Australia introduces new list for regional visas

With effect from 18 March 2018, a new list has been introduced by the Department of Home Affairs for the RSMS (Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme) visa.

Included in the Regional Occupations List (ROL), with an intention to address the requirements of regional Australia, are 465 occupations which include primary school teachers, different types of farmers, winemakers and artists, among others.

Applicable for the Subclass 187 visas, this list of occupations is a pathway for permanent residence visas for skilled workers who intend to work in regional Australia. It is available under one of two streams: the Direct Entry (DE) stream or the Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream.

Applicants wanting to qualify for this visa must be nominated by in regional Australia by an Australian employer and should be aged less than 45 years and have to meet the English language requirements, skills and qualifications.

It will also be required for aspirants to have previous work experience and a request may be made to them to provide positive skills assessment.

It is averred that it may make it tougher for many overseas students to meet the new requirements of work experience for RSMS visa. Earlier, these students were able to obtain employer-sponsored visas upon completion of their VET (Vocational Education and Training) certificates and diploma courses. It is assumed this new change may not offer many overseas students employer-sponsored visas which they were earlier eligible for.

SBS Punjabi said that the ROL would probably be revised in July 2016 after a review by the Department of Jobs and Small Business, which will include a public consultation process.

If you are looking to migrate to regional Australia, talk to Y-Axis, the world’s No.1 immigration and visa consultancy, to apply for a visa.