Skilled migrants who commit to living and working in Barker will now have access to two new skilled provisional visas, as part of the Morrison Government’s commitment to tackling skills shortages in regional Australia.

Successful visa applicants will become eligible to apply for permanent residency if they can demonstrate they have lived and worked in regional Australia for three years.

Member for Barker, Tony Pasin said the visas will help businesses in Barker to fill vacant jobs faster and provide additional incentives for skilled migrants and their families to settle and remain in the region.

“Our first priority is always to fill jobs with locals or other Australian workers, but the immigration system can play a role in helping to address our skills gaps and grow our economy,” Mr Pasin said.

“By requiring migrants to live and work in the regions for at least three years we are encouraging them to put down roots, become part of our community and stay longer term,”

“Applicants for the two new visas will receive priority processing and have access to a wider range of jobs than those applying to migrate to our major cities,” Mr Pasin said.

The two new skilled regional provisional visas are:

  • Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa: for people sponsored by an employer in regional Australia.
  • Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa: for people who are nominated by a State or Territory government or sponsored by an eligible family member to live and work in regional Australia.

The new visas build on the Government’s ongoing regional migration initiatives, which have seen a 124 per cent increase the number of regional visas granted in the first quarter of this programme year.

This year, the Government has reduced the cap on Australia’s permanent migration programme from 190,000 to 160,000.  Within that reduced cap, the number of places allocated to regional visas has increased to 25,000.

Seven Designated Area Migration Agreements (DAMAs) have been signed with regions around the country to address their specific skilled migration needs. 

The Government has also deployed a team of Regional Outreach Officers to promote skilled migration initiatives and provide dedicated support to regional employers, helping them understand their options to attract and retain skilled migrants.

For more information visit: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/working-in-australia/regional-migration

Media Contact: Charlotte Edmunds 8531 2466