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.
In November 2019, the Direct Entry Stream of the 187 Visa was replaced by the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) – Subclass 494 Visa.
APPLICANTS CAN STILL APPLY FOR THE 187 VISA THROUGH THE TRANSITION STREAM.
The 187 Visa (RSMS) previously had two streams:
DIRECT ENTRY STREAM: This stream is no longer accepting applications (from 15th November 2019).
TRANSITIONAL STREAM: For 457 or 482 TSS Visa holders who have worked for their nominating employer for a minimum of two or three years.
Applicants must agree to remain employed with their nominating employer in regional Australia for a minimum of 2 years after their 187 visa approval.
This permanent Regional Sponsored Migration Stream (RSMS) Subclass 187 Visa allows skilled overseas workers to live and work in a regional area of Australia.
187 Visa holders can:
work in Australia indefinitely
study in Australia
travel to and from Australia for 5 years
apply for Australian citizenship, if eligible
Applying for a 187 Visa (Transition Stream TRT). You may be eligible to apply for a 187 (RSMS) permanent visa if you meet the below requirements:
You have been working for your employer for 2 or 3 years, while holding a 457 or 482 visa
you have an occupation that is on the relevant skilled occupations list
your employer is located in a regional area of Australia
have at least competent English or acceptable school English certificates
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 in 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 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the nomination is withdrawn, or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
You may be eligible to apply for a 187 (RSMS) permanent visa
You may be able to apply for a Subclass 187 Visa through the direct entry stream if you meet the following requirements:
Work Experience
You must have been working for your employer for at least 2 or 3 years, while holding a 457 Visa or 482 TSS Visa.
English
You must provide evidence of competent English, which can be evidenced by one of the below:
A valid passport from the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, New Zealand or the Republic of Ireland; or
IELTS – Minimum score of 6 in each component
OET – Minimum score of B in each component
TOEFL iBT – Minimum scores of 12 for listening, 13 for reading, 21 for writing and 18 for speaking
PTE – Minimum score of 50 in each component; or
5 years of full-time study in a secondary or higher education institution where all tuition was delivered in English
Age
You are under 45 years of age, or you may be older than 45 years if you are exempt. See 186 & 187 Visa age exemptions.
Health & Character
Meet the health, character and age requirements (unless you are exempt).
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.
Subclass 187 Visa Estimated Cost
Visa application fee estimator
This fee estimator will calculate your visa and nomination application charges. Professional fee not included.
Contact us for a personalised quote — the live calculator from the original PHP site has not been ported in this static rewrite.
Include your family in your Regional Sponsor Migration Scheme Subclass 187 Visa
187 visa holders may be able to include the below family members in their application:
Dependent children / step-children
Partner’s dependent child or children
Partner
Partners
Your married or de facto partner can be the same or opposite sex. Applicants must prove:
the relationship is genuine and continuing
you live together, or do not live separately on a permanent basis
your partner is at least 18 years of age when the application is lodged (there are some exceptions)
you are not related by family (if you are in a de facto relationship)
you and your partner have a mutual commitment to a shared life to the exclusion of all others
Children
To be eligible to be included or added to a 187 visa, a child must:
be your child or a stepchild from a current or a previous relationship (in certain circumstances)
not be married, engaged to be married, or have a de facto partner
be under 18 years of age, OR over 18 but not yet 23 and dependent on you or your partner, OR over 23 and unable to earn a living due to physical or cognitive limitations
English
Applicants over 18 must demonstrate Functional English. You can choose to pay an additional fee for family members who have less than functional English.
Health & Character
All family members must meet the health and character requirements. All applicants over 16 must provide police clearances.
DIRECT ENTRY STREAM
In November 2019, the Direct Entry Stream of the 187 Visa was replaced by the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) – Subclass 494 Visa.
Applicants can still apply for the 187 visa through the Transition Stream.
TEMPORARY RESIDENCE TRANSITION STREAM (TRT)
Applicants must hold a 457 visa or a TSS visa
Applicants must have worked for their employer full-time for two or three years (depending on when your visa was lodged)
Applicants must be nominated by an employer
→ If your 457 visa was lodged before 18 April 2017, see the detailed 457 to permanent residency requirements.
→ If your 457 visa was lodged after 18 April 2017, check the TSS to permanent residency detailed requirements.
