Skilled Regional (Subclass 489) | Relative Sponsored

Skilled Regional (Subclass 489) Class SP is for those who has a job offer or relative in regional Australia

You may be able to apply for a Skilled Regional (Subclass 489) visa if your occupation is the shortage list (click here to find out if your occupation is in the list) and you have an Australian relative or a job offer in regional or country Australia and is nominated by a State or Territory. This visa will be closed from 16 November 2019 and replaced with Subclass 491 (click here to learn more).

There are 2 streams in the Skilled Regional (Subclass 489) visa. Under the first stream, if a Skilled Regional (Subclass 489) visa is granted, it is valid for 4 years and cannot be extended or renewed. Under the second stream, this Skilled Regional (Subclass 489) visa is for existing regional provisional visa Class UX Subclass 495, Class UZ Subclass 496, Class VF Subclass 475 and Class VC Subclass 487 visa holders to renew their provisional visa, if they do not qualify for a permanent visa at the end of their 3 years provisional visa, for up to a total period of 4 years from the date of that sponsored provisional visa.

You must be under 45 at the time of being invited to apply for the Skilled Regional (Subclass 489) visa.

You must be nominated by a state or territory or sponsored by an eligible relative, for example, your parents, siblings, child, aunt or uncle, niece or nephew.

If you are nominated or sponsored by your relative, you must declare in your Expression of Interest (EoI). There is no requirement that the sponsor whom you have declared in your EoI to be the same relative at the time of being invited to apply for the Skilled Regional (Subclass 489) visa. Your sponsoring relative must be at least 18, an Australian citizen or permanent resident or an eligible NZ citizen who is usually resident in a designated area. Your sponsor must be directly related to you or your partner (spouse or de facto partner). However, if your sponsor is directly related to your partner, your partner must also be an applicant for the visa. Your relationship with your sponsor must be ongoing when the Department of Immigration (Department of Home Affairs) invite you to apply for the visa, this is because your sponsor must undertake to provide you with settlement support. If your partner’s relative sponsor you, your relationship with your partner must not have ceased when invited to apply for the visa.

To be eligible for the grant of a Skilled Regional (Subclass 489) visa, you must first submit an EoI and specify the state or territory or you are sponsored by a relative. If you are invited to apply for the visa, you must do so within the time specified in your invitation (usually 60 days from the date of invitation).

You must obtain at least 65 points in a points test (click here to calculate your points). Your score must not be less than the score stated in the invitation, and you must meet the pass mark applicable to the Skilled Regional (Subclass 489) visa. The Department of Immigration rank the invitations and the visas are issued according to your declared skills and attributes and nominated occupation when you submit your EoI. This act as a disincentive to claim more points in the EoI in order to secure a higher ranking to receive an invitation.

There is no requirement for the points assessed for the Skilled Regional Subclass 489 application to be identical to the score stated in the invitation. This allows you to correct an inadvertent errors made in your EoI so long as the qualifying score or pass mark is high enough for an invitation to be issued.

You should have your skills assessed as suitable for your nominated occupation and is valid when the Department of Immigration invites you to apply for the Skilled Regional (Subclass 489) visa. Your skills assessment cannot be the assessment you may have completed for Temporary Graduate Class VC Subclass 485 visa (click here to learn more).

If your skills assessment is for a trade occupation assessed by TRA for your study in Australia, the assessment should specify if it was for the Job Ready Program.

If you are a doctor, you must provide evidence of your full registration or a certificate issued by AHPRA that you hold a full or unconditional or general medical registration or a conditional specialist registration.

If your skills assessment was made on the basis of a qualification obtained in Australia as a student, the qualification obtained must be a result of studying for a registered course.

Skills assessment result is usually valid for 3 years or as stated in the result.

Professional membership or registration is not a skills assessment, hence cannot be used to apply for a Skilled Regional (Subclass 489) visa.

You must show that you have competent English proficiency at the time of being invited to apply for the visa, for example, obtained at least 6 in each of the 4 components of IELTS test, or at least B in each of the component in the OET test (click here to learn more). However, you may be exempted if you hold a valid passport issued by:

1. the UK; or
2. the USA; or
3. Canada; or
4. NZ; or
5. Republic of Ireland

The English test must be undertaken within 3 years before you are invited to apply for the Skilled Regional (Subclass 489) visa.

Any secondary applicants above 18 and do not have functional English proficiency, for example, at least 4.5 in each component of IELTS test, or they will be required to pay a second visa application charge or fee.

You can include members of your family in a combined application for the Skilled Regional (Subclass 489) visa. You can be in or outside Australia when applying for the visa or when the visa is granted. If you are in Australia on a valid substantive visa, you will be granted a bridging visa allowing you to remain in the country until your application is finalised.

If you are granted the Skilled Regional (Subclass 489) visa, you are required to live, work or study in a designated regional or low-population metropolitan or designated area in Australia for up to 4 years (click here to find the postcodes for these areas).

Skilled Regional (Subclass 489) is a temporary or provisional visa. However, there is a PR pathway (click here to learn more about Subclass 191 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 can apply for this 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.

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.