Regional (Subclass 187) TRT or Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme Class RN Subclass 187 visa (Temporary Residence Transition stream): How to apply
Overseas workers may apply for Regional (Subclass 187) TRT visa or RSMS Subclass 187 TRT visa if they are sponsored or nominated by an Australian company operating a business in regional or country Australia.
The Regional (Subclass 187) TRT or RSMS Subclass 187 TRT visa is for existing 457 and 482 visa holders to apply for permanent resident visa (temporary residence transition) if they satisfy the visa grant criteria.
In order to be eligible for the Regional (Subclass 187) TRT visa, your current employer must nominate you for the same occupation as when you were nominated for Subclass 457 or Subclass 482 visa. Once the Department of Immigration (Department of Home Affairs) approved your employer’s nomination, you must apply for the Regional (Subclass 187) TRT visa within 6 months.
Before you can apply for the Regional (Subclass 187) TRT visa, you must have worked for at least 3 years full-time in the nominated occupation.
Training Contribution Charge
To submit a Subclass 187 Nomination application, your sponsor must also make a training contribution or the Skilling Australians Fund (or SAF) levy. There is no exemptions from the SAF levy unless the Subclass 187 Nomination application is for a Minister of Religion or Religious Assistants under the Labour Agreement stream (click here to learn more).
The SAF levy payable is:
- annual business turnover is less than $10m – $3,000
- annual business turnover is more than $10m – $5,000
Age limitation
You must not be 50 or over, unless you are exempted because you are a ANZSCO skill level 1 or 2 researcher or scientist or technical specialist, or a senior academics nominated by a university in Australia, or you have been working in your nominated occupation for at least 3 years earning an annual salary of not less than the Fair Work High Income Threshold (FWHIT) of least $145,400 (2018 – 2019) in each of the 3 years, or if you are a medical practitioner working for at least 3 years, 2 years in regional Australia, in your nominated occupation in regional Australia (click here to postcodes considered as regional or country Australia).
Do I need to show English proficiency?
To be eligible for Regional (Subclass 187) TRT visa, you must have, at the time of visa application, competent English, that is, at least 6 in each of the 4 component in the IELTS test. However, you will be exempted from having to demonstrate having competent English if you have:
- completed at least 5 years of full-time study in a secondary and/or higher education institution where the medium of instruction is English; or
- a passport issued by the UK or USA or Canada or NZ or the Republic of Ireland
For exemptions from Skill, Age and English language requirements, please refer to LIN 19/216.
Age exemption applies to:
- academic applicants
- regional medical practitioner applicants
- science applicants
- Subclass 457 / 482 workers
- transitional 457 workers under 50
English language exemption applies to:
- completed at least 5 years of full-time study in a secondary or higher education institution where all tuition was delivered in English.
If you include members of your family who are over 18, they must have at least functional English, that is, at least 4.5 in the IELTS test, or pay a second visa application charge (2VAC) or fee.
Including family members
Members of your family may lodge a combine visa application for the grant of the Regional (Subclass 187) TRT visa. Once the visa application is lodged, only newborn baby or new partner (spouse or de facto partner) can be added to the visa application as they are taken to have made a combined visa application.
Once you are granted the Regional (Subclass 187) TRT visa, you can only sponsor members of your family under different visa subclass (click here to learn more about, for example, Prospective Marriage visa or Partner Subclass 309 or Subclass 820 visa).
Australian migration law is complex and difficult to understand, contact our immigration lawyer for a consultation (fee applies) to help you decide if you are eligible to apply for a RSMS Subclass 187 TRT or Regional (Subclass 187) TRT visa (click here to find out how an immigration lawyer or registered migration agent can help you). You may also refer to our FAQs for answers regarding visa application or visa cancellation by clicking here.
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This article is not intended to be or taken as migration legal advice. The author of this article disclaims any liability for any action or omission on the information provided or not provided in this article. You should always consult an immigration lawyer or a registered migration agent to form an informed opinion on your immigration matter.
