General Skilled Migration Visa essentially serves the best to those skilled workers who are willing to live and work in Australia on a permanent basis. The General Skilled Migration program is used by the Australian government to fill skill gaps in the Australian economy by targeting specific occupations and people with relevant skills and experience. Skilled migrants have very high participation rates in the workforce, helping to stimulate economic growth, which results in more jobs. The program covers a number of visas, including pathways to direct permanent residence (the Skilled Independent (Subclass 189) visa, the Skilled Nominated (Subclass 190) visa) or a staggered provisional pathway through the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (Subclass 491) visa. Additional points are awarded to those willing to relocate to designated regional areas. This visa is also applicable to those individuals who can get sponsorship of an Australian employer.