Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme

A transitional 457 worker is defined in Australian migration law as a person who held a Subclass 457 (Temporary Work Skilled) visa at any time on or after 18 April 2017. That date matters because it was when the Australian Government announced the abolition of the 457 visa. Anyone who held a 457 from that date onward retained protected transitional rights including access to the 187 TRT stream.

The 457 visa itself was abolished and replaced by the 482 TSS visa from March 2018. You do not need to currently hold a 457 to be a transitional 457 worker. You just need to have held one at some point on or after 18 April 2017. If you held a 457 before that date but it expired before April 2017, you would not qualify as a transitional 457 worker. If you held it on or after that date, even briefly, you likely do.

Yes, but only through the Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream and only for a specific group of applicants. The Direct Entry (DE) stream closed permanently on 16 November 2019 and was replaced by the Subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa. New applications under DE are not accepted and will not be.

The TRT stream remains open for transitional 457 workers (those who held a 457 on or after 18 April 2017) and transitional 482 workers (those who held or applied for a 482 medium-term stream visa on or before 20 March 2019). If you do not fall into one of those two definitions, the 187 is not available to you. Workers on the current Skills in Demand (482) visa apply for permanent residency through the 186 ENS TRT stream or the 494/191 pathway instead.

The 187 TRT stream requires Competent English. This means a minimum score of 6.0 in each of the four bands (listening, reading, writing and speaking) in the IELTS Academic or General test, or the equivalent in an accepted alternative test. Accepted alternatives include PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, OET and Cambridge C1 Advanced. The test must have been completed within 3 years before the date of application.

The per-band requirement is strict. Scoring 7.5, 7.5, 7.5 and 5.5 would fail the requirement despite the high overall performance, because the writing band falls below 6.0. Citizens of the United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada, New Zealand and the Republic of Ireland are exempt from the English test requirement entirely. Applicants who have completed at least 5 years of full-time study in which the sole language of instruction was English may also qualify for an exemption in some circumstances. Those earning above the Fair Work High Income Threshold may also have access to an exemption in certain cases.

Generally no. The TRT stream does not require a formal skills assessment in the way that the Direct Entry stream or independent points-tested visas do. This is one of the key advantages of the TRT pathway: your 2-year employment record with the sponsoring employer serves as the evidence of your suitability for the role, replacing the need for a formal assessment from an independent assessing authority.

There are narrow circumstances where a skills assessment might still be required or where one could strengthen a borderline application. For example, if there are concerns about whether your previous role genuinely matches the nominated occupation, or if the occupation has been the subject of fraud concerns and the Department requests additional evidence. In standard TRT cases these situations are uncommon. We confirm whether an assessment is needed in your specific case before application.

The 187 and 186 share the same TRT stream eligibility criteria. The same work history requirement, age limit, English requirement and transitional worker definitions apply to both. The only structural difference is the employer's location. Where the nominating employer is in a designated regional area (outside greater Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth), the 187 applies. Where the employer is in a metropolitan area or anywhere in Australia, the 186 applies.

This means two workers with identical visa history working at different branches of the same company could be applying for different visa subclasses solely based on postcode. The outcome is the same: permanent residency. The post-grant 2-year obligation to work for the regional employer in the nominated occupation applies to the 187 but not in the same way to the 186, where there is no mandatory regional living requirement post-grant. If you change jobs before applying and your new employer is metropolitan, you may be looking at a 186 rather than a 187.

Almost certainly not through the 187. The Skills in Demand (482) visa was introduced on 7 December 2024 as a rebrand and reform of the TSS (482) visa. Holders of the current SID visa do not meet the definition of a transitional 482 worker, which required you to have held or applied for a medium-term 482 on or before 20 March 2019.

If your employer is in regional Australia, your permanent residency pathway from the current SID (482) visa is the 186 ENS Temporary Residence Transition stream, not the 187. The 186 TRT operates on the same eligibility principles (2 years with the same employer) but applies regardless of whether the employer is metropolitan or regional. If you are genuinely unsure which pathway applies to you, a consultation will clarify this quickly. Do not assume the visa number based on your employer's location alone without checking your specific visa history.

The standard age requirement for the 187 TRT stream is under 45 at the time the visa application is lodged. This is assessed at lodgement, not at the time of grant. If you turn 45 after lodging the application, that does not affect your eligibility.

An age exemption applies for certain legacy 457 holders. If you held a Subclass 457 on 18 April 2017 and you are under 50 at the time of application, you may qualify for the age exemption under the transitional provisions. A separate exemption applies for applicants who earn at or above the Fair Work High Income Threshold for the relevant period (currently $183,100 per year), as very high earners in certain circumstances may be exempt from the age requirement. There is also a specific exemption for regional medical practitioners who meet particular criteria. These exemptions require careful assessment of your individual visa history and earnings. Do not assume an exemption applies without professional advice.

No, not for the TRT stream. This was changed by the Migration Amendment Regulations that came into effect on 25 November 2023. Prior to that change, applicants in the TRT stream still needed their occupation to appear on a relevant occupation list. The 2023 amendments removed that requirement, ensuring that workers would not lose their permanent residence pathway simply because their occupation was removed from a skilled visa list while they were working toward the 2-year threshold.

The occupation nominated for the 187 must still be the same occupation (or the same 4-digit ANZSCO group) as the occupation nominated on your most recent 457 or 482 visa. The list restriction has been removed, but the consistency requirement between your temporary and permanent nomination remains. This is primarily relevant for people whose occupations have been reclassified or removed from lists during their temporary visa period.

You must have worked for the nominating employer in the nominated occupation on a full-time basis for at least 2 years in the 3 years immediately before the date the visa application is lodged. This was reduced from the previous 3 years in 4 years requirement by the November 2023 amendments. The work must have been performed while you held your 457 or 482 visa and employed by the nominating employer.

Time spent on a bridging visa associated with a 457 or 482 application that is pending or was subsequently granted can count toward this requirement in certain circumstances. Time spent working for a different employer, even if in the same occupation, does not count. Short periods of unpaid leave may not interrupt the count, but extended unpaid leave or leave without pay will generally need to be considered on its facts. If your employment history has any gaps or complications, get advice on whether your record is sufficient before lodging.

This is one of the most complex situations in 187 applications and requires urgent attention. The nomination for the 187 TRT stream must come from the employer who sponsored your most recent 457 or 482 visa. If that employer has closed, sold the business, or undergone a significant restructure, the nomination requirement may be affected depending on how the change occurred.

Where a business has been sold or transferred as a going concern and you have continued in the same role with the new entity, there may be arguments that the succession of the employment relationship satisfies the requirement. Where the employer has simply closed and you moved to a different company, the 187 TRT pathway may be blocked and alternative options such as the 186 DE stream (if eligible) or other visa classes may need to be explored. Mergers, restructures, and de-mergers are assessed individually. If anything has changed with your employer's business structure, disclose this and get advice before lodging any application.

The Skilling Australians Fund levy is paid by the employer at the time the nomination is lodged. For the 187, it is a one-off payment because the 187 is a permanent visa. The amount is $3,000 for small businesses (annual turnover below $10 million) and $5,000 for all other businesses. This is a non-refundable Government charge payable regardless of whether the nomination or visa is approved.

It is illegal for the employer to require the worker to pay, contribute to, or repay the SAF levy. Employment contracts that include such provisions are unenforceable. If your employer has suggested you should pay this cost, seek independent advice. The levy is separate from professional fees charged by a migration agent or lawyer and from the visa application charge payable by the visa applicant to the Department of Home Affairs.

Yes, for the first 2 years after grant. As a condition of the 187 visa, you must continue working for your nominating employer in regional Australia in the nominated occupation for at least 2 years from the date the visa is granted. This is a visa condition, not an aspiration. Breaching it can have consequences for your permanent residence status and for future citizenship applications.

After the 2-year post-grant employment obligation is satisfied, you have unrestricted work rights and can live anywhere in Australia, change employers, change occupation, move to a city, or do anything you would expect as an Australian permanent resident. The 2-year obligation applies to you as the primary visa holder. Your partner and children included as secondary applicants must live in the regional area with you during this period but are not subject to the employment obligation themselves.

This is a critical issue. The 187 TRT nomination must come from the employer who holds the most recently approved nomination for your 457 or 482 visa. If you change employers before applying for the 187, the new employer becomes your sponsor and must be the nominating employer for the 187. This means you would need to accumulate a fresh 2-year work history with the new employer in their regional location before the nomination can be lodged.

Additionally, as of November 2025, new regulations require that the employer held a valid sponsorship for the entire period of employment being claimed for TRT purposes. Periods of employment during which your sponsor's approval had lapsed may not count. If you are close to the 2-year mark with your current employer and considering a job change, get advice on how that will affect your 187 timeline before you resign. In many cases, waiting until after the 187 is lodged is strongly advisable.

Yes. Your spouse or de facto partner and dependent children can be included in your 187 application as secondary applicants. They are granted the same permanent visa and become permanent residents at the same time as you. Your partner has unrestricted work and study rights and is not required to work in your nominated occupation or in a regional area.

All secondary applicants must meet health and character requirements. Children must be dependent, which generally means under 23 and not in a relationship, or older if they have a dependency due to disability or similar circumstances. Family members with complex health histories, prior visa refusals, or character considerations should be assessed before the application is lodged, as these can significantly affect processing time and outcome. Government visa application charges also apply to each secondary applicant included in the application.

For the 187, regional Australia means everywhere in Australia except the greater metropolitan areas of Sydney (including Wollongong and Newcastle), Melbourne (including Geelong), Brisbane (including the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast), and greater Perth. Everything outside those four exclusion zones qualifies as regional for 187 purposes.

This definition is broader than many people expect. The entire Australian Capital Territory, including Canberra, qualifies as regional. All of South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory are regional in full, including their capital cities. Large regional centres such as Cairns, Townsville, Darwin, Adelaide, Hobart and Canberra all qualify. If your employer has multiple sites and some are regional and some are metropolitan, the location where you actually perform your work and have been nominated is the relevant one. Confirm the postcode status of your specific work location before any application is submitted.

Processing time for a 187 TRT application varies depending on the completeness of the application, the applicant's country of birth, health assessment outcomes, and current Department workload. Straightforward cases where all documentation is complete and health and character are clear can be processed in 6 to 12 months. Cases involving complex health conditions, character disclosures, or requests for further information can take significantly longer, sometimes well over a year.

Because the 187 is a permanent visa, the Department treats it with greater scrutiny than temporary visa applications. Ensuring the nomination is robust, the employment evidence is complete and well-organised, and all health and character documents are obtained promptly before lodgement significantly reduces the risk of delays caused by requests for additional information. If the nomination application and visa application are lodged simultaneously, the nomination must be approved before the visa can be granted. Building the nomination carefully before lodgement is time well spent.

It depends on how significantly your occupation has changed. The 187 TRT nomination must identify an occupation that is the same as, or within the same 4-digit ANZSCO group as, the occupation on your most recently held 457 or 482 nomination. If you have moved from one role to a substantially different one, even with the same employer, this may create a discrepancy between your employment history and the nominated occupation.

The Department does allow some flexibility where the occupation title appears different due to updates to the ANZSCO classification system itself, provided the underlying tasks are the same. However, a genuine occupational change, such as moving from a chef role to a restaurant manager role, would likely require the 4-digit code to match. If your day-to-day responsibilities have evolved significantly since your temporary visa was granted, disclose this and get advice on how to characterise your role in the nomination before lodging.

You can generally apply for the 187 while holding a bridging visa, provided that bridging visa is a substantive bridging visa associated with a previous 457 or 482 visa application or related application, and it allows you to make a further visa application in Australia. Not all bridging visas carry the right to apply for another visa onshore. Checking your bridging visa conditions before lodging is essential.

If you applied for your 187 while holding a substantive 457 or 482 visa and it was not decided before that visa expired, you will have received a Bridging Visa A that maintains your lawful status while the 187 is being processed. Time spent working for your employer on a bridging visa associated with a previous 457 or 482 application may count toward the 2-year work history requirement in some circumstances. Each situation needs to be assessed on its specific visa history and bridging visa type. Do not assume any period counts without professional confirmation.

Our professional fees for 187 work depend on the complexity of the case. Factors that affect the fee include whether the employer is already an approved Standard Business Sponsor, how many family members are included, how straightforward the employment history and work record documentation is, and whether there are any complicating matters such as occupational change history, character disclosures, or unusual visa history. We do not publish a flat fee because cases genuinely differ in the amount of work involved.

We provide a clear, written fee agreement before any paid work begins, broken down by stage. The best starting point is a free initial consultation where we review your transitional worker status, your employment history, your employer's regional status, and any risk factors, and give you an honest picture of your eligibility, likely outcome, and professional fees before you commit to anything. There is no obligation to proceed after the consultation.