Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 489) - Temporary work visa through sponsorship or nomination

The Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 489) is a four-year provisional visa. It allows for temporary residency and you are permitted to apply if you are either:

It is specifically for prospective migrants who are interested nomination by an Australian state or territory government agency.

About the Skilled Nomination visa (subclass 190)

The skilled nomination visa is a points-based visa and it is the right visa for you if you:

• Nominated by a state or territory government.

This visa has two pathways:

• The Invited pathway.
• The Extend

Who can apply for a Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 489)?

You can make an application for this visa if you meet the following criteria:

• You have been nominated by an Australian State or Territory Government Agency or sponsored by an eligible relative living in a designated area
• You have been nominated in an occupation that is on the relevant skilled occupations list.
• You have achieved a score of at least 65 in a skills assessment for the nominated occupation.
• You are under the age of 45.
• You have competent English.

Applications are also considered from those who hold provisional visas in subclass 496, 495, 487 or 475 under the extended pathway scheme.

What are you allowed to do on a Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa?

The Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 489) allows you and your family to:

• Stay in Australia for up to four years.
• Live, work and study in the specified regional area of Australia.
• Travel in and out of Australia while the visa is valid.

You may also use this visa as a pathway to permanent residency via the Skilled Regional (Residence) visa (subclass 887).

Any questions so far? Don't hesitate to call us on +27 (0) 21 202 8200 to get advice from one of our immigration consultants.

Sponsorship by a relative

The Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa permits sponsorship by certain relatives and under certain conditions:

• The sponsor must be at least 18 years old.
• They must live in a designated area of Australia.
• Queensland Skilled Nomination Program
• They are either an Australian citizen or permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand citizen.

Further to this, sponsorship is allowed where you are related in one of the following ways:

• Child or stepchild.
• Parent or step-parent.
• Brother, sister, adoptive brother, adoptive sister, stepbrother, step sister, niece, nephew, adoptive niece, adoptive nephew, step niece, step nephew, aunt, uncle, adoptive aunt, adoptive uncle.
• Grandparent or first cousin.

Nomination by a state or territory

Australian migration laws allow each state or territory to legislate their own immigration needs. As such, nomination by a state or territory is permitted.

Each state and territory has its own list of occupations as well as their own criteria and processes. For instance, some states will make selections from Expressions of Interest, while others invite applicants to apply directly for nomination.