Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 489)

Validity of Visa – 4 years

About the Visa

This visa allows skilled workers to live and work in regional or low-population growth metropolitan areas of Australia for up to four years.

There are three pathways to the visa:

the Extended stay pathway
the Invited pathway
the Subsequent entry pathway

This visa might lead to the permanent Skilled Regional visa (subclass 887).

Eligibility

You must

Hold a subclass 475, 487, 495 or 496 visa (Extended Stay pathway)
Be nominated by a state or territory government agency or be sponsored by an eligible relative (Invited pathway)
Be invited to apply (Invited pathway)
Have a relevant occupation
Have a suitable skills assessment for the occupation
Meet the points test pass mark of 60 points
Be under 45 years of age at time of invitation
Have Competent English.

What you can do

This visa lets you and your family:

Stay in Australia for up to 4 years
Live, work and study in a specified region of Australia
Travel to and from Australia as many times as you want while the visa is valid.
Apply for permanent residency, if eligible, through the Skilled-Regional (Residence) visa (subclass 887).

New Zealand passport holders

New Zealand passport holders should tell the immigration officer at the border that they have a skilled visa. If you do not tell them, you might be granted a Special Category visa (subclass 444).

Visa Process

The Invited Pathway

If you are applying via the invited pathway, submit an expression of interest (EOI) via Skillselect with details of your nominated occupation, skills and qualifications and whether you will be sponsored by a family member or wish to be nominated by an Australian state or territory. SkillSelect will estimate a points score. If you score high enough:

you will be invited to apply for the visa if you are sponsored by a relative,
Australian state and territory government agencies will be able to view your EOI and decide if they want to nominate you. If you are nominated, you will be invited to apply for the visa.

The Extended Stay Pathway

If you are applying via the extended stay pathway, apply for the visa if you meet the eligibility criteria.

The Subsequent entry pathway

If you are applying via the subsequent entry pathway, apply for the visa if you meet the eligibility criteria.

Applicants may also needed to meet below requirements

Character requirements, Health requirements, Health insurance requirements, Must not have Debts to the Australian Government, biometric and other requirements if needed.

Your obligations

You and your family must comply with all visa conditions and Australian laws.

Source – Australian Immigration Website.