Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme

State Sponsored Regional Migration

The Australian Government has introduced a regional state sponsored migration program to fill skilled shortages in regional Australia. The Australian Government cooperates with State/Territory governments to address skill shortages that may exist in their regions and to attract overseas business people to establish new or businesses in their regions.

The program aims to attract young, skilled migrants who can speak competent English.

You will not be required to satisfy a points test under the regional state sponsored migration program. You may apply from inside Australia or outside Australia.

All regions and areas in Australia are covered except Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong, Melbourne, Gold Coast and Brisbane.

You must be less than 50 years of age unless exceptional circumstances apply (see below).

You must have completed a diploma or higher qualification.

The age, English language and skill requirements may be waived if the applicant can demonstrate that exceptional circumstances apply. An employer may also seek approval to waive the skill requirement for positions that are so unusual or highly specialised that the employer is unlikely to find anyone with the necessary formal qualifications.

If you are sponsored by a State/Territory government agency or if you are sponsored by a relative in a regional area your application will receive priority processing.

The process in applying for the Regional State Sponsored Migration Program follows:

Employer

- recruits the foreign worker (offer of employment must be for a minimum of 2 years)
-  the employer nominates the position
-  recruits the foreign worker
-  seeks certification of the nomination by a Regional Certifying Body (see below);
-  obtains approval from the Department of Immigration for the nomination

Following approval of the nomination you may apply for the visa.

Regional Certifying Body (Link below)

The regional certifying body will certify that:

- the position is genuine and full-time;
- an employee is required in the nominating business in regional

Australia;

- the position is for 2 years or longer
- the employer will sponsor the employee directly
- there is a requirement that the position requires someone with at least a diploma level qualification, unless exceptional circumstances surrounding need arises;

The regional certifying body will assist the employer to fill the vacancy and assess whether the position cannot first be filled by an Australian citizen or permanent resident.
Certification takes approximately 4 weeks. The cost of certification is approximately AUD $500.

Employee

-the employee accepts an offer of employment, and
-applies for the applicable visa

You may lodge the nomination and visa application at the same time, however the Department of Immigration will approve the nomination first. If the nomination is not approved you must withdraw the visa application.

The Department of Immigration will take approximately 6 months to make a decision.

A Regional Certifying Body will assist employers in regional areas sponsor permanent skilled migrants to Australia. There role is to certify the nomination before it is lodged with the Department of Immigration. Regional Certifying Bodies have an in-depth working knowledge of the Australian labour market.

For a list of Regional Certifying Bodies, please click here.

If you are the holder of 1 of the following qualifying visas you may be eligible to apply for a regional state sponsored migration visa:

Business (Temporary) Class TB
Educational (Temporary) Class TH
Cultural/Social (Temporary) Class TE
Special Category (Temporary) Class TY
Subclass 161 – Senior Executive (Provisional)
Subclass 164 – State/Territory Sponsored Senior Executive (Provisional)
Supported Dependant (Temporary) Class TW
New Zealand Citizen (Family Relationship) (Temporary) Class UP
Family Relationship (Temporary) Class TL
Interdependency (Temporary) Class TM
Medical Practitioner (Temporary) Class UE
Skilled-Independent Regional (Provisional) Class UX
Working Holiday (Temporary) Class TZ
Subclass 457 – Business (Long Stay)
Student (Temporary) Class TU (where the award course at diploma level or above for which the current student visa was granted has been completed by the visa holder)
Confirmatory (Temporary) Class TD
Graduate-Skilled (Temporary) Class UQ
Skilled (Provisional) Class VF.
Skilled (Provisional) Class VC
Subclass 471 Trade Skills Training (if you have completed your apprenticeship)

Skilled – Regional Sponsored (Provisional) visa

This visa is a temporary visa.

The Skilled – Regional Sponsored (Provisional) visa is for skilled people who want to live and work in a designated or regional area and are unable to meet the criteria for a permanent visa.

You will need to be sponsored by an Australian relative who also lives in the designated or regional or you must be nominated by a State/Territory government agency. You will be required to live in the designated area for 2 years and work in that area for 1 year.

You will e granted a 3 year temporary visa. In this time you should aim to satisfy the residence and employment criteria for a permanent visa.

If you are nominated by a State/Territory government agency you be required to nominate an occupation listed in the State/Territory government state migration plan. You must also be under the age of 50 and possess competent English. You will need to have your skills assessed by the relevant assessing authority.

If you are sponsored by an Australian relative you will be required to pass the general skilled migration (GSM) points test. You must also be under the age of 50 and possess competent English.

If you have been the holder of a Skilled – Regional Sponsored (Provisional) visa for at least 2 years and you have also lived in the designated area for 2 years and worked in that area for 1 year, you will be eligible to apply for a permanent Skilled – Regional Subclass 887 visa.

Business Skills (Provisional) temporary visa

This is a temporary visa.

A Business Skills (Provisional) temporary visa is designed for business skilled migrants. A business skilled migrant can enter Australia on a Business Skills (Provisional) temporary visa for 4 years.

As a business person you will be required to be sponsored by a State/Territory government agency.

You will be required to demonstrate that you have a history of business or investment activity.

You may then be eligible to apply for a Skills (Residence) visa class, which is a permanent visa. Business owners, senior executives and investors will also be eligible.

Skills (Residence) visa

This is a permanent visa.

After you have been the holder of a Business Skills (Provisional) temporary visa you may be eligible to apply for a permanent Skills (Residence) visa. Business owners, senior executives and investors will also be eligible.

To be eligible for a Skills (Residence) visa you will also be required to be sponsored by a State/Territory government agency. This visa will not be points tested.

You will be required to demonstrate competent English language ability, a modest business turnover and adequate investments.

Each State/Territory government have their own criteria which they used in determining who they will sponsor in any area.

You will also need to be under the age of 55, unless exceptional circumstances apply which necessitates your business acumen.

If you are an investor-retiree you may be eligible to apply for an Investor Retirement visa and be sponsored by a State/Territory government to invest and live in a regional are. You will be required to be 55 years of age or older and have no dependents apart from your spouse. You will need to prove that you have a sizeable assets and investments which can be used to generate yourself an income.

If you are the holder of a Working Holiday visa and have lived and worked in Australia for 12 months, you may be eligible to apply for a second Working Holiday visa provided you have worked for a minimum of 3 months in a regional area on your first Working Holiday visa.

You may apply for sponsorship by a State or Territory authority if your occupation is on one of the following State or Territory Skilled Occupations lists:

For NSW see http://www.business.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/5760/sir_skills_in_demand_20110817.pdf

For the Australian Capital Territory click here to download our word document.

For the Northern Territory see http://www.migration.nt.gov.au/documents/SMP_Shortage_List_FA.pdf

For South Australia see http://www.workliveplay.qld.gov.au/dsdweb/v4/apps/web/content.cfm?id=3704

For Tasmania see http://www.migration.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/41927/List_SMP.pdf

For Victoria see http://www.liveinvictoria.vic.gov.au/visas-and-immigrating/eligibility-lists

For Western Australia see http://www.migration.wa.gov.au/skilledmigration/Pages/Occupationsindemand.aspx

For further information in relation to settling in a regional area of Australia you may contact the following Department of Immigration offices:

Australian Capital Territory (ACT) :

Sydney Centre of Excellence (CBD)

New South Wales :

Sydney Centre of Excellence (Parramatta)