SUBCLASS 191 SKILLED REGIONAL PERMANENT RESIDENCE
People who have previously held an eligible visa and have lived, worked, or studied in a designated regional area of Australia are eligible for the 191 visa.
- This visa enables you to:
- stay for good
- anywhere in Australia to work and study
- Encourage eligible family members to immigrate permanently
- if qualified, apply for citizenship in Australia.
Permanent Residency (Skilled Regional) Subclass 191: In order to qualify for a permanent visa (effective in November 2022), applicants must:
- possess a regional temporary visa when requesting a Subclass 191 visa, and have been in possession of that visa for at least three years;
- hold a regional provisional visa and have made the required income for at least three years; and
- have complied with the regional provisional visa’s requirements.
Related: Income requirements for a 191 visa
The validity of the visa is five years. Conditions that enforce the government’s intentions to require visa holders to live, work, and study only in regional areas (condition 8579) and, if employer-sponsored, only in the designated position, will be put in place. Visa holders are free to travel throughout the regions. Any region outside of Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane is considered to be a regional area.
Perth, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Lake Macquarie, the Illawarra, Geelong, Newcastle, Wollongong, Adelaide, Hobart, and Canberra are examples of regional areas.
Unless there are exceptional circumstances, holders of the new provisional visas will also not be eligible to apply for the majority of other skills-based visas in Australia until they have spent at least three years in a designated regional area. Additionally, holders of the new provisional visas may suffer consequences from sponsor non-compliance, which is similar to how things are currently set up for the subclass 457 and 482 visa programmes.
The new type of permanent visa is:
Subclass 191 Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional): Applicants must have held a subclass 491 or 494 visa for at least three years, have complied with the conditions on that visa, and have met minimum taxable income requirements in order to qualify for the permanent visa (as of November 2022).
The validity of the visa is five years. Conditions will be put in place to enforce the government’s desire for visa holders to live, work, and study exclusively in regional areas and only in the designated job (condition 8579). Within 90 days of receiving their visa, visa holders are required to start working in their designated occupations for their designated employers solely in regional Australia. If not, your visa can be revoked.
Any region outside of Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane is considered to be a regional area. A significant change is the designation of Perth and the Gold Coast as regional areas.
Unless there are extraordinary circumstances, holders of the new provisional visas will also not be eligible to apply for the majority of other skills-based visas in Australia until they have spent at least three years in a specified regional area. Additionally, holders of the new provisional visas may suffer consequences from sponsor non-compliance, which is similar to how things are currently set up for the subclass 457 and 482 visa programmes.
current regional visas are affected:
Since November 16, 2019, no new applicants are permitted for the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme Visa (subclass 187) or the Skilled Regional (Provisional) Visa (subclass 489). For applicants whose applications have already been submitted but whose status is pending at that time, as well as for those whose current pathway is the permanent Skilled Regional Visa (subclass 887), transitional measures will be put in place.
Changes to Skilled Migration:
On November 16, 2019, the skilled migration points test underwent changes. The modifications applied to those applying for subclass 491 visas as well as those applying for other skilled migration visas that had not yet been evaluated (but only in a way that benefited applicants, by awarding extra points). Here are the new point details:
- – 15 points for being nominated by a State or Territory government agency or being sponsored to live and work in regional Australia by a family member who lives there;
- – 10 points (skills evaluation and proficient English) for a skilled spouse or de facto partner; OR
- – 5 points for “competent English” in a spouse or de facto partner;
- – 10 points for certain STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) credentials;
- 10 points are awarded for
- Candidates without a spouse or de facto partner receive 10 points.
- The raking order for invitations will also be altered. The following will be the new ranking order:
- – First-time applicants who have a skilled spouse or common-law partner;
- – Equal First – first-time applicants without a spouse or cohabitant;
- – Second-tier applicants with a spouse or de facto partner who can attest to their English proficiency but does not meet the criteria for skilled partner points (age and qualifications);
- – Third – Primary applicants with a partner ineligible for either the Skilled partner or Competent English points. In the event that all other point claims are equal, these applicants will be ranked lower than all other cohorts.
Length of your stay
- It is a long-term visa. It permits indefinite residence in Australia.
- The travel portion of the visa expires five years after the date it was granted.
- If you are in Australia when we grant the visa, your permanent residence begins on that day.
Skilled Visa
Latest News
|
Years elapsed
|
Turnover less than AUD 10 million
|
In any other case
|
|---|---|---|