With the unveiling of the Budget this year came the announcement of two new regional provisional visas, and one new regional permanent residency visa to come into effect in November 2019. Skilled provisional visa subclasses 491 and 494 will supersede respectively the current 489 and 187 subclasses, while the 191 will function similarly to the current permanent 887 visa.
So what are the changes that you need to know about? As part of a push to drive industry in regional Australia and lessen the population burden in metro areas, the Government has increased the time required to stay in a regional area from two years to three years in order to be eligible for permanent residency. However, the length of the visa will also increase from four years to five. More occupations will become eligible, and opportunities in regional Australia will increase— and for this visa, “regional” refers to any part of Australia outside of Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
Details on current minimum taxable incomes are yet to be released, and it is likely that more information about other aspects of the visa will become clearer as we get closer to its release date. This visa will also be affected by the general changes to Points Test for skilled migration which come into effect from November 2019.
Getting Assistance
If you need immigration advice and/or assistance, please ensure you speak to OMARA, or you can contact us with your query. At McKkrs, we provide CPD classes for RMA’s and Lawyers practicing migration law and would be happy to assist you. Please contact us on (02) 4626 1002 or simply email us at admin@mckkrs.com.au.
