The Australian migration system has a long history of utilising newcomers to Australia as a way of shaping Australia’s future economy and its population. Over the last several years, there has been a significant push for increased regional migration to Australia. This move to the bush has been a key component of the government’s policy agenda in its attempt to move migrants away from the hotspots of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
Regional migration, in particular, is a component of the larger population policy, with goals of both supporting in-demand skill sectors and addressing the imbalance in which major cities are the only options for where people want to live in Australia.
Australia has historically had a large majority of its migrants making their lives in either Melbourne, Sydney or, to a lesser extent, Brisbane. This continued population clustering in the major cities led to a situation where there was a push for more migration, but with the explicit stipulation that newcomers focus more on regional areas.
To do this, the government is in the process of rolling out a number of policy packages that offer incentives for people to head to the bush. This move also provides a boon to regional Australia, which has in recent years faced dwindling population numbers in addition to skill shortages in key sectors such as healthcare, aged care and construction.
As part of its regional migration strategy, the government currently offers the following key Australian work visas for skilled workers interested in regional settlement:
The Subclass 491 visa is a new and highly points-boosting visa designed for skilled workers to work and live in the regions. The visa, which allows workers to live and work in regional areas for up to five years, is targeted at skilled workers with sponsorship from a State or Territory government or a family member in regional areas. Migrants can apply for permanent residency after three years of regional work and residence on a Subclass 191 visa.
The Subclass 494 visa is a regional employer-sponsored visa aimed at addressing skills shortages in designated regional areas of Australia. It allows skilled workers to live, work, and study in regional areas for up to five years with the support of an approved employer. Applicants must be nominated for a position in a regional location and meet skills assessment and English requirements. After three years of living and working in regional Australia on this visa, holders may become eligible to apply for permanent residency through the Subclass 191 Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa.
In contrast to the Subclass 491, DAMAs are a set of special migration agreements between the Federal government and a particular regional area. As the name suggests, DAMAs are introduced by the Federal government to facilitate movement and work in specific regions. These visas are custom-made for the specific needs of a particular region in terms of occupations, skills and even language requirements. As one might imagine, many of these roles are in essential industries and hard-to-fill occupations in regional towns and communities such as healthcare, construction, education and tourism.
As Australia continues to push migrants to regional areas, there are many incentives to opt for regional migration over traditional options. These include:
Consulting professionals when applying is crucial. A number of applicants have been known to seek assistance from migration agents in Brisbane and other capital cities to help ensure that all eligibility requirements are met and to explain the different work visa pathways to Australia.
For skilled workers who wish to move regionally within Australia or those coming from overseas, regional visas and policies have much to offer. However, some challenges to regional migration and life in regional Australia include:
Successful regional settlement addresses these issues in partnership between government, employers, and communities. Regional settlement programs are now increasingly aligned with regional integration initiatives, such as community welcome programs and job placement services for accompanying partners.
Australia’s migration policy is designed to drive population growth and workforce distribution in a way that best benefits Australia’s economic, social and cultural development.
Regional visas will be a clearer pathway to permanent residency, and they will continue to increase opportunities for skilled workers and their families across regional Australia.
Programs such as the Subclass 491, Subclass 494 and the DAMAs are being designed with this in mind, building a flexible system that works for both migrants and the communities that welcome them.
Success will be measured in years to come, not only in jobs but in towns rejuvenated, services maintained, and populations rebalanced.
In sum, migration to regional Australia has become a crucial component of the country’s population strategy. The primary policy lever is the Subclass 491 visa or Subclass 494, along with pathways such as the DAMAs, which encourage skilled workers to live and work outside major cities.
The opportunity for migrants is not just a pathway to temporary work but the real chance of permanency, career development, and a rewarding lifestyle. It’s not always easy to find the right pathway through the system, which is why many applicants are enlisting professional help, including migration agents in Canberra who specialise in these regional visa pathways.
Regional migration is more than a policy lever. It’s a vision for a stronger, better-balanced Australia, where communities in regional Australia can grow, alongside metropolitan centres, and in doing so, shape the nation’s future.
