Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa - Subclass 491

Overview

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. 

Who Can Apply for a 491 visa?  

To be eligible to apply for Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) nomination, you must:  

• Be committed to living in regional area, 
• Have had your Registration of Interest (ROI) selected, 
• Be under 45 years of age, 
• Have Competent English, 
• Have a valid skills assessment in an occupation on the eligible skilled occupation list for this visa,  
• If you are onshore, you must be living in Regional Area at the time of nomination, 
• Be committed to living in regional Area, 
• Have achieved at least 65 points on the Australian Government’s points test for your Expression of Interest (EOI) in Skill Select.  

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.  

• Age limit  

The age limit for applying for this visa is 45 years at the time of submitting the application.  

• Skill Assessment  

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.   

• Occupation  

The chosen occupation must be listed in the Skilled Occupation List issued by the Australian Government.  

• English proficiency  

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.   

• Points  

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-  

1. Age  
2. Language proficiency  
3. Overseas work Experience  
4. Australian Experience  
5. Overseas Qualifications  
6. Australian Study  
7. Partner skills  
8. Stay or study in regional Area.  

• Character requirements 

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. 

• Living in Regional Area  

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.  

How to apply for the 491-visa subclass? 

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.    

How much does it cost to apply for a 190 visa? 

How to bring family members under this visa? 

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: 

• be under 18 years of age 
• be more than 18 years but under 23 years of age and must be dependent on the applicants or their respective partners 
• be more than 23 years of age, but dependent on their parents due to some physical or cognitive disability. 
• meet the health requirements as set out by the Department of Home Affairs. 

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.  

FAQs