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

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 visa, or
• Bridging visa A or Bridging visa B, after having made a valid application for a subclass 489, 495 or 487 visa, or
• where a subclass 887 visa is lodged outside Australia during the concession period, a visa mentioned above that 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 visa.

Note: The person seeking to satisfy the primary criteria will be the person who seeks to meet the 887 work and residence requirements.
Last update: 2021년 8월 24일