The government has recently announced an increase in the number of visa places for regional Australia with 23,000 skilled visas being reserved for those willing to live and work in regional areas.
There will be two new regional visas introduced in November 2019 – Skilled Employer Sponsored Visa and Skilled Work Regional Visa. Under the two new regional visa categories, skilled migrants will be priority processed and will have access to a larger pool of jobs on the eligible occupation lists compared to those who live in our major cities.
Visa holders of these visa types will also be required to spend at least three years in regional areas in order to become eligible to apply for permanent residency. A new permanent regional visa will be introduced in 2022. International Students will be able to access an additional year of post-study visa if they study in an educational institution in the regions outside of Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Southeast Queensland.