Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visas (491) The Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visas (491) are valid for five years and are open to skilled workers seeking to work and reside in regional areas of Australia. This visa category offers an opportunity to apply for permanent residency after three years. To apply, sponsorship is required either from a state or territory in regional Australia or from a family member residing in a regional part of the country.
To be eligible to apply for Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) nomination, you must:
Following is a list of eligibility criteria to obtain Skilled Work Regional visa 491.
You need to receive a nomination from an Australian state or territory government agency. Alternatively, you can declare your intention to be sponsored by an eligible family member.
State Requirements
QLD – https://migration.qld.gov.au/visa-options/
NSW – https://www.nsw.gov.au/visas-and-migration/
VIC – https://liveinmelbourne.vic.gov.au/migrate/skilled-migration-visas
NT – https://theterritory.com.au/migrate/migrate-to-work/
SA – https://www.migration.sa.gov.au/visa-options/skilled-visas/
WA – https://migration.wa.gov.au/our-services-support/state-nominated-migration-program
The age limit for applying for this visa is 45 years at the time of submitting the application.
An appropriate skills assessment, issued no more than three years prior to the application, is mandatory for the applicant.
The General Skilled Migration applicants are required to have their skills assessed by the relevant Skills Assessing Authority for their occupation. Since the decision on a visa grant is mainly dependent on the ability and demand of a particular skill in question, the Department usually asks for a successful skill assessment test from a registered assessment agency.
For further information on the Australian Skills Assessing Authorities, contact us.
The chosen occupation must be listed in the Skilled Occupation List issued by the Australian Government.
Demonstrating a proficient level of English is required, although residents of the United Kingdom, USA, Canada, and New Zealand are exempt from this English assessment.
The subclass 491 visa operates on a points-based system. When you present your Expression of Interest (EOI) through the Skill Select portal, you will receive an initial point estimate based on the provided information. If your score falls short of 65 points, you will not receive an invitation to apply for the visa. If you are invited, the invitation will specify the required points for your visa application assessment. The stipulated points could surpass 65, depending on the details you have presented in your EOI.
The skilled migration program for immigration to Australia is usually a points-based process. Point’s criteria are assessed during the invitation process. Every single requirement has a point attached to it; generally, the factors that considered for testing your points are-
Calculate your points (here)
Both the primary applicant and accompanying family members aged 16 and above need to meet the character prerequisites for obtaining the visa or Australian citizenship. Likewise, family members not accompanying the main applicant must also satisfy the character requirements.
Regional skilled visa is to allow skilled individuals to work in certain specific regions of the country either temporarily or permanently.
Most locations of Australia outside major cities such as Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne have been classed as designated regional areas for migration purposes.
The Department of Home Affairs has circulated the list of postcodes considered as designated regional areas for the purposes of the Australian visas.
Click here to see the list of regional areas to live and work in to obtain the visa.
Submit the EOI (Expression of Interest)– Prior to applying for the visa, you must submit an expression of interest if you’re applying for the points-tested stream.
Point Requirement– If you accumulate at least 65 points, SkillSelect will automatically invite you to apply for the visa after calculating your points based on your qualifications and talents while filling out your personal information for your EOI.
Receive a visa invitation– After completing your EOI submission, you must wait for an invitation to apply for the visa.
Make a visa application– Go to your SkillSelect account and choose the option to “apply for visa”, this will take you to the online application system, ImmiAccount. Login or create a new ImmiAccount, fill out all the information, submit the required documents and pay the application fee.
| Visa subclass | Base application charge | Additional applicant charge (18 and over) | Additional applicant charge (under 18) |
| Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189) - Points tested stream | AUD4,640 | AUD2,320 | AUD1,160 |
The applicant, as well as the family members named in the application, should hold a valid passport.
You can include your family members in your primary application. Alternatively, you can add them to your application after you lodge the application but before your visa is granted.
Partner
The spouse or de-facto partner of the candidate could be the opposite or same sex. The partner must be 18 years of age or above. However, the candidates must prove their mutual commitment towards the relationship. The candidate and the partner should not live separately on a permanent basis.
Children
To include children in the Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189) application form, the children could be the applicant’s own children or stepchildren. However, the children must:
Ranking systems for an invitation to be invited for a 491 visa:
First: Applicants with a skilled partner OR applicants without a partner.
Second: Applicants with a partner who can demonstrate Competent English (but does not have the skills for skilled partner points).
Third: Applicants with a partner who is ineligible for either competent English or Skilled partner points.
This is a state nominated provisional visa for skilled migrants that allows you to live and work in South Australia for up to five years. South Australia offers a state nomination pathway for the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa – Subclass 491 if you meet all state nomination requirements.
Followings are the visa conditions for a visa 491:
Workers who are granted the 491 visa will be able to stay in Australia for 5 years from the date the visa is granted, be eligible to travel to and from Australia as many times as they like during that time, and the best part is they’ll be able to apply for permanent Australian residence from November 16, 2022.
The Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) allows skilled migrants to live, study and work in designated regional areas for a period of 5 years, with a pathway to permanent residency. You must receive nomination from a state or territory before you can apply for this visa.
The usual processing time for a skilled migrant visa is not fixed and depends on the applicants’ personal profile and the visa conditions. However, the processing time of applications differ based on the conditions like:
Moreover, the general time for the processing of the independent skilled visa is dependent on the complexity of the visa background.
Yes, the Subclass 491 Visa offers a pathway to permanent residency through the Subclass 191 Visa (Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional)) provided you meet certain residency and other criteria while living and working in a designated regional area.
If you want to stay in Australia permanently and you or your partner have satisfied the work and residence requirements, you might be eligible for Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (subclass 191). With the Skilled Regional Visa (191) you can stay in Australia permanently.
The subclass 491 visa entitles visa holders, together with their families, to live, work and study in designated regional areas of Australia and provides you access to Medicare (our national healthcare scheme).
The regional 491 Visa nomination requirement is much easier than the visa 190. It is important that the Australian Government is trying to push skilled migrants to live and work in regional areas of Australia.
If you are a holder of a subclass 491 or 494 you must have held that visa for at least 3 years before you can lodge an application for a subclass 189 or 190.
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