Skilled Regional (Provisional) Visa – Subclass 489

+ Stage 1 Expression of Interest (only for Invited Pathway Stream)

All applicants must be invited in order to apply for Subclass 489 Invited pathway stream. Prior to the lodgement of an application, the visa applicant must first lodge an expression of interest (EOI) through the Department prescribed facility SkillSelect.

Within the SkillSelect EOI form, the applicant will need to complete identify and passport details for themselves and anyone whom they wish to include in their application.

Validity of the EOI and changing Points on the EOI

EOI will remain to be valid for two years (unless the applicant has been invited to apply for a visa within 2 years). Prior to invitation, the applications can always update their relevant details on the website in order to claim more points and increase their opportunities to be invited.

Once the applicant is nominated by the State, an invitation to apply for the Subclass 489 visa will be issued automatically. Visa applicant would not be able to change their scores once they have been invited to apply for a Subclass 489 visa.

+ Stage 2: Receives an Invitation (only for Invited Pathway Stream)

Visa applicant needs to be invited by the Department in order to apply for a Subclass 489 Visa – Invited Pathway stream.

Prospective visa applicants can indicate their Expression of Interests (EOI) to apply for those visas by filling in an online form in SkillSelect which contains a series of questions about the skills of the visa applicant, depending on the visa subclass one elects.

Applicant will also be assessed of one’s points at the stage of EOI and be determined whether he or she has met the minimum points tests required for certain visas. Points are awarded and allocated based on the applicant’s age, English level, past employment history, qualifications, past Australian study requirement, any specialist education qualification and other factors including regional studies, partner skill qualifications or community language.

The EOI will be automatically removed from SkillSelect System after 2 years from the date of initial submission, regardless of whether the visa applicant has withdrawn his or her previous EOI or received an invitation.

If two (2) or more applicants have the same points, they will be ranked against the date and time they have submitted all eligibility factors. The time and date will be amended every time the applicants update the Expression of Interest and their points.

There is no set invitation round for Subclass 489 as different State or Territory governments may decide to nominate at different times.

Additional information on Skills Assessment:

In order to be eligible to apply for a Subclass 489 Invited pathway stream, prospective visa applicant must decide which occupation they wish to apply.

Visa applicants are required to provide evidence that their relevant skills have been assessed to be suitable for their nominated occupations by the relevant assessing authorities and receive favourable results in relation to that particular skill assessment(s).

Depending on the occupation the visa applicants choose to apply for, skill assessments may be undertaken by different skill assessing authorities in accordance with their professional capacities and relevant professional standards.

The requirements for each skill assessment depend on visa applicants’ occupations and are determined by the respective skill assessing authority.

A positive skills assessment result will only be valid until the expiry date specified on the assessment, or for a period of three years from the date of issue, whichever occurs first.

+ Stage 3: Visa Application

All streams are required to satisfy the following requirements:

• Must not have an outstanding debt to the Australian government
• Sign the Australian values statement
• All public interest criteria are met, particularly the health and character requirement * Health requirements:

  * All persons included in the application will be required to undertake a medical examination prior to their visa being issued.
    * When applying, all persons included in the application must:
    * declare whether they have a medical condition that is likely to require ongoing support from community or government services
    * declare whether they have been diagnosed with Tuberculosis or any other serious diseases that might be a threat to Australian Community

  • Character requirements:
    • All persons included in the application will be required to obtain a police clearance certificate for all countries they have lived in for greater than twelve months in the last ten years.
    • When applying, all persons included in the application must provide all requested information, declare all criminal offences, truthfully answer all questions

+ Stream 1 – Invited pathway

• All applicants need to be invited by the Department to lodge an Expression of interest (EOI) through Skill Select
• Obtain a positive nomination from the relevant State/Territory. All state and territory government agencies have their own criteria for deciding who they will nominate
• Be sponsored by an eligible relative who is:
  • an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand citizen who is above 18 years old and lived in a designated area of Australia;
  • the visa applicant or the visa applicant’s partner's relative.
• Obtain a positive invitation from the Department.
• Be under 45 years old at the time of invitation;
• Nominate an occupation included on the relevant occupations list;
• Obtain a positive skills assessment;
• Pass the English language requirement (at the time of invitation to apply for the visa);
• Achieve at least 65 points pass mark in the points test
  • For more information on points test, please refer to the article [insert article on points test within our website]

+ Stream 2 – Extended stay pathway

• Visa applicant must hold any 1 of the following provisional visas and have complied with all conditions of that visa for at least 2 years:
  • Skilled Regional Sponsored visa (subclass 475)
  • Skilled Regional Sponsored visa (subclass 487)
  • Skilled Independent Regional visa (subclass 495)
  • Skilled Designated Area Sponsored Provisional visa (subclass 496)
• There is no age or English requirements for this stream.

+ Stream 3 – Subsequent entry pathway

• Visa applicant must be is a member of the family unit for someone who holds any of the following visas as a primary applicant:
  • Skilled Regional Sponsored visa (subclass 475)
  • Skilled Regional Sponsored visa (subclass 487)
  • Skilled Independent Regional visa (subclass 495)
  • Skilled Designated Area Sponsored Provisional visa (subclass 496)
• There is no age requirement for this stream