Updated Skilled Australian Visa News November 2019
The Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs announced a change to the regional migration planning levels on 26 October 2019 with an increase from 23.000 to 25.000.
This is a great opportunity for any skilled migrants who want to study, work and even move to Australia permanently. Not only does the number increase, but also the Regional areas in Australia are expanded such as Perth, Western Australia which previously was not on the list. In this case, regional area is some area which is outside major cities. This regional area usually have a low population rather than the other big cities. So, all regions in Australia except Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne are categorized as a regional areas. This program aims to equalize development in all areas of Australia.
As per the new regional visa program, it will affect some occupations like nurses, carpenters, farmers, pilots, actor, archaeologist, etc. The Department of Home Affairs has listed the job which can be seen in their website.
Since 16 November 2019, there are some updated visas such as the new Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (Subclass 494), Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (Subclass 491) and Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (Subclass 191).
All applicants outside Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane will be able to access regional points for State and Territory Nomination and Family Sponsorship and regional study purposes. The table below highlights the regional areas.
Table 1: Definition of Regional Areas in Australia
| Definition | Locations | Regional Incentives |
| Major Cities | Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane. | NA |
| Cities and Major Regional Centers | Perth; Adelaide; Gold Coast; Sunshine Coast; Canberra; Newcastle; Lake Macquarie; Wollongong; Illawarra; Geelong; Hobart. |
Access to the dedicated 25,000 regional places.
Priority processing on regional visas. Access to Regional Occupations Lists – more jobs compared to non- regional lists. International students studying at regional universities will be eligible to access an additional year in Australia on a post-study work visa. |
| Regional Centers and Other Regional areas | All other locations. | Access to the dedicated 25,000 regional places.
Priority processing on regional visas. Access to Regional Occupations Lists – more jobs compared to non-regional lists. International students studying at regional universities will be eligible to access an additional 2 years in Australia on a post-study work visa. Priority in negotiating region-specific Designated Area Migration. |
There’s also a new schedule for points, which means that there are some additional points compared to the previous regulation for Subclass 189, 190 and 491, if the applicants qualify these categories as listed below:
| Nomination by a State, Territory Government Agency, Sponsorship by a Family member residing in Australia, to live and work in regional Australia | 15 Points |
| Skilled Spouse / De Facto Partner | 10 Points |
| Certain Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) qualifications | 10 Points |
| Spouse and De Facto with competent English | 5 Points |
| Applicants without a Spouse or De facto Partner | 10 Points |
These changes surely become the benefits for the upcoming migrants. As a migrant, you will have additional points if you meet one of the categories mentioned previously. Furthermore, there are many regional areas available as well there are available spots to grab. Will you be one of the 25.000 people who take this opportunity?
If you are planning to study, work and move to Australia or want to know more about Australian working and skilled visas, or any immigration related questions then discover a migration pathway tailored to your background with ONE Derland consulting.
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