Applying for Permanent Residency

For 489 Visa Holders

If your objective is Permanent Residency, you need to understand The Skilled Regional visa (subclass 887).

This is a permanent visa for people who have lived and worked in specified areas of regional Australia. Visa sub-class 489 recipients are eligible to apply for this.

The requirements include having:

• lived in a regional Australia/low population growth metropolitan area for at least two years if you were nominated by a state or territory government
• lived in a designated area of Australia for at least two years if you were sponsored by an eligible relative
• worked full time (usually at least 35 hours a week) in a specified regional area for at least a year while you held your eligible visa
• complied with the conditions attached to your eligible visa or your Bridging visa.

You can meet the work requirement if you worked at least 35 hours a week in one full-time job or in two part-time jobs.  You can include any paid employment or self-employment, and you will need to be able to provide evidence of your employment claims.

"Visa Condition: 8539 - MUST STAY IN SPECIFIED AREA" Appears on 489 visa grant notices
This means….
While the visa holder is in Australia, the holder must live, study and work only in an area specified by the Minister in an instrument in writing for item 6A1001 of Schedule 6A or item 6D101 of Schedule 6D, as in force:

1. when the visa was granted; or
2. if the holder has held more than 1 visa that is subject to this condition — when the first of those visas was granted.

If still unclear by what time relocation from a metropolitan city must occur or if there is flexibility in relation to this condition, please contact the Department of Home Affairs.

As stated when RDA Northern Inland provides a letter of support, we expect relocation to this region within three months of a visa granting and a genuine effort to find employment in this region should occur before a job-search is broadened.

For 491 Visa Holders

If you want to stay in Australia permanently and you or your partner have satisfied the work and residence requirements, you might be eligible for Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (subclass 191).

With the Skilled Regional Visa (191) you can:

• stay in Australia permanently
• work and study in Australia
• enrol in Australia's public health care scheme, Medicare
• sponsor your relatives to come to Australia
• travel to and from Australia for 5 years
• if eligible, apply for Australian citizenship