The Minister for Immigration, Mr. Chris Bowen, recently announced the inclusion of Perth as an eligible area for the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS). This means that Perth is to be re-classified as a ‘regional area' of Australia for the purposes of the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) and for family sponsored visa applications under Australia's General Skilled Migration (GSM) program. It is expected that this change will be implemented by October 2011.
Visa subclasses affected by Perth’s Regional Area classification are:
- Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (Subclass 119 & 857)
- Skilled Regional Sponsored (provisional) (Subclass 475)
- Skilled Regional Sponsored (provisional) (Subclass 487)
- Skilled Regional (permanent) (Subclass 887)
If you are considering applying for a skilled migration visa from overseas, you can use our FREE 176 State Sponsorship Search Tool to find out instantly if your nominated occupation is included on any of the available State or Territory Migration Plans.
If your occupation is included on a State or Territory Migration Plan, you can take our FREE 176 Australian Visa Eligibility Assessment to find out more about the basic visa criteria and your likely points award under the new points test.
The Australian Government has stated that the inclusion of Perth as a regional area of Australia is in response to a skills shortage in the area. It is believed that Perth has experienced a lack of available skilled workers because opportunities in the resource sector in other parts of Western Australia utilise the majority of WA’s skilled employees.
It is intended that including Perth as an eligible ‘regional’ area for the RSMS and family sponsored regional GSM visa subclasses will help to address the specific skills needs of Perth and Western Australia as a whole.
This change in classification for Perth and surrounding areas means that businesses will now also be eligible for the RSMS and family sponsored regional GSM visa programs. This will significantly increase opportunities for employers in Perth to recruit and sponsor skilled workers in their businesses.
Regional Skilled Migration Scheme (RSMS):
- being less than 45 years old at the time of lodging the application;
- demonstrating a suitable level of English language proficiency; and
- demonstrating they have the appropriate experience and qualifications to fulfill the duties of their nominated occupation.
The Regional Skilled Migration Scheme has no applicable list of specified eligible occupations. Concession under RSMS can include:
- allowing some semi-skilled occupations that require highly specialised skills;
- lower salary requirements reflecting the lower living costs of may regional and remote areas of Australia;
- an exemption from work experience requirement; and
- lower English language requirements.
English language standards
Under existing standards, Regional Skilled Migration Scheme visa applicants must demonstrate they have functional English, which is comparable to an average score of 4.5 across the four test components of speaking, reading, writing and listening in the IELTS exam.
Historically, a lower English language standard has been applied under the Regional Skilled Migration Scheme in order to attract those skilled migrants who were not able to satisfy the requirements for independent skilled migration or those required under the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS), but who would be willing to migrate to regional, remote and low population growth areas of Australia.
Under the Regional Skilled Migration Scheme, the English language requirement may be waived if visa applicants are able to demonstrate that exceptional circumstances apply to their case.
Family Sponsored Regional General Skilled Migration (GSM) Program:
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