The 187 visa is a permanent visa for skilled foreign workers who have a nominating employer in a regional or low population growth area of Australia
The 187 visa allows you to
- Stay in Australia permanently
- Work and study in Australia
- Enrol in Medicare (Australia’s public healthcare system)
- Sponsor your relatives to come to Australia
- Travel to and from Australia for 5 years
- Apply for Australian Citizenship (If eligible)
- Include your family: 187 visa holders may be able to include the below family members to their application
- partner
- dependent child
- partner’s dependent child
- Family members must meet the health and character requirements.
If you already hold a permanent 187 (RSMS) Visa and you would like to bring your family to Australia, you will need to apply for one of the family visas.
Employer Nomination
Applicants must be nominated for by an Australian employer before applying for this visa and must apply within 6 months of the nomination being approved if the applications aren’t lodged together.
The visa cannot be granted if:
- the nomination is withdrawn, or
- the position is no longer available
Length of stay
This is a permanent visa, however, the 187 visa has a travel component that expires 5 years after the date of visa grant.
After this time, applicants can apply for one of the below:
- Australian Citizenship
- Resident Return Visa
Eligibility
You may be able to apply for a Subclass 187 Visa through the direct entry stream if you meet the following requirements:
1. Experience
Unless exempt, most applicants must have at least three years of relevant work experience in their occupation.
Applicants who are exempt from the skills assessment requirement are also exempt from the work experience requirement.
2. English
The primary applicant for the 186 Visa must have Competent English.
English Exemption
You are exempt from this requirement if you have completed at least five years of full-time study at a secondary or higher education institution where all tuition was conducted in English.
3. Age
Typically, you must be under 45 years of age when you apply. You are exempt from this criterion if any of the following applies to you:
- You are nominated as an academic (university lecturer or faculty head at Academic Level A, B, C, D, or E) by an Australian university.
- You are nominated as a scientist, researcher, or technical specialist at ANZSCO skill level 1 or 2 by an Australian scientific government agency or university.
- You are nominated as a medical practitioner and have worked in the occupation in a designated regional area of Australia for at least two years in the three years immediately before you apply as a subclass 457 or 482 visa holder. The nominated position must also be in a designated regional area.
- As a subclass 457 or 482 visa holder, you have worked in the nominated occupation for the nominating employer for at least two years within the three years immediately before you apply, and your earnings for each year of that period were at least equivalent to the Fair Work High Income Threshold.
4. Transitional Arrangements
If you held (or had applied for and were later granted) a subclass 457 visa on 18 April 2017, you can still apply for this visa if you are under 50 when you apply.
5. Health & Character
Meet the health, character and age requirements (Unless you are exempt)
6. Nomination
You must be nominated by an Australian employer and apply for the 187 visa within 6 months of the nomination being approved (If the visa and nomination applications were not lodged at the same time)
The visa will not be granted if the nomination is withdrawn. The Department does not link new nominations to existing visa applications.
Cost Estimate: From AUD4,770.00
