Subclass 887 — Skilled Regional visa — immi.wiki

The Subclass 887 Skilled Regional visa is a permanent residence visa for holders of certain legacy provisional regional visas (principally the Subclass 487, 475, 495, and 496). It is no longer the primary pathway for holders of the Subclass 491 or 494 — those provisional visa holders transition to permanent residence via the Subclass 191. The Subclass 887 remains open for holders of the older provisional regional visas that were granted before the 491/191 framework was introduced.

To be eligible, the applicant must have lived in a specified regional or low-population area of Australia for at least 2 years while holding a qualifying visa, and must have worked or studied in that area for at least 1 year.

To be eligible for the Subclass 887:

• Hold or have held a qualifying provisional visa: Subclass 487, 475, 495, 496, 489 (some streams), or another specified provisional visa
• Have lived in a specified regional or low-population area of Australia for at least 2 years while holding the qualifying provisional visa
• Have worked or studied in that area for at least 1 year during the same period
• Satisfy health and character requirements

The 2-year residence requirement requires physical presence in the specified area — periods of travel abroad do not count toward the 2-year requirement.

Subclass 887 applications are lodged online via ImmiAccount. Key documents include evidence of residence in the specified area (lease agreements, utility bills, bank statements showing the regional address), employment or study records, and payslips or employer letters.

Applications should be lodged before the qualifying provisional visa expires. If the provisional visa expires before the 887 is granted, a bridging visa will keep the applicant lawful during processing.

The Subclass 887 is a permanent residence visa. After grant, the holder has unlimited work rights and may live anywhere in Australia. The obligation to live in a regional area ends on visa grant. Standard 5-year travel facility applies from the grant date.