Fancy working in Australia? Things just got a lot easier for South Africans

If you're one of those people who have always wondered about living Down Under, you may struggle to get a better opportunity than this: From November 2019, two new visa routes will open to the country, and South Africans weighing up the prospect of working in Australia may soon have their opinions swayed.

Over the weekend, Sable International confirmed the proposal would officially come into law before the end of the year. Business Tech also report that a third new route was under consideration, but won't open until 2022. But in five months' time, you will be able to pursue the following options:

Skilled Work Regional Visa.

Skilled Employer-Sponsored Regional Visa.

Working in Australia: New visa routes for November 2019:What is a Skilled Work Regional Visa?

Official name: Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491).

Revealed at the start of the year, this is a visa that would make working in Australia a doddle. That's if you don't mind where you go, though. This particular route would place you in towns and rural areas which desperately need a bigger migrant workforce.

Although isolated, regions like Darwin and Palmerston in the Northern Territory are still vibrant regions that offer all the perks of city living, with the comfort of suburban security on your doorstep. Having a skilled spouse or a STEM qualification could also help your application.

We spoke to Sam Hopwood, Australian immigration director at Sable International. He told us that anyone under 45 who can pass the English language test required for entrance to Australia is welcome to apply, as long as they're qualified for one of the applicable 117 fields:

Migrants are vital to the prosperity of Australia. A 2016 census showed that 151 regional areas in Australia were able to offset declining populations by encouraging international migrants. International migrants were actually the sole source of population growth for some small towns.

Sam HopwoodWhat is the Skilled Employer-Sponsored Regional Visa?

Official name: Skilled Employer-Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494)

It's another application that would place you somewhere, and it's not likely you'll go to Sydney or Melbourne. The difference here is that you can be cherry-picked by a potential employer and have little else to worry about.

Like many other visas South Africans have to obtain with a view to working in Australia, this one does not follow the points-based system . If an employer gives you a job offer in a relevant field and you meet the English language requirement, you'll be on your way to regional Australia in a flash. It's by far the simplest of the lot.

Find out if you qualify for the skilled workers list here

Tags: AustraliaSouth AfricaVisas & ImmigrationWorking in Australia

LINK:	https://www.thesouthafrican.com/move-to/move-to-australia/work-in-aust...
	See more stories from thesouthafrican

Most recent headlines