News
Words by Emma Gallagher and Victoria Cassey
Have you ever wanted to Migrate to Australia and live on the Gold Coast, but haven’t been able to because your occupation wasn’t on the required state list, or the Gold Coast wasn’t a specified regional area? Now is your chance.
Since the Gold Coast is now considered a regional area in Australia, you may be eligible to apply for an Australian Visa under the Subclass 190 or the new Subclass 491 Visa streams
Reasons why you should move to the Gold Coast
The Gold Coast is a coastal city in Queensland and a premier holiday destination for people from all over the world. The Gold Coast is approximately 70 km from Brisbane (the City Center).
The Gold Coast is a major tourist destination with its sunny subtropical climate and as a result, has become widely known for its stunning surfing beaches, high-rise dominated skyline, exciting nightlife, and even a rain-forest hinterland. The city is part of the nation’s entertainment industry and has been attracting Australian families for many decades as well as many international travelers wanting to explore the sun, surf and sand that our Gold Coast has to offer.
Apart from the stunning beaches on the Gold Coast, there are many theme parks to be visited as well for a fun-filled family day out. Some of these include Sea World, Warner Brothers Movie World, Dreamworld and Wet ‘n’ Wild Water World, to name a few.
There are also many multicultural events held every year, such as Harmony Day in March and Multiculturalism Month in August. The famous Chinatown also hosts street markets and cultural festivals regularly throughout the year.
Living on the Gold Coast is surprisingly affordable. As listed on realestate.com.au, you can find a rental for as little as $280 per week, while some shared houses are starting at as little as $165 per week.
The Gold Coast also has many schooling options available for your little ones, from Daycare to Kindy and Primary School, right through to High school and even beyond to go onto University.
Did you know that there is currently a shortage of skilled workers on the Gold Coast? The Australian Government introduced new provisional regional visas on November 2019 through the Department of Home Affairs. The new visas replaced the subclass 489. The new visas are
- Subclass 494 – Employer-Sponsored Regional (Provisional) Visa; and
- Subclass 491 – Skilled Work Regional Visa
Some of these shortages are for occupations such as Automotive Electricians, Bricklayers, Plumbers, Cooks and Chefs as well as Teachers and Nurses. Both visas have a transitional pathway to permanent residency. The old points system has now been changed, and people should have current points score revised. You can read more about the new points test here. These changes and new sub-classes is a positive step for anyone looking to come work in Australia.
Check to see if your occupation is listed on either the Queensland onshore or the offshore Queensland Skilled Occupation lists?
Queensland Skilled Occupation ONSHORE List
Queensland Skilled Occupation OFFSHORE List
The Gold Coast is not the only part of Australia that allows valid applicants to apply, Perth, Western Australia, Northern Territory, Regional Victoria, Regional New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania all are open to immigration applications.
If you would like more information on getting started on your journey to migrate to Australia, please fill in our Initial Online Assessment form to see if you qualify.