The Regional Skilled Migration Scheme subclass 187 visa enables a regional employer to sponsor an overseas skilled worker for permanent residency in Australia.
The employer must be based in regional Australia. Regional Australia excludes the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Newcastle, Sydney, Wollongong, Melbourne and, as of March 2017, Perth.
How do you sponsor a candidate for a RSMS subclass 187?
To be able to sponsor a candidate for a RSMS 187 visa, employers need to follow these steps:
1. Nominate a position from the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL).
actively and lawfully operate a business in regional Australia
establish the business need for an employee to fill the position
offer a position in the skilled worker applicant’s field that is full time lasting for at least 2 years
pay a market salary rate
show that you comply with Australian immigration and workplace relations law
2. Elect one of the three streams of sponsorship. These are:
Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream: If the candidate you are sponsoring is already your employee on a 457 visa who has been residing in Australia for 2 years and has been has been carrying out the same occupation with you, you can use this pathyway to sponsor an employee to go from a 457 visa to permanent residency.
Age restriction: the candidate applying through the TRT stream must not be aged more than 50 years of age at the time of application.
Direct Entry stream: this is for employers looking to sponsor a candidate directly into a permanent position or sponsor a temporary resident who does not qualify for the Temporary Residence Transition stream. You may be asked to engage a Regional Certifying Body for their advice in relation to a Direct Entry stream position.
Age restriction: the candidate applying through the Direct Entry stream must not be aged more than 45 years of age at the time of application.
Our experienced migration agents can guide you on meeting the nomination criteria, help your candidate obtain the necessary skill assessments and represent both of you in dealings with the Immigration Department.
Agreement stream: this is for an employee who is a 457 visa holder that has been negotiated through a formal labour agreement.
3. The Immigration Department approves the nomination.
4. The candidate submits the visa application.
For a candidate to qualify for this visa, they must:
have an occupation that is included on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL);
show they are qualified in the nominated occupation by presenting recognized qualifications and experience and/or having their trade skills assessed by the relevant assessment authority;
pass character, health, language and age checks.
Plan Ahead
In March 2018, employers will incur a training levy. Businesses with an annual turnover of less than $10 million, the one-off levy will be $3000. For businesses with an annual turnover of more than $10 million , the one-off levy will be $5000.