Australian economy is a mix of different sectors and the cumulative growth at each of the sectors has made Australia the more preferred choice among the immigrant population. The recent times have seen an all pervasive growth in Australia and more so at the natural resources sector. But, the abundance of the natural resources couldn’t meet a likewise abundance on human resources. This mismatch has created a void in the job market at the regional areas that can only be filled with a skilled workforce. The immigration policies mention two features to encourage Australian immigration to regional areas; Australian visa under subclass 190 and the recent changes in the minimum points required under SkillSelect from 65 to 60.

Australian immigration is at present being managed by SkillSelect wherein an applicant is first required to submit an Expression of Intent. With this the applicant shows his or her intent to migrate to Australia under a particular visa category. The EOI needs to be accompanied with a detailed description of the academic and professional qualifications of the applicant. The applicants are also required to show a certificate on English language comprehension as per the IELTS, International English Language Test Score. The authorities at SkillSelect will give a thorough assessment to the applicant’s profile with an objective to allocate points and accordingly rank the present immigrant lot. SkillSelect will subsequently send invitation to the eligible applicants on the basis of ranking and the available jobs in the economy. Here, a preference would be given to those who have applied for a state sponsored visa to work at regional areas.

In order to avail visa under subclass 190 the applicants are required to make a special mention of state sponsorship, to have employment opportunity at state or regional areas of Australia. This also includes a mention on the SOL ‘Skilled Occupation List’ by the applicant. An application under the said category gets preference over other applications and an early invitation from SkillSelect to Australian immigration to regional areas. The provisions in the immigration policy show a clear intent to have a preference in first allocating a good man-power the regional or state level industries. This also suggests that immigration in Australia is part of a strategic initiative which aims to create the most competent talent pool for its local industries. The migration policy not just avails opportunities to the outside talent but it also make the migration economically beneficial for Australia and its regional areas.