Positive news for regional Australia

Good news for regional Australia and applicants wanting to immigrate to Australia. On 18 March 2018 new occupation lists were released for the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) (482) subclass visa and the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) (187) subclass visa. We are pleased to advise that not only is there an extensive list of eligible occupations for the RSMS but also a regional specific list for the TSS.

Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) (482) subclass visa

A Regional Occupation List (ROL) for the TSS is a very positive move for regional Australia and will enable employers to fill skill shortages that they have not been able to fill in the past from overseas workers. The ROL adds an additional 59 eligible occupations to the TSS which will allow businesses located in regional Australia to sponsor overseas skilled workers for a period of 4 years.

Individuals who hold a TSS visa and are nominated in an occupation on the ROL are then able to apply for permanent residency after holding this visa for a period of 3 years under the employer nominated temporary residence transition stream of the employer sponsored permanent visas.

Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS)

An extensive occupation list has also been released for the RSMS permanent visa. This is a separate list to the TSS ROL and is more comprehensive, containing over 450 eligible occupations.

If an occupation is on the RSMS ROL and not on the TSS ROL, the individual will need to apply under the direct entry stream of the RSMS. It is worth noting that from mid-2018 it is anticipated that all direct entry applicants under the RSMS may require a positive skills assessment if they have not obtained their qualifications in Australia. At the current time, a positive skills assessment is only required for trade occupations where the qualification was not obtained in Australia.

If you have any questions regarding applying for an Australian visa, please contact our team of Immigration Lawyers and Registered Migration Agents. Our team is experienced with work visas, skilled visas and employer-sponsored visas so don’t hesitate to discuss your migration options with us.