Visa subclass

Subclass 887 — Skilled—Regional

Current

Schedule 2 · Migration Regulations 1994

F2026C00497 · Compilation No. 287As in force on 1 June 2026

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887.111
887.211
887.212
887.213
887.221
887.223
887.224
887.225
887.226
887.227
887.228
887.311
887.321
887.322
887.323
887.324
887.325
887.411
887.511

Provision: Subclass 887
As in force on: 1 June 2026
Citation: F2026C00497 · Compilation No. 287

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Subclass 887 — Skilled—Regional

887.1—Interpretation

887.111

(1) In this Part: specified regional area, for an applicant who applies for a Subclass 887 visa, means a part of Australia identified in accordance with subclause (2) or (3).

(2) If an applicant applies for the Subclass 887 visa on the basis of having held:

(a) a Skilled—Designated Area-sponsored (Provisional) (Class UZ) visa; or

(b) a Skilled (Provisional) (Class VC) visa that is subject to condition 8549; or

(d) a Subclass 475 (Skilled—Regional Sponsored) visa in relation to which:

(i) the application for the visa was made on or after 1 July 2010; and

(ii) the visa was granted in the period starting on 1 July 2010 and ending on 31 December 2010; and

(iii) the visa was granted on the basis that the requirements of subclause 475.222(3) were satisfied; or

(e) a Subclass 487 (Skilled—Regional Sponsored) visa in relation to which:

(i) the application for the visa was made on or after 1 July 2010; and

(ii) the visa was granted in the period starting on 1 July 2010 and ending on 31 December 2010; and

(iii) the visa was granted on the basis that the requirements of subclause 487.225(3) were satisfied; or

(f) a Skilled—Regional Sponsored (Provisional) (Class SP) visa that is subject to condition 8549;

a specified regional area is a part of Australia that, at the time at which a visa of that kind was first granted to the applicant, was specified by the Minister in an instrument in writing under item 6701 of Schedule 6 or was a designated area.

(3) If an applicant applies for the Subclass 887 visa on the basis of having held:

(a) a Skilled—Independent Regional (Provisional) (Class UX) visa; or

(b) a Skilled (Provisional) (Class VC) visa that is subject to condition 8539; or

(d) a Subclass 475 (Skilled—Regional Sponsored) visa in relation to which:

(i) the application for the visa was made on or after 1 July 2010; and

(ii) in making the application, the requirements of subitem 1228(3A) of Schedule 1 were satisfied; and

(iii) the visa was granted in the period starting on 1 July 2010 and ending on 31 December 2010; or

(e) a Subclass 487 (Skilled—Regional Sponsored) visa in relation to which:

(i) the application for the visa was made on or after 1 July 2010; and

(ii) in making the application, the requirements of subitem 1229(3A) of Schedule 1 were satisfied; and

(iii) the visa was granted in the period starting on 1 July 2010 and ending on 31 December 2010; or

(f) a Skilled—Regional Sponsored (Provisional) (Class SP) visa that is subject to condition 8539;

887.2—Primary criteria

Note: The primary criteria must be satisfied by at least 1 applicant. Other applicants who are members of the family unit of the applicant who satisfies the primary criteria need satisfy only the secondary criteria.

887.21—Criteria to be satisfied at time of application

887.211

The applicant meets the requirements set out in subitem 1136(7) of Schedule 1.

887.212

(1) Subject to subclause (2), the applicant must have lived in a specified regional area for a total of at least 2 years as the holder of 1 or more of the following visas:

(a) a Skilled—Independent Regional (Provisional) (Class UX) visa;

(b) a Skilled—Designated Area-sponsored (Provisional) (Class UZ) visa;

(d) a Subclass 487 (Skilled—Regional Sponsored) visa;

(e) a Skilled—Regional Sponsored (Provisional) (Class SP) visa;

(f) a Bridging A (Class WA) visa, or a Bridging B (Class WB) visa, that was granted on the basis of a valid application for:

(i) a Skilled—Independent Regional (Provisional) (Class UX) visa; or

(ii) a Skilled (Provisional) (Class VC) visa; or

(iii) a Skilled—Regional Sponsored (Provisional) (Class SP) visa.

(2) For the purposes of working out the length of time the applicant has lived in a specified regional area, the applicant is taken to have lived in a specified regional area for a period of 6 months (or such longer period as the Minister specifies in a legislative instrument under subclause (3)) if the applicant:

(a) was outside Australia during a concession period; and

(b) made the application outside Australia during the concession period; and

(i) is the holder of a visa mentioned in subclause (1); or

(ii) was the holder of a visa mentioned in subclause (1) that expired during the concession period.

(3) The Minister may, by legislative instrument, specify a longer period for the purposes of subclause (2).

887.213

(1) The applicant must have worked full-time in a specified regional area:

(a) for a total of at least one year as the holder of one or more of the visas mentioned in subclause 887.212(1); or

(b) if subclause (2) applies—for a total of 9 months (or such shorter period as the Minister specifies for the purposes of this paragraph in a legislative instrument under subclause (3)) as the holder of one or more of the visas mentioned in subclause 887.212(1).

(2) This subclause applies if the applicant held a visa mentioned in subclause 887.212(1) during a concession period and made the application no later than 3 months after the end of the concession period.

(3) The Minister may, by legislative instrument, specify a shorter period for the purposes of paragraph (1)(b).

887.22—Criteria to be satisfied at time of decision

887.221

(1) While the applicant was the holder of:

(a) a Skilled—Independent Regional (Provisional) (Class UX) visa; or

(b) a Skilled—Designated Area-sponsored (Provisional) (Class UZ) visa; or

(d) a Subclass 487 (Skilled—Regional Sponsored) visa; or

(e) a Skilled—Regional Sponsored (Provisional) (Class SP) visa;

the applicant must have substantially complied with the conditions to which that visa is or was subject.

(2) While a person included in the application (other than the applicant) was the holder of:

(a) a Skilled—Independent Regional (Provisional) (Class UX) visa; or

(b) a Skilled—Designated Area-sponsored (Provisional) (Class UZ) visa; or

(d) a Subclass 487 (Skilled—Regional Sponsored) visa; or

(e) a Skilled—Regional Sponsored (Provisional) (Class SP) visa;

that person must have substantially complied with the conditions to which that visa is or was subject.

887.223

The applicant:

(a) satisfies public interest criteria 4001, 4002, 4003, 4004, 4007, 4010, 4020 and 4021; and

(b) if the applicant had turned 18 at the time of application—satisfies public interest criterion 4019.

887.224

The applicant satisfies special return criteria 5001, 5002 and 5010.

887.225

(1) Each person who is covered by subclause (2), (3) or (4):

(a) satisfies public interest criteria 4001, 4002, 4003, 4004, 4007, 4010 and 4020; and

(b) if the person had turned 18 at the time of application—satisfies public interest criterion 4019; and

(2) This subclause covers a person:

(a) who is a member of the family unit of the applicant (the primary applicant); and

(b) who is also an applicant for a Subclass 887 visa.

(3) This subclause covers a person (the relevant person) if:

(a) the relevant person was, at the time of the primary applicant’s application, a member of the family unit of the primary applicant; and

(b) the relevant person is an applicant for a Subclass 887 visa; and

(i) the relevant person; or

(ii) a member of the family unit of the relevant person who has made a combined application with the relevant person or with the primary applicant; or

(iii) a dependent child of the relevant person or of the primary applicant;

has experienced family violence committed by the primary applicant. Note: For special provisions relating to family violence, see Division 1.5.

(4) This subclause covers a person if:

(a) the person is an applicant for a Subclass 887 visa; and

(b) the person is a member of the family unit of a person covered by subclause (3).

887.226

(1) Each person:

(a) who is a member of the family unit of the applicant; and

(b) who is not an applicant for a Subclass 887 visa;

satisfies public interest criteria 4001, 4002, 4003 and 4004, and satisfies public interest criterion 4007 unless the Minister is satisfied that it would be unreasonable to require the person to undergo assessment in relation to that criterion.

(2) Each person:

(a) who was, at the time of application, a member of the family unit of the applicant but is no longer a member of the family unit of the applicant; and

(b) who is a member of the family unit of a person covered by subclause 887.225(3) or (4); and

887.227

If a person (the additional applicant):

(a) is a person covered by subclause 887.225(2), (3) or (4); and

(b) is less than 18; and

public interest criteria 4015 and 4016 are satisfied for the additional applicant.

887.228

Grant of the visa would not result in either:

(a) the number of Subclass 887 visas granted in a financial year exceeding the maximum number of Subclass 887 visas, as determined by the Minister in an instrument in writing for this paragraph, that may be granted in that financial year; or

(b) the number of visas of particular classes (including Subclass 887) granted in a financial year exceeding the maximum number of visas of those classes, as determined by the Minister in an instrument in writing for this paragraph, that may be granted in that financial year.

887.3—Secondary criteria

Note: These criteria are for applicants seeking to satisfy the secondary criteria.

887.31—Criteria to be satisfied at time of application

887.311

The applicant is a member of the family unit of a person who satisfies the primary criteria in Subdivision 887.21 and made a combined application with that person.

887.32—Criteria to be satisfied at time of decision

887.321

(1) The applicant meets the requirements of subclause (2), (3), (4) or (5).

(2) The applicant continues to be a member of the family unit of a person who holds a Subclass 887 visa granted on the basis of satisfying the primary criteria for the grant of the visa.

(3) The applicant meets the requirements of this subclause if:

(a) at the time of the application, the applicant was the spouse or de facto partner of a person (the primary applicant) seeking to satisfy the primary criteria for the grant of a Subclass 887 visa, and the primary applicant has since been granted that visa; and

(b) the relationship between the primary applicant and the applicant has ceased; and

(i) the applicant;

(ii) a member of the family unit of the applicant who has made a combined application with the applicant or with the primary applicant;

(iii) a dependent child of the applicant or of the primary applicant; has experienced family violence committed by the primary applicant; and

(d) the applicant:

(i) was in Australia at the time the applicant’s visa application was made; or

(ii) entered Australia after the applicant’s visa application was made.

(4) The applicant meets the requirements of this subclause if:

(b) the relationship between the primary applicant and the applicant has ceased; and

(i) the applicant;

(ii) a member of the family unit of the applicant who has made a combined application with the applicant or with the primary applicant;

(iii) a dependent child of the applicant or of the primary applicant;

has experienced family violence committed by the primary applicant; and

(d) the applicant:

(i) was in Australia at the time the applicant’s visa application was made; or

(ii) entered Australia after the applicant’s visa application was made; and

(e) the Minister has decided to refuse to grant the primary applicant the visa for reasons including that the primary applicant had engaged in conduct involving family violence (whether or not the family violence was against a person mentioned in paragraph (c)).

(5) The applicant meets the requirements of this subclause if:

(a) the applicant is a member of the family unit of a person (the secondary applicant) who meets the requirements of subclause (3) or (4); and

(b) the applicant has made a combined application with either the secondary applicant or the primary applicant mentioned in subclause (3) or (4) (whichever applies to the secondary applicant); and

(c) a Subclass 887 visa has since been granted to the secondary applicant. Note: For special provisions relating to family violence, see Division 1.5.

887.322

The applicant:

(a) satisfies public interest criteria 4001, 4002, 4003, 4004, 4007, 4010, 4020 and 4021; and

(b) if the applicant had turned 18 at the time of application—satisfies public interest criterion 4019.

887.323

The applicant satisfies special return criteria 5001, 5002 and 5010.

887.324

If the applicant is less than 18, public interest criteria 4017 and 4018 are satisfied in relation to the applicant.

887.325

(1) This clause applies if the applicant (the secondary applicant) meets the requirements of subclause 887.321(4).

(2) Each member of the family unit of the secondary applicant who is an applicant for a Subclass 887 visa satisfies:

(a) public interest criteria 4001, 4002, 4003, 4003B, 4004, 4007, 4010, 4020 and 4021; and

(b) special return criteria 5001, 5002 and 5010.

(3) Each member of the family unit of the secondary applicant who is an applicant for a Subclass 887 visa and who has turned 18 at the time of application satisfies public interest criterion 4019.

(4) Public interest criteria 4015 and 4016 are satisfied in relation to each member of the family unit of the secondary applicant who is an applicant for a Subclass 887 visa and who has not turned 18 at the time of application.

(5) Each member of the family unit of the secondary applicant who is not an applicant for a Subclass 887 visa:

(a) satisfies public interest criteria 4001, 4002, 4003 and 4004; and

(b) satisfies public interest criterion 4007 unless the Minister is satisfied that it would be unreasonable to require the member to undergo assessment in relation to that criterion.

887.4—Circumstances applicable to grant

887.411

The applicant may be in or outside Australia when the visa is granted, but not in immigration clearance. Note: The second instalment of the visa application charge must be paid before the visa can be granted.

887.5—When visa is in effect

887.511

Permanent visa permitting the holder to travel to and enter Australia for 5 years from the date of grant.

887.6—Conditions: Nil.

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