This visa is a three (3) year provisional visa for skilled workers who are unable to meet the criteria for a Skilled - Independent visa. You will have the opportunity to apply for permanent residency after you have lived for two (2) years and worked at least 12 months in a Specified Regional Area of Australia.
This visa requires you to be either: nominated by a participating State or Territory government agency
or
sponsored by an eligible relative living in a designated area of Australia. This visa uses a points test to select visa applicants with characteristics needed in the Australian labour market. Who is this visa for?
This visa is for you if you are: outside Australia
or
a New Zealand citizen who holds a Special Category visa (subclass 444) You must: be under 45 years of age
have good English language skills
have the skills and qualifications that meet the Australian standard for an occupation on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL)
How much does this visa cost?
You must pay the relevant visa application charge when you lodge your visa application.
What does this visa let me do?
This visa: allows you to remain in Australia for up to three (3) years and requires you to live and work in a Specified Regional Area in Australia
allows accompanying secondary applicants to work and study, but only in a Specified Regional Area of Australia
provides a pathway to permanent residence. This visa allows you to live and work or study in a Specified Regional Area in Australia for up to three (3) years.
This is a 'provisional' visa. After you have lived in a Specified Regional Area in Australia for at least two (2) years, and worked full time for periods totalling at least one (1) year, you can apply for permanent residence.
Note: If you need more time to meet the residence and/or employment criteria for a permanent visa, you may be eligible to apply to extend your visa. Points test
The points test pass mark for this visa is 100 points. If you score less than 100 points, your application will be refused. After you have lived and worked in Australia on this visa, there are several permanent visas that you can apply for. When can you apply for a permanent visa?
You can apply for a permanent visa after you have: lived for two (2) years in a Specified Regional Area and worked, including being self-employed, for one (1) year in these same areas.
or
obtained sponsorship under the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme. Which permanent visas can you apply for? You can apply for any permanent visa in Australia, however the Skilled - Regional (Residence) visa (subclass 887) is specifically designed for holders of a provisional skilled visa who wish to apply for permanent residency. The Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme visa (subclass 857) | 
