Australia Skilled Regional Permanent Visa (Subclass 887)

Australia Skilled Regional Permanent Visa (Subclass 887)

This visa is for people who have lived and worked in specified areas of regional Australia on a previous, eligible visa.

With this visa, you can

• stay in Australia permanently
• work and study in Australia
• enroll 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

How long can you stay?

This is a permanent visa. It lets you stay in Australia indefinitely.

The visa has a travel component that expires 5 years after the date of the visa grant.

For citizenship purposes, your permanent residence starts on the day:

• we grant the visa if you are in Australia.
• you enter Australia on this visa if you are outside Australia.

Include family

You can include members of the family unit in your application if they currently hold an eligible visa. You must include each family member who is eligible to apply for this visa at the time you lodge your application.  You can’t add family members after you have submitted your application.

You can include family members who no longer meet the standard definition of a member of the family unit provided they hold an eligible visa that was granted on the basis that they were a member of your family unit. This provision would apply, for example, if you want to include a child in your application who has turned 23 years of age since they were granted an eligible visa.

Family members included in your application must meet the health and character requirements. Family members not accompanying you to Australia may also need to meet our health and character requirements.

New-born children

If you have a child who was born either in or outside Australia since you were granted your current visa you must tell us about your child before you lodge this application. Find out what to do if your child is born after we grant your current visa. If we have not linked your child’s current visa to their passport you will be unable to lodge their application online.

Eligibility Criteria

• COVID-19 Concessions

From 19 September 2020, COVID concessions to lodgement and eligibility requirements will be available to eligible prospective Skilled – Regional visa (subclass 887) applicants where they meet the criteria set out below.

Applicants outside of Australia

Eligible prospective subclass 887 visa applicants can make their visa application outside Australia during the concession period and be granted the visa while they are outside Australia. Applicants outside of Australia who lodge during the concession period are given access to shorter employment requirements and shorter residence requirements.

These applicants must provide evidence of at least:

• 9 months full-time work in a specified regional area (or, if the Minister specifies a shorter period in a legislative instrument, that shorter period), and
• 18 months residence in a specified regional area (or, if the Minister specifies a shorter period in a legislative instrument, that shorter period).

Applicants inside Australia

Eligible prospective subclass 887 applicants inside Australia who lodge during the concession period are given access to shorter employment requirements.

These applicants must provide evidence of at least:

• 9 months of full-time work in a specified regional area, and
• 2 years of residence in a specified regional area.

Eligibility for the shorter employment and residence periods for subclass 887 visa applicants entitled to the COVID-19 concessions

• Have an eligible visa

All applicants must be in Australia and hold an eligible visa at the time a subclass 887 visa application is made unless COVID-19 concessions apply.

An eligible visa is a:

• subclass 489, 495, 496, 475, or 487 visas, or
• Bridging visa, A or Bridging visa B, after having made a valid application for a subclass 489, 495, or 487 visas, or
• where a subclass 887 visa is lodged outside Australia during the concession period, a visa mentioned above expired during the concession period while the holder was outside Australia.

The person seeking to satisfy the primary criteria must also have held one or more of the following eligible visas for a total of 2 years before a subclass 887 visa application is made:

• 489, 495, 496, 475 or 487 visas.

Note: The person seeking to satisfy the primary criteria will be the person who seeks to meet the 887 work and residence requirements.

• Meet the residence requirement

When you apply for this visa, you must have worked full-time for at least 12 months (unless COVID-19 concessions apply), as the holder of one or more eligible visas:

• in a regional or low-population growth metropolitan area, if a state or territory government nominated you for your eligible visa, or
• a designated area of Australia if a family member had sponsored you for your eligible visa.

Full-time work means 35 hours per week.  You can combine work in concurrent part-time employment to satisfy this requirement. You can work in your nominated occupation or any other occupation.

• Have complied with conditions of eligible visa

You, and any family members holding an eligible visa, must have complied with the conditions attached to your eligible visa when in Australia. This requirement applies for the whole period you hold the visa(s).

• Have the required level of English language test score
• Meet the character requirement
• Sign the Australian values statement
• Have paid back the debt to the Australian Government
• Not have had a visa canceled or a previous application refused