There’s big news for eligible subclass 482 holders on the Regional Occupation List
The Department of Home Affairs this week announced a permanent residency pathway for Regional Occupation List (ROL) 482 holders who meet the following criteria:
– Have been in Australia for 12 months between 1 February 2020 and 14 December 2022. You do not need to have held a 457 or 482 on 1 February 2020 but at the time of applying for PR, you must have worked for three years with the same sponsor on a 457 visa and/or 482 visas.
– Been working for your 482 sponsor for at least three years (of the past four years)** in the nominated occupation while holding a 457 or 482 visa or a combination of the two. If you transferred your 482 visa to another sponsor, your three years started again.
– Meet all other requirements such as your 482 sponsor being willing to nominate you on the 186 visa, be under the age of 45 at the time of application and meet the English test requirement (where applicable)
**At the current time, any period of employment spent on a Bridging Visa A (for example, from the end of a first 482 and the decision on a second 482) cannot be counted towards the three years.
The news comes as part of the Government’s pledge to improve access to permanent residency for people who remained in Australia and contributed to our economic recovery during the pandemic.
This PR pathway is open to applications until 30 June 2024 (pending final confirmation).
If you’re eligible, we highly recommend you go ahead as soon as you can. The sooner you secure PR, the sooner you’ll qualify for Australian citizenship. There are many benefits to Australian permanent residency and citizenship, including wider access to grants, jobs and reduced education fees.
PROCESSING TIME
At the current time, 50% of applications are decided within five months. Longer processing times are often attributed to incomplete documents or slow responses to Immigration’s requests for further information.
Whilst we can’t guarantee processing within a certain timeframe, we can ensure that your application is in great shape when it is picked up by a Case Officer and reduce the likelihood that you’ll be delayed by requests for further information.
NEXT STEPS
The employer will need to nominate your occupation and satisfy other criteria. If you choose to use a Registered Migration Agent, we can manage things from your employer’s side, as well as manage the immigration paperwork for you and any family members.
To check your eligibility for this pathway, or if your employer would like more information, contact us for a free assessment.