COVID-19 Concessions for Prospective Subclass 887 Visa Applicants
Great concessions available to current or former 489 visa holders (aka. prospective Skilled – Regional subclass 887 visa applicants). These concessions allow great flexibility in meeting visa eligibility requirements for a Subclass 887 visa during this difficult time.
Those current or former 489 visa holders who are stuck overseas and are unable to come back to Australia in order to fulfil the working and living requirements for or to lodge a Subclass 887 visa, that is, at least two years living and 1 year full-time working in a specified regional area, and be onshore at the time of application, can now apply for a Subclass 887 visa from offshore under the recent COVID-19 concessions for Subclass 887, if they can demonstrate that they have lived for eighteen months and worked full-time for nine months in a specified regional area instead.
The applicant is also taken to have lived in a specified regional area for six months, if the applicant was outside Australia and made the application outside Australia during the concession period.
The legislative amendments in relation to the 887 visa concessions commenced on 19 September 2020, however, the benefit period retrospectively began on 1 February 2020 as it is intended to reflect what has occurred during the pandemic.
We had many enquiries about this issue at the time of the border closures earlier this year and until the introduction of the concessions on 19 September 2020, it was impossible for the 489 visa holders to be able to apply for a Subclass 887 visa, either because they could not return to Australia to fulfil the remainder of living and working requirements or they were overseas at the time of application despite already meeting the requirements.
Many had also experienced cessation of their 489 visas overseas, who can now fortunately benefit from the concessions as it even allows former 489 visa holders to apply for a Subclass 887 visa during the concession period.
The concessions now mean that we can assist many more skilled migrants to apply for Australian permanent residency.
Written by Jay Son
LLB, GDLP
Lawyer / Migration Agent (MARN – 1912572)
NO BORDERS: #1 TRUSTED MIGRATION AGENTS
Email: [email protected]
Tel: +61 (07) 3876 4000