What are the 491 visa requirements?
Following is a list of eligibility criteria to obtain Skilled Work Regional visa 491.
- Nomination from Australian state/territory
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.
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-
- Age
- Language proficiency
- Overseas work Experience
- Australian Experience
- Overseas Qualifications
- Australian Study
- Partner skills
- Stay or study in regional Area.
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. Some of the popular regional areas include Perth, Gold Coast, Adelaide, Sunshine Coast, Lake Macquarie, Geelong, Newcastle, Wollongong, and Canberra.