The Australian government has made 2,000 additional skilled visas available to Perth and Gold Coast after both areas were added to the list of regions available for skilled migration to Australia for the first time.
In an official statement, Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s office said that the number of visas for skilled workers looking to move to Australia has been increased to 25,000 from 23,000.
This means that 2,000 additional visas are now up for grabs for skilled individuals interested in skilled migration to regional Australia.
Applicants under Australia’s regional skilled migration program will be eligible for permanent residency in the country after staying in their designated regional area for three years.
They will also have access to priority processing, while international university graduates will be eligible for an extended stay in Australia on a post-study work visa.
The decision to include Perth and Gold Coast to Australian regional areas eligible for skilled migration has drawn massive support from universities keen to attract more talented international students and initiate new research, programs and facilities.
The statement also said that the decision to make Perth and Gold Coast available for skilled migration has been made in a bid to ease the pressure of population growth on the major cities.
Australia is currently focusing extensively on skilled migration to the regional areas, with a 124 per cent increase in regional visas granted in the first quarter of this year.
Skilled migrants to regional areas will have the chance to join the country’s ever-growing workforce, and contribute to developing the regional areas into major Australian cities.
They will also be able to enjoy the benefits of one of the strongest economies in the world.
The new changes to the skilled migration program are expected to come into effect on November 16.
You can find out more about skilled migration to Perth and the Gold Coast at eduaid! Give us a call, or head over to our offices for more information!