The Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) allows employers in regional or low population growth areas of Australia, to sponsor employees who are foreign nationals for a permanent visa to work in Australia. Note: This visa is now closed for direct applications.
Who is eligible for the Regional Skilled Migration Scheme?
The employees applying for a regional sponsored visa can be either of the following:
- skilled workers from overseas
- skilled temporary residents currently in Australia
Visa applicants can apply in or outside of Australia for RSMS (subclass 187) visa.
Note: ONLY applicants who hold a substantive visa or relevant bridging visa when applying for the RSMS visa (subclass 187) in Australia will be eligible for a bridging visa.
Other Requirements for the Regional Skilled Migration Scheme
Direct Entry:
A regional certifying body must first certify the nominated position against the following criteria:
- Business must be actively and lawfully operating in Regional Australia
- The position must be available for a minimum of two (2) years
- The business requires a person for the nominated position and satisfies the market rate requirement
In addition to the above, the department will also assess the application against the following criteria:
- the nomination has been approved by the relevant Regional Certifying Body
- the business follows all relevant Australian laws and has a satisfactory record of meeting immigration laws (if applicable)
- the nominated position is in a business operated by the employer
- the position is being remunerated in accordance with relevant workplace legislation and awards.
The Employee must:
- have the relevant qualifications and/or work erxperience for the nominated position which are equivalent to the Australian standarad (Skills Assessment may be required in some circumstances)
- meet any mandatory licensing, registration or professional membership requirements which allow you to work unsupervised and without further training
- have been offered a full time position for a fixed term of at least two years (supported by evidence of a contract or letter of appointment signed by both the employer and the employee)
- be under 50 years old
- have Competent English language ability
Note: Exemption of certain requirements is available.
Temporary Residence Transition stream:
If you have already worked for your nominating employer for two years in Australia, your skills do not need to be assessed.
You must have at least vocational English. No Regional Certification is required for this stream.
This stream is available only to people who hold a subclass 457 visa. People who hold other 400 series visas may qualify to apply for a permanent residence visa through the Direct Entry stream.
Benefits of the Regional Skilled Migration Scheme
This visa allows employers operating in regional and low population growth areas of Australia (NSW, Victoria, and other States and Territories) to sponsor skilled workers to fill skilled vacancies in their business.
Visa Charges
Nomination and Visa Charges can be found here.
Looking for a Different Employer Sponsored Visa?
There are several other sponsored visas available:
