Regional Sponsored 187 Visa
The Regional Sponsored 187 is a permanent visa that requires you to be nominated to work in a regional area. It allows you to be granted a permanent visa straight away to work for a nominated employer on a full time basis.
Regional Sponsored 187 Visa
To be allowed to obtain this visa you must be nominated to work in a regional area and must have this position approved by the Regional Certifying Body (RCB). The employer can nominate participants as long as they cannot find an Australian citizen or permanent resident to fill the position.
Duration:
Once the visa is approved, it is a permanent visa.
Where are the Regional Areas:
Most of Australia is classified as a regional area with the exception of: Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Newcastle, Perth and Wollongong. For a full list of the regional post codes check here
Direct Entry Eligibility Requirements
- You must have a skills assessment for the relevant occupation
- The position is located in a Regional Area
- The position is genuine and there is a genuine need for the employer to fill the position
- The employee has the qualifications and skills required to fill the position
- The employee has worked in the position for at least 3 years
- The employee holds the required licenses and requirements for the occupation
- The employee is under 45 years of age
- The employee meets the required level of English language
- The employee is of good health and character
Applying for the 187 Visa
There are usually three steps involved in applying for the regional sponsored visa
General requirements
To be successfully granted the visa the employee must demonstrate that they:
- Possess the required skills, education and qualification to fill the position
- Meet the required English language proficiency requirement
- Are of good character and health
RCB Approved
The Regional Certifying Body is a local government run organisation that checks to ensure that there is a genuine need for the position and there has been attemps made by the employer to find an Australian employee for the position.
The company must submit a nomination application for the employee
Once a positive assessment is made by the RCB confirming that the position is genuinely needed, the employer can then apply to the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) to nominate a foreign employee to fill the position. The DIBP will review the position and the company to decide if it meets requirements.
Apply for the visa
To Apply for the visa there are 3 different pathways:
- Temporary Residence Stream – This is where after 2 – 3 years of working for the company, the employee transitions from the 457 visa to the 187 visa. No RCB Approval is required.
- Direct Entry Stream – This is where the employee applys directly for the 187 visa. RCB Certification is required.
- Labour Agreement – This is for someone who has previously been employed by the company on a 457 visa under a labour agreement.
Visa Processing Times
The Immigration and Border Protection website listed the processing time for a subclass 187 visa as 12 – 23 months.
What we will do
Pathway to Aus will assist with the application throughout the entirety of the process and provide:
- Articulate advice on eligibility requirements and how to meet these requirements
- Assistance obtaining the required supporting documents needed for the application
- Assistance compiling and translating letters of reference.
- Prepare and submit the application to the DIBP
- Liaison with the DIBP throughout every stage of processing
- Provide updates on changing requirements to employers and employees throughout the duration of the visa.
GET IN TOUCH
In case of questions, feel free to reach out to one of our experienced Registered Migration Agents.
Contact details
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