回顾即将终结的489签证，除了公立学校免费读书，其他福利可以说是没有的。那么即将到来的491/494签证将会有哪些福利呢？
2019年10月11日澳洲政府公布了一项关于新偏远地区签证法案 New Regional Visas (Consequential Amendents ) Bill 2019 的调查报告，该报告收集了包括澳洲多个议会、大学、州政府以及移民局（DHA）等机构和个人提交的19个submissions，总结了各方对于法案关于偏远地区定义以及491/494签证持有人福利待遇等一系列问题的提议的看法和建议。
重点看一下大家关心的福利问题-飞出国：
- 医疗（Medicare）：新偏远地区签证491/494持有者 确认可以 享受与永久居民（permanent resident）一样的医疗福利，并且澳大利亚卫生部已着手修订相关方案。
The department confirmed that holders of the new skilled regional provisional visas ‘will have the same access to Medicare as Australian permanent residents’, which means they can apply for a Medicare card.
In order to facilitate this access, the Department of Health is in the process of amending the Health Insurance Act 1973 .
- 学费（School fees）：联合大学的参与者建议，鼓励各州及领地，在公立学校入学费用方面，应该将新偏远地区签证持有者与永久居民一样对待。
In the Joint University Submission, participating universities recommended that the Commonwealth government ‘ incentivise a consistent approach’ through COAG to encourage states and territories to ‘treat new skilled regional visa holders as if they were Australian permanent residents in relation to payment of school fees for enrolment in public schools’.
- 助学金及助学贷款（HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP）：教育机构对法案关于新偏远地区签证持有者在衔接课程方面享受贷款或者学费补助的提议表示支持。
Submitters from the education sector welcomed the provisions in the bill which would enable new skilled regional visa holders to access Commonwealth Supported Places and FEE-HELP for bridging courses that ‘pay all or part of their tuition fees for a unit of study that is part of a bridging course for overseas-trained professionals’.
- 购房（Purchasing property）：多个参与的大学提议，偏远地区签证持有者在偏远地区购房方面享受与永久签证持有者相同的权利，原因是目前临时签证的居民需要申请并获得境外投资许可才能在当地购买住房，并且至少需要支付5700澳币的费用，这有可能成为在当地永久定居的重大阻碍。
Concerned this may act as a significant disincentive to settling permanently, the universities recommended that provisional skilled regional visa holders be ‘afforded the same rights as a permanent visa holder in relation to the purchase of residential property in a regional area’.
- 相关豁免提议（Exemptions for regional universities）：联合大学针对雇主担保移民签证（subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (provisional)）申请条件和要求提出多项豁免建议，最终政府确认：对于申请大学讲师或教职员工职位的494偏远地区雇主担保的申请人，在年龄、技能评估和工作经验方面可以享受豁免。另外，可以在新签证的劳工协议类别中考虑英语语言豁免。
最终，澳洲法律 和宪法事务立法委员会建议议会通过该项法案。总结来说，综合大家的提议， 虽然部分submissions表达了担忧，但是，多数submission是支持新偏远地区签证494/491的持有人享受与澳洲PR同等的福利待遇的！ 期待即将到来的491/494签证带来惊喜！
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