Top 5 reasons you should migrate to a regional Australia
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Anyone who has ever considered migrating to Australia has almost certainly considered urban cities like Melbourne, Sydney, or Brisbane. Only a few, if any, people consider regional areas. However, the Australian countryside can provide you with a holistic experience. It also provides you with a high-quality education and exposure. There are countless more advantages that will appeal to you. It depends on your personality and the type of experience you seek.
To support regional areas during the pandemic, the Australian government has introduced various visa programs. It invites foreign nationals to strengthen the regional Australian economy. Moreover, the Australian migration program has provided a number of alternatives to ease the procedure to migrate to regional Australia. The below article was written by one of the migration agent Darwin to emphasize the importance of regional Australian migration.
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What areas categorised under regional Australia?
When you think about a regional area, you usually picture a small town distant from everything. You think that you have nothing to do. In other words, you do not enjoy any social life and have nowhere to go. However, that’s not the case. In fact, a regional area is any small city or town coming after the capital cities like Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney.
In order to explain, the cities of Australia come under 3 categories:
Category 1
This includes the major cities of Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane.
Category 2
This category includes ‘Cities and Major Regional Centres’ of Adelaide, Perth, the Sunshine Coast, the Gold Coast Wollongong/Illawarra, Newcastle/Lake Macquarie, Canberra, and Geelong and Hobart.
Category 2 comes under the regional area of Australia. The areas included have access to the following incentives:
- Regional Occupation List, which has more jobs as compared to the non-regional list.
- Moreover, the areas coming under category 2 have access to quick processing of regional visas.
- At last, foreign graduates who have a bachelor or higher degree from a registered institution of a regional campus are eligible to apply for post-study work visas. As a result, they can stay in Australia for one more year.
Category 3
In addition to category 2, this category also allows various incentives for people looking to migrate to additional Australia. This category includes ‘Regional Centres and Other Regional Areas’ that have access to 11200 regional locations. Just like category 2, this category also provides easy access and processing of regional visas. Additionally, there are some other incentives like:
- Foreign graduates with a bachelor or higher degree from a regional campus of a registered institution can apply for a two years post-study work visa.
- Applications can negotiate region-specific Designated Area Migration Agreements (DAMAs).
Reasons to migrate to a regional Australia
Here are the top five reasons you should migrate to regional Australia.
1. Australia Regional Migration Visas
In order to migrate to a regional Australia, the government has introduced a number of visas. It includes
- Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) subclass 491
- Skilled Employer-Sponsored Regional (Provisional) subclass 494
- Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (subclass 191)
- Skilled Regional Visas (subclass 489 and 887)
In addition to the visas under the General Skilled Migration Program, applicants can also access these new visas and be eligible for a number of occupations on the Regional Occupational List.
The 491 visa requires either a sponsorship from a family member living in regional Australia or a nomination from the State or Territory Government. On the other hand, a 494 visa is an employer-sponsored visa for those nominated by a regional employer to work for three years. Besides, it provides accessibility to apply for a PR after three years.
In addition to that, applicants can also claim five points on their Expression of Interest after completing the education from regional Australia.
2. Affordable Living
Imagine living in areas such as Sydney or Melbourne and how much that will cost. In addition to rent, you have to think about electricity and water bills, food and other miscellaneous expenses. On the other hand, when you migrate to a regional Australia, your expenses go down and the cost of living becomes much more affordable. Everything, from rent to food and commute costs lower as compared to the urban areas. Therefore, you can move to a new home without breaking your bank account.
According to REIV data, in 2019, a 2-bedroom property in Melbourne cost $500 per week, while a 2-bedroom house in regional Victoria costs $280 per week. Moreover, according to Insiders Guides, the cost of rent in Adelaide in 2019 was 49 percent lower than in Sydney.
Even transportation is free in the majority of regional communities. The grocery and petrol prices are similar across all of Australia’s major retailers, but the rest of the charges more than makeup for it.
3. Little to No Distractions
Wouldn’t you prefer a life that is peaceful and soothing, close to nature, and free of the hustle and bustle of a huge city? You can participate in outdoor activities in the centre of nature, such as the seaside or national parks. For example Livingstone National park in regional NSW. You can also discover the same nightlife and services as urban areas with a more easygoing atmosphere. Furthermore, there is less pressure for a part-time job in regional areas, which means you have a better chance of earning greater income! What more could you possibly want?!
4. Closer to Nature
Australia is well-known for its stunning natural resources. The further away you go from the metropolis, the closer you are to nature. Because you are not going to be spending much, you can use your savings to go on day trips and treks closer to the areas. For example, if you live in Townsville, you can use your savings to go snorkeling near the Great Barrier Reef.
5. Stronger Bond
International people can explore, learn, and grow their connection with people from various communities by living in a regional location. Smaller cities make it possible to connect and to get to meet the people around you, resulting in a more intimate sense of community. For example, in university, your class numbers will most likely be smaller, which will provide you with more possibilities to interact with your peers and make an impression on your lecturers. Furthermore, you won’t feel like just another person living in a regional area, but rather a valuable member of society.
So here are the five reasons you should consider if you want to migrate to a regional Australia. However, at first, the process can be a little intimidating. Therefore, it is better to consult a migration agent who can give you expert advice about the whole process. If you are planning to migrate to any of the regional parts of Australia, Australian Visa Lawyers can assist you with the entire process.
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