Australia has recently introduced two new regional visas: Subclass 491 & 494. Both are temporary visas for skilled workers.
Interestingly, the visa is a route to Australian PR & even citizenship.
However, it would be interesting to consider the pros and cons of these provisional skilled worker visas.
Advantages
- Regional visa holders can work and live in certain regions of Australia, such as Melbourne, Sydney & Brisbane any many other cities. They offer a lot of exposure to different cultures & opportunities.
- Enjoy free access to medical care. The children of regional visa holders are also facilitated with free public education. This will help reduce the cost of living as well as medical expenses.
- It offers an additional year on their post-graduate work visa for international students who have completed their studies in a specific region.
- And the most important benefit is qualified regional visa holders are entitled to apply for Australia PR. This takes place after 3 years of residence in a specific region or area.
Disadvantages
- Before you can apply for PR, you must remain in that particular region for at least 3 years.
- Visa holders must meet the minimum annual income required to apply for the Permanent Resident visa. In this case it is AUD 53,900/year.
- A recent study by George Tan & Andreas Cebulla of the University of Adelaide found that most area immigrants find it difficult to find a job that matches their experience.
- Another disadvantage is the work experience in Australia. It has been found that most employers are likely to require candidates to have Australian work experience. This is unlikely to favor new regional skilled immigrants.
Phoenix GRS is one of the best immigration consultants for Australia. We offer advice on immigration programs such as PR Visa, Visitor Visa, Invest Visa and Study Visa.
