How this Visa Works

A Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme needs:

• an Australian employer
• a skilled employee
• an eligible position.

The process for obtaining a visa under the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme is summarised below.

Who	Responsibility
Employer	nominates the position(s) that they wish to fill arranges certification by the Regional Certifying Body seeks approval of the nomination from the department recruits the overseas worker(s) to fill the nominated positions.
Regional Certifying Bodies (RCB)	assists employers to fill vacancies in regional Australia assesses whether the position is genuinely vacant and unable to be filled by an Australian employee if these requirements are met, certifies the position.
Employee	accepts the offer of employment from the nominating employer applies for a visa meets the conditions on their visa (once approved).

Note: The nomination must be approved before the visa can be granted. The nomination application should be lodged before or at the same time as the visa application. If the nomination application is lodged first, the visa application must be lodged within six months of the nomination approval date.

Employers

Australian employers in regional or low population growth areas of Australia can participate in this scheme. All areas of Australia are eligible except Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong, Melbourne and Perth.
See: Eligible postcodes for the Regional Subclass 457 programme and Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme

Regional Certifying Bodies

Regional Certifying Bodies are organisations that:

• have knowledge of the skills shortages in their local area
• know whether a business is actively operating in their local area
• are able to assess positions under the legislative requirements of the scheme.

There are a number of Regional Certifying Bodies throughout Australia. All Regional Certifying Bodies are endorsed by the relevant state or territory government and many are branches of the State or Territory regional development portfolio.
See: Regional Certifying Bodies

Employees

An employee is a foreign national who:

• meets the age, skill and language requirements
• has an employer that is willing to sponsor them for this visa.

If eligible, employees and their accompanying family members will be granted a permanent visa.

Eligible position

An eligible position must meet the following requirements.

• is located in a regional area
• cannot be filled by an Australian employee
• is a genuine full-time vacancy
• is available for at least 2 consecutive years
• requires a person with qualifications equivalent to at least Australian diploma level (unless exceptional circumstances apply).

See: Exemption from Eligibility Requirements

Note: A Trade Certificate with full apprenticeship is accepted as equivalent to or higher than a diploma qualification.

Validity periods

The validity period of the:

• nomination is 6 months
• visa is permanent.

More information

Detailed information on the Regional Sponsored Migration scheme is also available in the Booklet 5.
See: Booklet 5 - Employer Sponsored Migration (8.1KB PDF file)