Regional visa changes make more migrants move to South Australia

With an increased focus on Regional Visas, more migrants are now moving to South Australia than NSW and Victoria.

Ishtiaq Ahmed, a Pakistani immigrant, had Adelaide on top of his list when he moved to Australia with his family. He says that Adelaide is one of the best places in Australia in terms of education, commute times and natural beauty. The locals are very friendly and welcoming and the weather is pleasant.

Mr Ahmed moved to Adelaide in 2017 on a Subclass 190 Visa. He soon found work in the mechanical engineering sector in the city.

As the Australian Govt. plans to move migrants from cities like Sydney and Melbourne, more and more migrants are looking to move to South Australia.

Regional Visa surge

As per data released by the Dept. of Home Affairs, there has been an increase in the number of Regional Visas being granted to immigrants moving to South Australia.

Between July and September 2019, 1,682 Regional Visas were granted to immigrants moving to South Australia. This was a 172% increase in the number of visas granted during the same period in 2018.

There was a 65% increase in the number of Regional Visas granted in Victoria between July and September as compared to 2018. NSW showed a 78% increase as compared to the same period last year.

Queensland was the only state that outdid South Australia in terms of growth. There was a massive increase of 233% in the number of Regional Visas granted in the state.

Countrywide, the number of Regional Visas granted increased by 124% to 6,350. The increase underlines the Australian Govt.’s push to encourage more migrants to move to regional areas.

Adelaide has a total population of around 1.3 million. Yet, the entire state of South Australia including Adelaide is considered a “regional area”.

Australia has allocated 23,000 visa spots for Regional Visas every year. The new Regional Visas Subclass 491 and Subclass 494 will replace the Subclass 489 and Subclass 187 Visas respectively.

Y-Axis offers a wide range of visa services and products for aspiring overseas immigrants including Australia General Skilled Migration Program via RMA, Australia Skilled Regional Visa, Australia Temporary Skilled Work Visa, and Australia Temporary Graduate Visa Subclass 485. We work with Registered Migration Agents in Australia. If you are looking to Visit, Study, Work, Invest or Migrate to Australia, talk to Y-Axis, the World’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Consultant.

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