Skilled Regional Sponsored (SRS) of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship(DIAC), Australia, requires regional nomination and sponsorship. This visa is temporary residence visa and successful applicants need to live in designated regional areas as a condition of their visa.

Regional Sponsored visa offers applicants the opportunity to migrate to Australia on the basis of their skills and/or educational background. In addition, the applicant needs to meet the basic criteria of English language ability and have their skill and qualification in an occupation in need and then satisfy the points test of 100 to qualify for skilled temporary residence.

The stream of migration to Australia targets people who are highly skilled and who will quickly make a contribution to the Australian economy.

To be eligible, the SRS visa applicant must be sponsored by an Australian State/territory or by an eligible family member living in a designated regional area.

Please note that applicants who are nominated by a state or territory authority will be eligible for an additional 10 points under the skilled migration points test. Applicants who are nominated by an eligible relative living in a designated area of Australia will be entitled to an additional 25 points.

Duration

The visa entitles people emigrating to Australia to gain temporary residence. It is a three year provisional visa for skilled workers who are unable to meet the criteria for a Skilled Independent visa.

On this visa you will have the opportunity to apply for permanent residency after you have lived in Australia for two years and worked for at least 12 months in a specified regional area.

Eligibility Criteria

Age

Applicants must be under 45 years old.

English Language

The applicants must have sufficient English language ability. 

Skills & Qualifications

The main applicant:

• Must meet the qualifications and/or work experience requirements of the appropriate skills assessing body for their profession and must have been assessed as suitable by the relevant body for the nominated occupation;
• Must nominate a skilled occupation that appears on the most recent version of the Skilled Occupations List;
• Must also have been in recent paid employment in any of the occupations on the Skilled Occupations List for at 12 of the last 24 months.

Sponsorship Requirements

Where a candidate is nominated by a participating state or territory government agency they will normally be required to show evidence of the relevant skills for an occupation which appears on that state or territory's occupation list

Where a candidate is sponsored by an eligible relative living in a designated area of Australia, the candidate (or their spouse or interdependent partner) must be related to your sponsor as one of the following:

• A non-dependent child – including an adoptive or step-child
• A parent – including adoptive or step–parent
• A brother or sister – including adoptive or step-siblings
• A niece or nephew – including adoptive or step–niece or nephew
• An aunt or uncle – including adoptive or step–aunt or uncle
• A first cousin
• A grandchild

Where Can a Sponsor be Living?

Sponsors must provide evidence that, at the time the department receives the sponsorship application, they have been living in a designated area for one (1) year or longer. Additionally, a sponsor must be able to demonstrate that they will continue to live in a designated area until a decision is made on the visa application.

As a general guide, Australia's designated areas include:

• ACT
• South Australia
• Northern Territory
• Tasmania
• Victoria
• Queensland – except Brisbane
• New South Wales – except Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong
• Western Australia – except Perth.

Additional Information

The following factors may help to provide additional support to a marginal Australian Skilled Independent Visa application.

High Demand Occupation / Job Offer

An Australia Skilled Migration visa applicant will receive additional points if their skills are listed as in high demand. Additional points are awarded for a job offer in these high demand areas.

Australian Study

General Skilled Migration to Australia applicants who have undertaken successful study within Australia may be able to use these qualifications to support their application.

Investment

Applicants for Australian Skilled Migration Visas with the ability to make a capital investment in Australia may be able to use the ability to invest to strengthen their application.

Spouse

The qualifications/work experience, family connections and past Australian experience of a spouse may be of support to a marginal Australian Skilled Independent Visa application.

Health & Character

Australia has strict health and character requirements that must be met before any permanent visa of more than 12 months will be granted. People attempting skilled migration to Australia on a Skilled Independent visa will be required to:

• Undergo a medical examination and chest x-ray undertaken by one of a panel of doctors selected by the Australian authorities, and;
• Obtain police certificates for all countries in which you have lived for more than 12 months in the 10 years leading up to the application.

Processing Times

The current processing time for General Skilled Independent Migration to Australia is 2-18 months from the date your application is lodged.