New Pathways To Permanent Residence In Regional Australia

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New Pathways To Permanent Residence In Regional Australia

Businesses have long been advocating for more flexible migration laws to accommodate for labour shortages in regional areas – and it looks like the Government is listening. As part of its focus on alleviating population pressures in Sydney and Melbourne, various regional migration agreements are being fast-tracked across the country.

Written by Sheila Woods of Interstaff 19 March 2019

Read on for updates on Australia’s regional migration agreements (otherwise known as Designated Area Migration Agreements or DAMA’s) and the areas in which they are being established.

117 occupations open for skilled migrants in Northern Territory

The Northern Territory Government has recently signed a second Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA), which came into effect on 1 January 2019 and will be in place for the next five years. The agreement will enable employers to engage overseas workers in the Territory under a much broader range of occupations for the Subclass 482 Temporary Skills Shortage Visa. The Northern Territory’s previous migration agreement only applied to occupations in the childcare, tourism and hospitality industry, whereas the new agreement recognises 117 skilled and semi-skilled occupations and offers permanent residence pathways to attract more people to live and work in the region. Occupations on the skilled occupation list range from cooks to family day care workers to motor mechanics.

Northern Territory agricultural businesses have however protested against their inability to use the agreement to attract and retain workers under occupations such as ‘farm hands.’ Overseas workers may also be eligible for cash incentives of more than $15,000 over five years to move to the Northern Territory to work in ‘high priority jobs’ as part of the Northern Territory’s Population Growth Strategy 2018-2028.

Great South Coast Region (Warrnambool) Migration Agreement

The Government has also recently signed a five-year migration agreement for Victoria’s Great South Coast region, which will allow employers to sponsor overseas workers for occupations not available under standard visa arrangements, with some concessions for English language requirements and salary levels. The agreement will mainly assist businesses in the agriculture and hospitality industries facing labour shortages in the area. Similar to the Northern Territory migration agreement, DAMA visa holders will be provided a pathway to permanent residence.

The Pilbara Migration Agreement

The Government has made significant progress to establish a migration agreement in the Pilbara region to address labour shortages in the hospitality, childcare and administration sectors. The proposed agreement will provide concessions to the criteria to engage overseas visa holders on a Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) 482 Visa for several occupations, including childcare workers, teacher’s aides, waiters, office managers, book keepers, sales assistants, commercial cleaners and livestock farm workers, with further occupations under negotiation. MP Federal Member for Durack, Melissa Price believes the Pilbara Migration Agreement could come into effect as soon as the next few months saying, “the main elements are already in place.”

The Goldfields Migration Agreement

The Commonwealth has signed a DAMA with the Kalgoorlie-Boulder region in Western Australia to allow businesses to access 500 overseas workers per year across 73 different skills in the mining, engineering, construction, childcare and health industries. The migration agreement is set to increase the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder’s population by 10,000 people within a few years.

South Australia Migration Agreements

A five-year agreement has been signed for regional South Australia to allow businesses to sponsor up to 750 overseas workers per year in 114 different skills. An Adelaide City Technology and Innovation Advancement Agreement has also been signed, opening up opportunities for 300 migrants in 60 different occupations to work in the designated area.

Other migration agreements in regional Australia

The Government is also currently in discussions with several other regional councils experiencing skill shortages including Cairns in far North Queensland and the Orana region in central New South Wales. We will continue to keep you updated on these developments as further information comes to light.

Interstaff assist people all over the world with the legal and professional process to travel or migrate to Australia for temporary work or permanent residence. Established in 1988, Interstaff has been trusted by migrating individuals and businesses for over 30 years and are the strongest group of experts for visa work in Australia. MARN: 0533879.

Moving Abroad Checklist

Initial Considerations

Will your partner be travelling with you?

If so, what will they be giving up in your present home and will they be able to continue with their career in your new home? You will need to check whether a separate visa is required for your partner to work or if your visa gives that right. If they are unable to work you will need to decide on the effect on your finances and what alternatives are available to give a fulfilling life (home business, training, voluntary work).

Are you taking family with you?

Moving with family raises many exciting opportunities, but also can create challenges. The HSBC Expat Explorer survey indicates that expat kids can take six months to settle in to their new country (see article). Getting young or even older children to prepare to move and leave their friends and family behind can be a challenge and should be thought through.

The options for education is another area that needs to be thought through.

Moving your child to a new country with a different education system can be a great opportunity to broaden their experience, but if they are close to key exams the timing can make this inadvisable. If you do take your family with you, it is important to decide between joining the local school system or choosing an international school.

Where will you be living?

Whether you will be living in a house or apartment, furnished or unfurnished, these decisions will affect what you need to take with you. The time you are planning to live overseas will also affect whether you should leave your property at home empty, rent it out or sell it. See the article Sell, Store or Ship.