With the two new regional visas coming into effect this week there will be many Aussie migrants hoping that the new Visas open the door for those looking to secure permanent residence and eventually, Australian citizenship.
The Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), a hybrid-funded Australian public broadcasting network, posted an interesting article covering the Pros and Cons of the new regional visas.
We’ve summarised some of the content below however you can also review the full article here.
Australian Regional Visas – Pro’s and Cons
As of Saturday, qualified migrants who commit to living and working in a regional area will have access to two new provisional visas, the Australian government announced.
The list includes hundreds of occupations. Now, real estate agents, journalists, accountants, paramedics, filmmakers, historians, among others, will be able to apply for this visa.
Those who obtain regional visas will be able to apply for permanent residency if they prove they have lived in a regional area for at least three years.
The Two Australian Regional Visas
- The Skilled Employer-Sponsored Regional (Provisional), which is aimed at migrants who are sponsored by an employer from a regional area of Australia.
- Skilled Work Regional (Provisional), which targets people who are nominated by a state or territory government, or sponsored by an eligible family member to live and work in a regional area of Australia.
The Pros For The Australian Regional Visa
The government has simplified the definition of regional Australia. The entirety of Australia, except for Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, has been re-classed as regional for migratory purposes.
This means qualified migrants can settle in satellite cities, such as Wollongong, Newcastle or Geelong, near Sydney or Melbourne.
Another option is the Gold Coast, an hour’s drive from Brisbane or the whole of the city of Perth in Western Australia.
Australian Regional Visa – The Cons
One of the difficulties that migrants may face on these new visas relates to their income.
Even if they have spent the prescribed three years in a regional area, when applying for a permanent visa, there is a minimum salary requirement of A$53,900 a year to qualify for permanent residence.
There has been discussion and some push back from the Australian Migration institute citing that this limit should be lowered (or removed altogether). At the time of typing, however (November 2019) this limit remains, unfortunately.
Is the Australian Regional Visa an option for you?
Are you excited by the prospects presented by these new Regional Visas or do you think it’s just more of the same?
Would you move to regional Australia if it increased the chance of you getting Australian PR?
Let us know in our comments below.
