Regional Certifying Body

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Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (subclass 187)

Please Note: The Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (subclass 187) closed for new applications at 11:59pm AEST on 15 November 2019.  The new provisional subclass 494 visa came into effect on midnight of 16 November 2019. RSMS employer nominations lodged with the Department of Home Affairs on or prior to 15 November will need RCB (Regional Certifying Body) Assessment. RDA Goldfields Esperance will accept RSMS 187 Visa applications that have been lodged with the Department of Home Affairs before the closing date. Applications may take up to 60 days to process.

The Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) allows Australian employers in regional and low population growth areas of Australia to nominate skilled workers from overseas in order to fill skilled vacancies in their business. The businesses are required to provide two years full-time employment to the migrant.

Regional Development Australia Goldfields Esperance has been gazetted by the Federal Department of Home Affairs as a Regional Certifying Body (RCB) for the Goldfields-Esperance region.

Our role as a RCB is to assess migration applications for the RSMS Direct Entry stream, through knowledge of the local skills shortages, actively operating businesses in the region and assessing positions under the legislative requirements of the scheme. The only type of migration application dealt with by RDAGE is the RSMS subclass 187, Direct Entry Scheme and the new Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 494) (SESR Visa). 

RDAGE is unable to provide advice on general migration matters outside the scope of the RSMS subclass 187 scheme. Extensive information can be obtained from the Australian Government's Department of Home Affairs website: www.homeaffairs.gov.au

Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (subclass 187)
This visa is for skilled workers from outside Australia or skilled temporary residents who live and work in regional Australia. Effective from 1 July 2012, there are no offshore or onshore distinctions and there are three entry streams to this visa category:

• The Temporary Residence stream is for subclass 457 visa holders who have worked for their employer for the last two years and the employer wants to offer them a permanent position that matches, or closely aligns with their subclass 457 occupation. Go to www.homeaffairs.gov.au for more information.
• The Direct Entry stream is for applicants who have never, or only briefly, worked in the Australian labour market. These applications require regional certification (see below).
• The Agreements stream is for applicants who are sponsored by an employer through a labour agreement or a regional migration agreement. Go to www.homeaffairs.gov.au for more information.
   

RSMS Direct Entry Criteria (Employer):

• The employer is the nominator on the application for a position based in the Goldfields-Esperance position
• There is a genuine need for the nominated position within the business
• The employer is lawfully and actively operating the business
• The employer will provide full-time employment for at least 2 years
• The employer will pay the market salary rate - that is, the equivalent of an Australian resident employed in the same job
• The nominated position is classified as being skill level 1 to 3 in the occupation list ANZSCO.

The following criteria must be met to be assessed by a Regional Certifying Body:

• There is a genuine need for a paid employee in the business of the nominator, for the nominated position.
• The position cannot be filled locally by an Australian citizen or permanent resident.
• The terms and conditions of employment are the same as those that would be offered to an Australian citizen or permanent resident for performing the same tasks at the same location and the salaray is equal to (or greater than) the market salary rate.

Process of Applications

Posted applications:

Regional Development Australia Goldfields Esperance
PO Box 10331
Kalgoorlie  WA  6430

Email applications:  admin@rdage.com.au

Processing of applications can take up to 4 weeks; employers need to consider this when submitting their application.

After processing, RDAGE will return the application to the employer/nominee for lodgement with Department of Home Affairs.

Please note that certification by RDAGE does not guarantee that the nomination will be approved by the department.

Administration Fee:

Administration/Processing Fee $440.00 (Inc GST)

Please note that the administration/processing fee is non-refundable regardless of whether certification is granted or not.

Payment Option:

Direct Deposit (please see RSMS Checklist below) or cheques made payable to Regional Development Australia Goldfields Esperance.

RDAGE RSMS - Direct Entry Checklist