Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme visa
This visa allows skilled workers, who are nominated by their employer in regional Australia, live and work in Australia permanently.
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Closed to new applications since 5 August 2026. Existing applicants continue under the previous framework.
At a glance
- Base application charge
- A$6,140
- Checked with the Department on 22 October 2026
- Primary applicant only. The Department publishes five further charges per row.
- 90% decided within
- 5 months
- Department of Home Affairs
- Age limit
- Under 45
- English
- See stream detail
Processing times
How long the Department took to decide recently finalised applications. Each figure is a percentile, not an average or a promise.
| Stream | 50% decided within | 90% decided within |
|---|---|---|
| Transition Pathway | 73 days | 5 months |
Captured from the Department of Home Affairs on 14 August 2026. The Department does not state a reporting period for this source. Check the Department's tool for the figure as it stands today.
Streams
Each stream has its own eligibility, duration and charge. Read them alongside the Department's page before lodging.
| Stream | Duration | Base fee |
|---|---|---|
Temporary Residence Transition stream This visa allows skilled workers nominated by their employer in regional Australia, to live and work in Australia permanently. Regional only | Varies | A$6,140 Primary applicant |
Direct entry stream This visa is closed to new applications. Regional only | Varies | Not published No published charge DHA's own card for this stream (187-6) publishes its cost as N/A. The stream is closed to new applications. |
As published by the Department of Home Affairs on 22 October 2026
Data verified from immi.homeaffairs.gov.au. Charges and processing times are published by the Department of Home Affairs and change from time to time. Each figure on this page carries its own capture date - the page has no single “as at”, because the charge and the processing times are captured separately.
Running visa applications for clients?
ImmiIQ keeps each case on one client record, with its documents, the Department's forms and a portal the client signs in to.
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