Skilled Independent Regional (Provisional) Visa
Subclass 495 - (The 'SIR' Visa)

This visa was introduced to encourage immigration to the regional areas of Australia, away from the overcrowded city areas of Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth.

The SIR visa is a temporary visa lasting 3 years.

With a lower point requirement than the Skilled Independent Visa Subclass 136, the SIR visa is easier to apply for.  You will need to apply for State or Territory sponsorship to live in particular areas of that State. Only South Australia is offering a SIR visa for their whole State, including the city of Adelaide. Other States - Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania, Western Australia  and New South Wales, all have different programs to encourage particular skills into particular regional areas. Migrants considering a SIR visa need to carefully check where they want to live and work, and the local conditions. 

Graduate Students who do not meet the pass mark for a Skilled Independent Visa (120 points after April 2005) can look at the opportunities offered by the SIR visa. As a Graduate Student from an approved college in Australia, you can apply without leaving Australia (check our website to see if you have the requirements to apply ‘Onshore’).

Regional Australia offers many advantages. The towns are clean and peaceful, the air is smog-free.  Fast roads make it possible to drive to the beach or the city for weekends. State education for school-aged children is free in some areas - NSW for one.  After your initial 2 years on the Provisional visa, you can apply for permanent residence with all the usual health and education services.

If you are prepared to do some research into the job and business opportunities, regional Australia could be a wonderful beginning.