The Australian Skilled Regional (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 489) allows skilled workers to live and work in an Australian region with low population growth. With this visa, a candidate can live in Australia for up to 4 years.

Eligibility to Apply for the Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa (Subclass 489)

The eligibility criteria that candidates need to meet in order to apply for the Skilled Regional (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 489) are as follows:

• You must either be nominated by an Australian state or territory or you must be sponsored by a relative. You can choose which state or territory you are interested to migrate in under the Expression of Interest (EOI)
• In case you are sponsored by your relative, you must ensure that your occupation is on the in-demand occupations list
• You must also present your skills assessment that shows you have the required skills and qualification to work in the occupation
• You must meet the minimum eligibility points criteria by scoring a minimum of 60 points
• You must be below the age of 45 at the time of receiving an Invitation to Apply
• You must also prove your proficiency in English Language by presenting your English competency test scores
• You must provide medical fitness certificate validating your good health
• You should not have any previous criminal records
• You must pay-off the debt, if any, to the Australian government
• You will not be eligible to apply for the visa if your previous visa filing had been refused or cancelled.

Process to Apply for the Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa (Subclass 489)

The process to apply for this visa begins with:

• A candidate creating his Expression of Interest (EOI) in the online SkillSelect program; the candidate will also have to mention whether he is being sponsored by his family member or wishes to be nominated by the Australian state or territory
• Post this, the candidate needs to wait for his Invitation to Apply (ITA) for the Skilled Regional (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 489)
• After receiving the invitation, the candidate will submit his documents and apply for the visa

Processing Time

The general processing time for the Skilled Regional (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 489) is about 5 months which can extend up to 8 months.

What is an Expression of Interest (EOI)

The Expression of Interest (EOI) provides the Australian immigration authorities with your basic information, which includes your educational, professional and personal details.

You EOI lasts for two years, which means that your EOI will remain with the Australian immigration authority for two years. People willing to apply for the Skilled Regional (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 489) must submit an EOI, taking into account that you are below the age of 45.

After you submit your EOI, you will become the part of a pool with similar candidates and the one ranking higher will be sent an invitation to apply for the visa.

You need not pay any fee for the creation of EOI. You can create your EOI either while being in Australia or overseas.

Points Allocation Criteria…

The points you score depend on the following factors:

• English Language Proficiency
• Skilled Employment
• Educational Qualification
• Australian Study Requirements
• Specialist Education Requirement
• Other Factors

Your educational qualification and work experience will be assessed through specific assessing bodies, which assess specific profiles. Some of the famous assessing bodies are:

1. Engineers Australia
2. Vetassess
3. Australian Computers Society
4. CPA
5. AIMS

What does the Skilled Regional (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 489) Allows you to do

The Skilled Regional (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 489) allows you and your family to:

• Live in Australia for up to 4 years
• Live, work and study in specified region of Australia
• Be eligible to travel to and fro from Australia n number of times
• Apply for permanent residency after completion of two years of stay in Australia

Cost

The cost to apply for the Skilled Regional (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 489) is AUD $3,670. You may also pay the additional payment for skills assessment and the counselling fee (if you hire a consultant).

There is an additional fee for extra family members who accompany you to Australia.

The Second Installment: The Second Installment is the fee that you pay for a family member who is above the age of 18 and has less than functional English. This fee is also called VAC2 or the second VAC. This installment is paid after meeting all the visa requirements.

You may have to pay an additional fee for health assessment, police clearance and biometrics.