Australia has a booming economy and a high standard of living, making it an attractive destination for immigrants from all over the world. 
One way to secure permanent residency in Australia is through regional visas. In this article, we will explore everything you need to know about regional visas for migrants.
What are Regional Visas?
Regional visas are a pathway to permanent residency in Australia for skilled migrants who want to live and work in regional areas of the country. Regional areas are classified as all areas of Australia except for Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, and Perth.
Regional visas are designed to address the skilled worker shortage in regional areas of Australia. The Australian government has identified that many regional areas are struggling to attract and retain skilled workers, and regional visas are one way to address this problem.
There are a number of regional visas available to migrants, including the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS), the Skilled Regional (Provisional) Visa (subclass 489), and the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa (subclass 491). Each of these visas has its own requirements and benefits, and we will explore them in more detail below.
Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS)
The Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) is a permanent visa that allows skilled workers to live and work in regional areas of Australia. To be eligible for this visa, you must have a job offer from an employer in a regional area, and your employer must be willing to sponsor you.
The RSMS visa is divided into three streams:
- The Temporary Residence Transition stream is for workers who already hold a subclass 457 or 482 visa and have been working for their employer in a regional area for at least two years.
- The Direct Entry stream is for workers who have never worked in Australia before, or who have only worked in Australia for a short period of time.
- The Agreement stream is for workers who are sponsored by an employer under a labour agreement.
To be eligible for the RSMS visa, you must meet certain requirements, including age, English language proficiency, and skills assessment. You must also meet health and character requirements.
Skilled Regional (Provisional) Visa (subclass 489)
The Skilled Regional (Provisional) Visa (subclass 489) is a four-year provisional visa that allows skilled workers to live and work in regional areas of Australia. To be eligible for this visa, you must be nominated by a state or territory government, or be sponsored by a relative living in a designated area.
To be eligible for the Skilled Regional (Provisional) Visa, you must meet certain requirements, including age, English language proficiency, and skills assessment. You must also meet health and character requirements.
Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa (subclass 491)
The Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa (subclass 491) is a five-year provisional visa that allows skilled workers to live and work in regional areas of Australia. To be eligible for this visa, you must be nominated by a state or territory government, or be sponsored by a relative living in a designated area.
To be eligible for the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa, you must meet certain requirements, including age, English language proficiency, and skills assessment. You must also meet health and character requirements.
Benefits of Regional Visas
Regional visas offer a number of benefits to skilled workers who want to live and work in regional areas of Australia. Some of the benefits of regional visas include:
- A pathway to permanent residency in Australia
- Priority processing of visa applications
- The ability to bring family members to Australia
- Access to Medicare
- Access to government services and benefits
- The ability to apply for Australian citizenship after a certain period of time