Geelong Regional Certifying Body

Employers applying to the Department of Home Affairs to sponsor an overseas professional under Skilled Sponsored Regional (provisional) visa (subclass 494) are required to apply for a assessment by a Regional Certifying Body.

The Geelong RCB operates as a service to the region's employers who have critical skill shortages that cannot be filled from the local labour market. The Geelong RCB seek to ensure employers with genuine skill shortages have access to the important and limited employer sponsored regional visas. 

Overseas migration should only be considered as a last resort and when all other options to attract Australian workers have been exhausted.

Employers can nominate position for a regional skilled visa if:

• They actively and lawfully operate a business in Australia and the position is located within a Designated Regional Area
• Will be nominating the worker for a position in your business
• Have a genuine need for a paid employee to fill a skilled position
• Offer a skilled position that is full-time and ongoing, with no express exclusion included in the employment contract of this period being extended in future
• The position must not be able to be filled by an Australian citizen or permanent resident who lives in, or would move to, the 494 Post Codes
• Meet the Salary and Employment Condition requirements and have the capacity to pay the worker at least the annual market salary rate
• Wish to fill a position that is an occupation listed on the list of eligible skilled occupations
• There is no adverse information known about your business or any person associated with your business, or it is reasonable to disregard this information
• The worker holds (or is eligible for) any mandatory registration, licence or professional membership
• They comply with Australian law including in relation to immigration and employment.

The application process for the SESR visa requires:

• An employer be an approved standard business sponsor with the Department Home Affairs, Immigration and Citizenship.
• An employer nomination application to the Department Home Affairs, Immigration and Citizenship.
  An assessment by a Regional Certifying Body (RCB) is one step in the process of an employer nomination application.
• An employee application to the Department of Home Affairs.

The Role of a Regional Certifying Body (RCB)
The role of an RCB is to provide advice to the Department of Home Affairs regarding positions nominated by eligible employers for the RSMS and SESR, using local knowledge to advise the Department in relation to:

• whether the identified person would be paid at least the annual market salary rate for the occupation (RSMS & SESR)
• whether there is a genuine need for the identified person to be employed in the position, under the direct control of the nominator (RSMS)
• whether the position can be filled by an Australian citizen or an Australian permanent resident who is living in, or would move to, the local area concerned (RSMS).

The advice provided by a regional certifying body is intended to ensure nominations have been scrutinised by a third party who is familiar with local labour market conditions and who might be able to provide information on regional matters which the Department of Home Affairs may not be aware of.

While the information and substantiating evidence provided by an employer will be taken into account when providing advice to the Department of Home Affairs, it is the local knowledge of an Regional Certifying Body that is its purpose.

Requesting an assessment by the Geelong RCB

• Download and complete the Geelong RCB Application Form and Checklist
• Complete 1404
• Pay the application fee
• Submit all documents and evidence to the Geelong RCB

What will the Geelong RCB do with my documentation?

• The Geelong RCB will assess the documentation provided against the required criteria (above) and complete the last section of the Regional Certifying Body Advice Form 1404 (questions 11-15).
• The completed Form 1404 will be returned to the employer for inclusion in their On-line Nomination Application with the Department of Home Affairs.

NB: From this point the Geelong RCB is no longer involved in the process.

Please note that a positive 'satisfies' RCB assessment does not ensure the Department of Home Affairs will approve the 494 Nomination.

Similarly, a 'does not satisfy' from an RCB does not necessarily mean the Department of Home Affairs will not approve the Nomination. The Minister has the power to determine the outcome of all RSMS Nominations regardless of the RCB advice. The RCB advice is only one element within the Minister’s assessment process in considering an employer's Nomination for an RSMS or SESR. Where a lodged application receives negative RCB advice, the Department will provide an opportunity for the nominator to respond to that advice.

The Geelong RCB region includes:

• The City of Greater Geelong
• Surf Coast Shire
• Borough of Queens cliff

The Geelong RCB is currently assessing applications for the Gippsland RCB region that includes the local government areas of:

• Baw Baw Shire Council
• Bass Council
• Cardinia Shire Council
• East Gippsland Shire Council
• Latrobe City
• South Gippsland Shire Council
• Wellington Shire Council
• Yarra Ranges Shire (eligible postcodes)

Application Fee: pre-paid non-refundable $550 including GST to Geelong Regional Certifying Body.

Post Codes:

Postcodes	Region
3212	Geelong
3213	Geelong
3214	Geelong
3215	Geelong
3216	Geelong
3217	Geelong
3218	Geelong
3219	Geelong
3220	Geelong
3221	Geelong
3222	Geelong
3223	Geelong
3224	Geelong
3225	Geelong
3226	Geelong
3227	Geelong
3228	Geelong
3230	Geelong
3231	Geelong
3232	Geelong
3233	Geelong
3235	Geelong
3236	Geelong
3237	Geelong
3238	Geelong
3239	Geelong
3240	Geelong
3241	Geelong
3242	Geelong
3243	Geelong
3249	Geelong
3250	Geelong
3251	Geelong
3254	Geelong

3260	Geelong
3264	Geelong
3265	Geelong
3266	Geelong
3267	Geelong
3268	Geelong
3269	Geelong
3270	Geelong
3271	Geelong
3272	Geelong
3273	Geelong
3274	Geelong
3275	Geelong
3276	Geelong
3277	Geelong
3278	Geelong
3279	Geelong
3280	Geelong
3281	Geelong
3282	Geelong
3283	Geelong
3284	Geelong
3285	Geelong
3286	Geelong
3287	Geelong
3289	Geelong
3292	Geelong
3293	Geelong
3294	Geelong
3300	Geelong
3301	Geelong
3302	Geelong
3303	Geelong
3304	Geelong
3305	Geelong
3306	Geelong
3309	Geelong
3310	Geelong
3311	Geelong
3314	Geelong
3315	Geelong
3321	Geelong
3322	Geelong
3323	Geelong
3324	Geelong
3325	Geelong
3328	Geelong
3329	Geelong
3330	Geelong

3331	Geelong
3332	Geelong
3333	Geelong
3351	Geelong
3360	Geelong
3361	Geelong
3407	Geelong

Geelong Regional Certifying Body
PO Box 104
Geelong Vic 3220
[e-mail]