491 Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa
In March 2019, Australian Government announced significant changes to the General Skilled Migration and Employer Sponsored visa programs in 2019.
New regional visas to Australia.
This shift in focus replaced: both the Skilled Regional (subclass 489) and RSMS (subclass 187)Visa, by two new temporary regional visas. Both with pathways to permanent residency after 3 years.
New regional visas came into effect from 16th November 2019.
- 491 Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa – point tested visa. Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) has replaced the Skilled Regional Nominated visa (subclass 489). There are 14,000 places available for the 491 visa
And - 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored (Regional) visa – sponsored visa
Subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored (Regional) replaced 187 (RSMS) and has 10,000 places allocated per year.
This visa is for people who wish to settle in regional Australia who have an occupation which is in high demand in Australia’s labour market.
Holders of the new provisional visas will also be unable to apply for most other skills-based visas in Australia unless they have completed at least three years in a designated regional area, unless exceptional circumstances exist.
Additionally, like current arrangements for the subclass 457 and 482 visa program, holders of the new provisional visas can be negatively impacted by sponsor non-compliance.
491 Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa
To be eligible for 491 visa, you must be skilled in an occupation on the relevant State Government Occupation List and be nominated by that State OR be skilled in an occupation on the MLTSSL and be nominated by an Eligible Family Member.
Whether you are applying on the basis of a State nomination or a Family Member nomination, all applicants must meet a minimum score of 65 points on a points test.
Applicants must also meet the following criteria:
• Be between the ages of 18 and 44
• Have Competent English or higher, and their dependent family members over 18 years of age have at least Functional English
• Hold a positive skill assessment in the nominated occupation
• Meet health and character requirements
Check tabs below for details on requirements for 491 visa.
491 visa requirements:
- You must be under 45 years of age.
- You must have a skilled occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list.
- You must be able to demonstrate ‘Competent English’.
- You must have a positive skills assessment from the relevant skills assessing authority in relation to your nominated occupation.
- You must obtain the minimum score on the Points Test at the time of invitation to apply for the visa.
- You must be nominated by an Australian State or Territory agency or sponsored by an eligible relative living in a designated area.
- You must obtain an invitation to apply for the visa. To be invited you will have to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect and meet the required points test on a competitive basis.
- You must satisfy certain Public Interest criteria and Special Return criteria.
- You must meet health and character requirements.
Eligible Family sponsor for 494 visa.
All state and territory government agencies have their own criteria for deciding who they will nominate.If you are nominated for the visa, we will invite you to apply.
Contact the state or territory agency directly to find out more about their nomination process and what they want from you.
491 visa allow to live and work in Australia up to 5 years.
With the 491 visa, you can:
• stay in Australia for 5 years
• live, work and study in a designated regional area of Australia in line with your visa conditions. A simplified definition of regional Australia for skilled migration purposes includes all areas of Australia except the metropolitan areas of; Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Gold Coast, Perth Newcastle, Wollongong and the NSW Central Coast will now be eligible.
• The visa has got multiple travel rights
• You may also apply for permanent residence, if eligible through the permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (subclass 191) which commences on 16 November 2022
• work in any occupation and for any employer in line with the work and residence conditions attached to your visa.
494 visa step by step:
Step 1: Lodge your Expression of Interest (EOI) with the Department of Home Affairs through SkillSelect
Step 2: Apply for nomination.
Step 4: Lodge application
Including family on 494 visa
- Include family
- include family members in your application when you apply
- add family members to your application after you apply but before we decide on your visa
For 191 visa, your family members are:
- your partner
- your dependent child or stepchild
- your partner’s dependent child or stepchild
- the dependent child or stepchild of your or your partner’s dependent child or stepchild
You may include family in your 494 visa application.
- include family members in your application when you apply
- add family members to your application after you apply but before we decide on your visa
For 194 visa, your family members are:
- your partner
- your dependent child or stepchild
- your partner’s dependent child or stepchild
- the dependent child or stepchild of your or your partner’s dependent child or stepchild
You can include members of the family unit in your application if they currently hold an eligible visa. You must include each family member who is eligible to apply for this visa at the time you lodge your application. You can’t add family members after you have submitted your application.
You can include family members who no longer meet the standard definition of member of the family unit provided they hold an eligible visa that was granted on the basis that they were a member of your family unit. This provision would apply, for example, if you want to include a child in your application who has turned 23 years of age since they were granted an eligible visa
Family members who apply for the visa with you must meet our health and character requirements.
Family members who do not apply for the visa with you might also have to meet the requirements.
You can be in or outside Australia when you loading your 491 visa application. Application lodged in Australia, will give you a bridging visa.
How much cost visa to Australia
Second instalment
You will need to pay an extra charge called a second instalment for any family member aged 18 years or older who:
- applies for the visa with you, and
- has less than Functional English
If you need to pay the second instalment for a family member, they will be eligible for English
Victoria welcomes nomination applications for the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) which allows points-tested skilled workers and their families to live, study and work in designated regional areas of Australia for a period of 5 years.
Occupation
To apply for Victorian nomination for the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (subclass 491) visa, your occupation must be listed on the Commonwealth’s skilled occupation lists. The skilled occupations lists reflect genuine skills needs in Australia and enable businesses to access the skills they need to grow if skilled Australian workers are not available.
To check if your occupation is eligible for the subclass 491 visa,
Skills Assessment
A skills assessment must match the occupation you have nominated. Please ensure that your skills assessment is valid for at least 12 weeks at the time of submitting a visa nomination application.
To find out where you can have your skills assessed
Assessment criteria
Every application for Victoria visa nomination is assessed individually with a focus on your ability to address a number of assessment criteria, including:
• Your ability to meet the minimum eligibility criteria;
• The demand for your skills and expertise in a designated regional area of Victoria;
• Whether the job offer you provide is for a position located in a designated regional area of Victoria;
• The suitability and transferability of your qualifications, skills and experience – including any specialist capabilities – to Victoria’s labour market; and
• Your ability and commitment to establishing yourself and any dependents in a designated regional area of Victoria, with a view to long term settlement in that area.
Finances
Financial resource requirements are in place to ensure you can support yourself and your family on arrival in Victoria.
| ONSHORE APPLICANTS | |
| Working in nominated occupation | A$20,000 |
| Not working in nominated occupation | See offshore requirements below |
| OFFSHORE APPLICANTS | |
| Number of dependents | Australian dollars (A$) |
| Individual applicant | $30,000 |
| 1 | $35,000 |
| 2 | $40,000 |
| 3 | $50,000 |
| 4 | $60,000 |
| 5 | $70,000 |
| 6 or more | $80,000 |
Original source:
https://liveinmelbourne.vic.gov.au/migrate/skilled-migration-visas/491
NSW’s management of the new 491 visa aims to deliver strong, strategic outcomes for regional NSW.
NSW Government has a strong commitment to regional growth and the 491 visa will sit alongside several other government initiatives that aim to increase regional NSW’s attraction as a highly desirable place to live, work and do business.
The occupations eligible for NSW nomination are selected to meet the skills needs of the NSW economy across a range of industry sectors. We will regularly update these occupations according to the skills needs in NSW.
NSW nomination requirements
Before submitting an EOI, please review the NSW nomination requirements relevant to your circumstances to confirm your eligibility.
• I’m living and working in regional NSW
• I’m offshore
• I’ve recently completed study in regional NSW
If you do not currently meet NSW nomination requirements, please be aware these requirements and occupations are subject to change.
Original source:
NSW’s management of the new 491 visa aims to deliver strong, strategic outcomes for regional NSW.
NSW Government has a strong commitment to regional growth and the 491 visa will sit alongside several other government initiatives that aim to increase regional NSW’s attraction as a highly desirable place to live, work and do business.
The occupations eligible for NSW nomination are selected to meet the skills needs of the NSW economy across a range of industry sectors. We will regularly update these occupations according to the skills needs in NSW.
NSW nomination requirements
Before submitting an EOI, please review the NSW nomination requirements relevant to your circumstances to confirm your eligibility.
• I’m living and working in regional NSW
• I’m offshore
• I’ve recently completed study in regional NSW
If you do not currently meet NSW nomination requirements, please be aware these requirements and occupations are subject to change.
Original source:
NSW’s management of the new 491 visa aims to deliver strong, strategic outcomes for regional NSW.
NSW Government has a strong commitment to regional growth and the 491 visa will sit alongside several other government initiatives that aim to increase regional NSW’s attraction as a highly desirable place to live, work and do business.
The occupations eligible for NSW nomination are selected to meet the skills needs of the NSW economy across a range of industry sectors. We will regularly update these occupations according to the skills needs in NSW.
NSW nomination requirements
Before submitting an EOI, please review the NSW nomination requirements relevant to your circumstances to confirm your eligibility.
• I’m living and working in regional NSW
• I’m offshore
• I’ve recently completed study in regional NSW
If you do not currently meet NSW nomination requirements, please be aware these requirements and occupations are subject to change.
Original source:
WA Migration Services processes nominations on behalf of the State Government. If you are nominated by WA Migration Services, you are given an automatic invitation to apply for the intended visa from the Department of Home Affairs.
Have an occupation on Western Australian skilled migration occupation list
Visit the occupation lists page for more information.
Occupations designated as Regional Western Australia only
Candidates nominating for occupations that are designated ‘regional Western Australia only’ in the General or Graduate stream must provide evidence of a job offer/contract of employment in a location defined by the Commonwealth as Regional Centres and Other Regional Areas. These include the following areas by postcodes: 6041 to 6044, 6084, 6207, 6213, 6215 to 6537, and 6560 to 6770. Visit the Occupation lists page to see if your occupation is listed as Regional WA only.
Meet work experience requirement
You must be able to claim at least 5 points for work experience in your expression of interest in SkillSelect. You must have:
- at least one year of Australian work experience in the nominated (or closely related) occupation over the last 10 years; or
- at least three years of overseas work experience in the nominated (or closely related) occupation over the last 10 years.
You can only count work experience gained after you received your qualification, in paid employment, where you have worked at least 20 hours per week.
Further evidence of work experience may be requested during the application process.
Provide a contract of employment
You must have a contract of employment in your nominated (or closely related) occupation for full time employment in Western Australia, for at least 12 months from the date of your application for State nomination. Full time employment is defined as an average of at least 35 hours work per week. You are able to provide two contracts of employment to make up the 35 hours.
Demonstrate sufficient settlement funds
If you live outside of Western Australia, you must have sufficient funds to cover your settlement costs and living costs for at least three months.
The minimum amount of funds required is:
- for a single person – $20,000 (AUD);
- for a couple – $30,000 (AUD); and
- for every additional dependant – $5,000 (AUD).
You will be asked to show proof of funds through bank statements or asset valuations.
Original source:
WA Migration Services processes nominations on behalf of the State Government. If you are nominated by WA Migration Services, you are given an automatic invitation to apply for the intended visa from the Department of Home Affairs.
Have an occupation on Western Australian skilled migration occupation list
Visit the occupation lists page for more information.
Occupations designated as Regional Western Australia only
Candidates nominating for occupations that are designated ‘regional Western Australia only’ in the General or Graduate stream must provide evidence of a job offer/contract of employment in a location defined by the Commonwealth as Regional Centres and Other Regional Areas. These include the following areas by postcodes: 6041 to 6044, 6084, 6207, 6213, 6215 to 6537, and 6560 to 6770. Visit the Occupation lists page to see if your occupation is listed as Regional WA only.
Meet work experience requirement
You must be able to claim at least 5 points for work experience in your expression of interest in SkillSelect. You must have:
- at least one year of Australian work experience in the nominated (or closely related) occupation over the last 10 years; or
- at least three years of overseas work experience in the nominated (or closely related) occupation over the last 10 years.
You can only count work experience gained after you received your qualification, in paid employment, where you have worked at least 20 hours per week.
Further evidence of work experience may be requested during the application process.
Provide a contract of employment
You must have a contract of employment in your nominated (or closely related) occupation for full time employment in Western Australia, for at least 12 months from the date of your application for State nomination. Full time employment is defined as an average of at least 35 hours work per week. You are able to provide two contracts of employment to make up the 35 hours.
Demonstrate sufficient settlement funds
If you live outside of Western Australia, you must have sufficient funds to cover your settlement costs and living costs for at least three months.
The minimum amount of funds required is:
- for a single person – $20,000 (AUD);
- for a couple – $30,000 (AUD); and
- for every additional dependant – $5,000 (AUD).
You will be asked to show proof of funds through bank statements or asset valuations.
Original source:
ACT April 2020 State Invitation for 491 visa.
491 Nomination – No invitations were issued as there are sufficient 491 applications in the queue to meet the May 2020 monthly allocation of 491 nomination places.
The next invitation round will be held on or before 8 May 2020. Please note: ALL matrix expire 6 months after submission date if an invitation is not issued.