underwhelming compared to the bright lights of Sydney. But they’re actually great places to live, with benefits that you don’t always get with metropolitan living.
Unlike in a major city you’ll,
- Have a larger home and probably a more affordable lifestyle.
- Enjoy cleaner air and less pollution.
- Have access to a close-knit community, which may help reduce the feeling of homesickness.
- Be closer to nature, quickly able to get out and away from the noise and traffic whenever you need to de-stress.
- Have a more relaxed lifestyle because of the slower pace.
- Have shorter commutes to work to give you enough time to invest in your hobbies and spend quality time with family.
- Reduce your environmental footprint by safely walking or riding a bicycle to work, reserving the car for longer journeys.
- Maybe have better job security because you’ll be in a less competitive job market.
- Experience better work-life balance overall.
- You may even be able to take advantage of government incentives like faster visa processing.
Recent changes to regional visa programs
Australia introduced immigration programs through the Assisted Passage Migration Scheme in 1945. The scheme has changed over the years; in 2019, for example, Australia began encouraging immigrant populations to regional areas to boost growth and economy in those zones.
They made some changes to the visa system:
- They provided more options for students graduating from regional universities under the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491).
- An extra five points were made available for skilled migrants nominated to live and work in regional Australia, through the Skilled Migration Points Test.
To claim these benefits, you must:
– Complete a recognised trade qualification/diploma/degree from a regional learning institution.
– Live in the designated regional area throughout the study duration.
– Provide proof—such as utility bills—that you lived in the area during that period.
- A clear pathway to permanent residency was set up via two skilled regional provisional visas.
- The skilled regional permanent resident visa was introduced to allow people who’ve lived and worked in designated regional areas to remain permanently.
Types of Australia regional visas
Those changes introduced some new visas and replaced others. These are the types of regional visas you can apply for currently:
Skills in Demand visa
The Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) replaced the old Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) visa and allows employers to solve labour shortage issues. They do this by sponsoring skilled expats to fill positions for which they haven’t been able to find a suitably qualified Australian.
You’ll stay in Australia for a maximum of four years under this visa. Hong Kong passport holders can stay for five years.
Eligible applicants:
- Are nominated or sponsored by approved Australian employers.
- Have the skills needed to do the job.
- Speak good English.
- Demonstrate good character.
- Are in good health.
Permanent skilled visa
With a permanent skilled visa, you’ll be entitled to live, study, and work in Australia permanently. There are two options:
Skilled Independent Visa (subclass 189)
You can apply for this points-based visa independently if you can show you have skills that are in demand in Australia.
Usually, subclass 189 applicants are invited to apply. That means people who aren’t sponsored by an employer or nominated by the Australian government. You have to be under 45 years old, speak good English, and work in one of the professions listed on the skilled occupations list.
You must score a minimum of 65 points for a successful application. If you succeed, that allows you to:
- Live and work anywhere in Australia.
- Sponsor your relatives to come to Australia.
- Travel in and out of Australia as much as you want, for five years.
- Become an Australian citizen, if you’re eligible.
Skilled Nominated Visa (subclass 190)
The visa allows nominated immigrants to permanently live, work, and study in Australia.
You’ll need to satisfy the same requirements as the Skilled Independent visa. The only difference is that, unlike subclass 189, for this type of visa you have to be nominated.
Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa
This is a different type of visa, also known as subclass 491. This one’s targeted at students in regional universities. If you graduate from one of those universities, this visa means you can:
- Live, work, or continue to study in regional areas, under certain visa conditions.
- Stay up to five years after you finish your studies in Australia. This is longer than graduates from metropolitan universities, who can only stay for a maximum of four years.
- Work under any employer or in any occupation allowed by your visa conditions.
- Enjoy several travel rights, such as travelling in and out of Australia as much as you’d like.
- Apply for permanent residency, three years after the visa is granted.
However, even if you secure this visa, you must still fulfill certain requirements to be eligible for permanent residency:
- You have to be nominated by the state or territory government. Alternatively, an eligible relative can sponsor you.
- Not have had a visa cancelled, or a previous application denied.
- Be under 45 years old before you’re invited to apply.
- Be employed in a position listed on the skilled occupation list.
- Pass skills assessment for the relevant occupation.
- Score a minimum of 65 in the points test.
- Speak English well.
- Not owe the Australian government money. This includes your family members.
- Be of good health.
- Be of good character.
- Sign the Australian values statement.
Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa
This one’s also known as the subclass 494 visa, and has three streams you may apply under—the Employer Sponsored stream, Labour Agreement stream, or Subsequent entrant. (We did say it’s a bit of a bureaucratic maze!)
This one works like subclass 491, but with three major differences:
- Firstly, your employer in the designated regional area where you’ll work must sponsor your application.
- Secondly, subclass 494 only needs your employer’s nomination, while subclass 491 is a points-based system.
- Thirdly, your employer must submit the Regional Certifying Body (RCB) advice, if you apply for the visa under the Employer Sponsored visa stream.
Understanding the Regional Certifying Body (RCB) advice
An RCB advice tells the Australian Department of Home Affairs if your employer’s salary offer follows the Annual Market Salary Rate for the role. Usually, the employer will work with the local RCB office to do this.
Your employer can submit this document before or after you send your visa application to the immigration office. Although it’s an important document, it doesn’t guarantee that your visa application will be accepted.
If you get bad news and your application is turned down, don’t despair—your employer can contact Home Affairs to appeal the decision so all is not lost.
Temporary Graduate Visa (subclass 485)
You can apply for a subclass 485 visa if you’ve recently graduated with a degree from an Australian institution. The visa lets you stay in Australia temporarily to gain hands-on experience in your field for a maximum of three years, depending on your qualification level. Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders can stay for five years.
To be eligible, you must be in Australia when applying, no more than 35 years old, and have held a student visa within the past six months. Review the government’s free resources on subclass 485 to prepare your application better.
Application processes and requirements for Australia’s regional visas
Though everything above seems complicated, the actual process of applying for Australia’s regional visas is at least clear. Identify the visa that’s most appropriate to your situation, confirm that you meet the eligibility criteria, and check that your occupation is on the skilled occupation list if that’s one of the requirements.
Complete your online application and submit it through the Department of Home Affairs website, attaching all relevant required documents like the RCB advice.
If you’re going for one of the employer-sponsored visas, they may have experience of helping other immigrants to apply, so consider asking for their help. If you have skills they need and can’t find locally, it’s in their interest to help you out.
While you’re at it, a little research into the lifestyle you might lead in Australia, and some of the challenges you might face living away from the big Australian cities, will help you get a better picture of how things could be once you make the move.
Pathway to permanent residency
The pathway to permanent residency in Australia is clear, but the requirements are quite strict. Understanding how they affect you will depend on your current visa. Regional visas are definitely one way of working toward Permanent Residence:
Pathway options via regional visas
- You can apply for a permanent residency visa via the Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (subclass 191), if you hold the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional Visa (Provisional).
- Alternatively, you can apply for the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) visa, or Temporary Residence Transition (subclass 186) if you hold the right bridging visa.
- The Temporary Graduate Visa (subclass 485) can also potentially lead to Permanent Residence status, if you become eligible for the other visas, such as subclass 190, through work experience, for example.
Good luck with your regional visa application!
FAQ
Is it easy to get permanent residency (PR) in regional Australia?
It’s not easy, because the requirements are strict. But it’s definitely possible if you meet all the eligibility requirements. And the regional visas provide a pathway to permanent residence.
Which skilled visa is the easiest for Australia?
It all depends on your circumstances. You can apply for the independent visa, or wait for your employer or the Australian government to sponsor/nominate you.
What is a regional visa in Australia?
The regional visa allows eligible immigrants to live, work, and study in selected regional areas (anywhere outside Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne).