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Home > 187 Visa (RSMS)

187 Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) Visa

This visa allows skilled workers, who are nominated by their employer in regional Australia, live and work in Australia permanently. Since the direct entry stream of subclass 187 is no longer taking new applications as of 16 November, 2019, the following information will be pertaining the Temporary Residence Transition Stream.

Temporary Residence Transition stream

OverviewThis visa allows skilled workers, who are nominated by their employer in regional Australia, live and work in Australia permanently.
Visa typePermanent
Cost of applicationFrom AUD4045 for the main applicant
Duration of visaLive in Australia permanently
Uses of this visa
  • stay in Australia indefinitely
  • work and study in Australia
  • enrol in Australia’s public health care scheme, Medicare
  • sponsor eligible relatives to come to Australia
  • travel to and from Australia for 5 years
  • apply for Australian citizenship, if eligible
Eligibility

Applicants must meet the following requirements-

  • Have the required skills and qualifications needed to perform the tasks of the nominated occupation (can be shown with a positive skills assessment)
  • Be licensed, registered or a member of a professional body if it is mandatory in the state or territory you intend to work in.
  • Be nominated by the employer who sponsored your temporary work visa (subclass 457 or subclass 482) for at least 3 of the 4 years prior to nominating you for the subclass 187 visa.
  • Be under 45 years of age, unless exemptions apply (see ‘age exemptions’ below for additional information)
  • Currently be the primary visa holder of a subclass 457 visa, a subclass 482 (TSS) visa or a bridging visa A, B or C (if the bridging visa was granted after the subclass 457 or TSS visa had expired
  • Meet the  health requirement
  • Meet the character requirement
  • Possess adequate health insurance
  • Have at least Competent English
  • Pay back any debts to the Australian Government
  • Not had a visa cancelled or an application refused when you were in Australia
  • Sign the Australian values statement
  • For sponsors: be an eligible business (see ‘eligible business’ below for additional information)
  • For sponsors: be the applicant’s current sponsor

Age exemptions

You are exempt from the ‘under 45’ criteria if any of the following applies to you:

  • You are nominated as an academic (university lecturer or faculty head at Academic Level B, C, D or E) by a university in Australia
  • You are nominated as a scientist, researcher or technical specialist at ANZSCO skill level 1 or 2 by an Australian scientific government agency
  • As a subclass 457 or TSS visa holder, you have been working in the nominated occupation for the nominating employer for at least the last 3 years, and your earnings were at least as much as the Fair Work High Income Threshold for each year of that period
  • You are a medical practitioner who has worked in your nominated occupation for at least three years as a 457 or TSS visa holder, while being employed in regional Australia for two of those years. The nominated position should also be in regional Australia

If you held (or had applied for and were later granted) a subclass 457 visa on 18 April 2017, you can still apply for this visa if you are under 50 when you apply.

Eligible Business

The sponsoring business must:

  • be the employer who last sponsored the 457 or TSS visa holder as a standard business sponsor
  • have no adverse information known about it or any person associated with it, or it is reasonable to disregard this information
  • actively and lawfully operate a business in regional Australia
  • have a genuine need for a paid employee to fill a skilled position in regional Australia
  • pay the Skilling Australians Fund levy when submitting the employer nomination application
  • have complied with Australian immigration and workplace relations laws

The business must also be able to:

  • offer a skilled position that is full time and ongoing in regional Australia for at least 2 years. The nominee’s employment contract must not limit the position to 2 years
  • if the worker will earn less than AUD250,000 per year, pay them at least the annual market salary rate for these 2 years
  • demonstrate the applicant is eligible for any licence, registration or membership needed at the time you submit your nomination

The applicant can’t be granted the visa if the nominated position is not in regional Australia.