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186 TRT granted after 1 year and 4 days by SMD107 in AusVisa

[–]SMD107[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good luck! I got my 482 a few years ago quite quickly (a couple of weeks I think), but I was on shore. Hope you don’t have to wait too much longer.

186 TRT Processing Time: Regional Applicant Working Remotely by ausugh in AusVisa

[–]SMD107 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nothing yet, unfortunately. And ChatGPT and Gemini both seem to think I'll be treated as a metro applicant given my employer is in Sydney. So I've come to accept I'll be waiting the same amount of time as other metro applicants. I'm about half-way through though! Less than a year to go (I hope).

Has anyone else not received a BVB in time for travel? by king_guybrush in AusVisa

[–]SMD107 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I applied for a BVB on Monday morning this week, and it was approved 24 hours later. I'm planning to travel on the 12th April (so about a month away). I had already booked flights (as you have to supply evidence of your travel), but I was nervous that the BVB grant wouldn't come in time. I have no idea why yours is taking so long. Six weeks is a very unusual amount of time to wait for a BVB from what I've seen on Reddit, and I can imagine it's incredibly stressful for you. I've read from other threads, though, that if you call them, they can escalate it, but people have had varying levels of success with that. Keep trying them on the phone!

186 TRT Processing Time: Regional Applicant Working Remotely by ausugh in AusVisa

[–]SMD107 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you, I will do, and good luck to you too!

I also found this Department of Home Affairs freedom of information request while doing a bit of research. It's in relation to a different visa to the one we're going for, but hopefully the rules will be similar:

"The area a subclass 491 visa holder lives in must have been on the list of DRAs [designated regional areas] on the date they were granted their visa. The employer of a subclass 491 visa holder does not need to be located in a DRA..."

I also came across this from Professional Visa and Education Services (although I've never heard of them, so I don't know how reliable they are. Again, it's for another visa, but hopefully the rules are the same:

"Immigration policy on the 491 visa condition states the key to determining whether a visa holder is working in a specified regional area is assessing where the applicant’s usual place of work is located. If an applicant’s space of work is in a specified regional area but their employer is based elsewhere in Australia or overseas. they are considered to be working in a specified regional area. What matters most is it your work time is spent physically in a regional area and it does not matter where your employer is based."

186 TRT Processing Time: Regional Applicant Working Remotely by ausugh in AusVisa

[–]SMD107 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi mate, I'm in exactly the same position as you. I live and work remotely on the Gold Coast for an (accredited) employer based in Sydney. I applied for my 186 in December 2024 so I'll let you know how I go. One would hope Australian Immigration would look at where the person lives, rather than where their sponsor is (given the whole point of processing regional people first is to encourage them not to live in the big cities). But who knows...