SkillSelect – Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) 491 Visa
A visa for talented individuals nominated by a state or territory government to live and work in regional Australia
Australian PR by Skill Nomination - SkillSelect
Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) Guide
Australia is a developed western country with a good standard of living and a domestic income that is quite high. The Visa Subclass 491 offers the chance to live, work, and study in the country for up to 5 years, which is one of the main options for people from all over the world who choose to reside in Australia. The provisional visa is called the Skilled Work Regional visa for skilled professionals who desire to live and work in regional Australia.
0
%
Success rate
0
Filed applications
Note!
These figures were last updated on MONDAY, 7th NOVEMBER 2022, at 3:45 PM GMT +4
Skilled work regional visa 491 Overview
- Stay in Australia for 5 years
- Live, work, and/or attend school in a designated Australian regional area.
- As long as the visa is in effect, you may make as many trips to and from Australia as you want.
- Three years following the issuance of your visa, submit an application for permanent residency.
- Be nominated to apply by a state or territory government agency, or be sponsored by an eligible relative
- Have an occupation on the defined skilled occupation list
- Have a relevant skills assessment for the occupation
- Have an invitation to apply
- Meet the points test
This is just a short-term visa. Upon receiving your visa, you are allowed to stay in Australia for 5 years.
Royal Migration Solutions offers face-to-face consultations, telephone support, email support, and provides you with all the forms you need for your application. We also assist you in completing your application promptly and accurately. Contact us benefit from our expert support
On this page
Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa – Main applicant
The primary applicant and members of their family unit are allowed to live in a specific regional area of Australia. At the same time, they work and study thanks to the Skilled Work Regional visa, commonly known as visa subclass 491. It would help if you were sponsored by an eligible relative or nominated to apply by an Australian state or territory government agency to be eligible for this visa.
Applicants for visas under class 491 must also have a defined occupation on the list of skilled occupations and a good skills assessment for that occupation. Applicants must pass the SkillSelect points test and be invited to apply and fulfil the occupation requirements.
Applicants for visas under class 491 must also have a defined occupation on the list of skilled occupations and a good skills assessment for that occupation. Applicants must pass the SkillSelect points test and be invited to apply and fulfil the occupation requirements.
Designated regional area
The regional definition, which is divided into two categories, provides regional incentives for skilled migrants moving to places that fall under Category 2 (“Cities and Major Regional Centres”) or Category 3 (“Regional Centres and Other Regional Areas”):
The following regional incentives are available to the cities and major regional centres in Category 2: Perth, Adelaide, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Canberra, Newcastle/Lake Macquarie, Wollongong/Illawarra, Geelong, and Hobart.
- Priority processing of regional visas
- Access to the Regional Occupations List – more jobs compared to non-regional lists
- International graduates with a bachelor’s or higher qualification from a regional campus of a registered institution will be eligible to stay for an additional year in Australia on a post-study work visa.
Category 3: The 11,200 regional locations, priority processing for regional visas, and the Regional Occupations List will all be available to “Regional Centres and Other Regional Areas.” Additional rewards consist of the following:
- International graduates with a bachelor’s or higher qualification from a regional campus of a registered institution will be eligible to access an additional 2 years in Australia on a post-study work visa.
- Priority in negotiating region-specific Designated Area Migration Agreements (DAMAs)
Benefits & duration of the 491 Visa
With this visa, you are permitted to stay in Australia for 5 years and make as many trips inside and outside of it as you wish. You may only do your living, working, and studying in one specific region of the country. Family members can be added to the visa, however they can only stay until the primary visa holder’s visa expires. Although qualifying applicants can apply for the Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa, the Skilled Work Regional visa (subclass 191) cannot be extended.
Visa eligibility requirements
A provisional visa for skilled workers who want to live and work in regional Australia is the Skilled Work Regional Visa Subclass 491.
Before receiving a visa, applicants must meet a variety of eligibility requirements in addition to the location limits. Some of these requirements are;
- You should be invited to apply
- You should be nominated or sponsored
- Be aged under 45 to be invited to apply
- Have a relevant skills assessment
- Score 65 points or more in SkillSelect
- Pass the English language exam
Including family members in your 491 visa application
There is a family component to visa subclass 491 as specific family members can be listed on the application. The Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa – Subsequent entrant is a visa specifically intended for a member of the family of someone with a skilled worker regional (provisional) visa (subclass 491). In accordance with Australian law, a person is regarded as a member of your family unit if they are :
- a parent
- a child or step-child
- a brother, sister, adoptive brother, adoptive sister, step-brother or step-sister
- an aunt, uncle, adoptive aunt, adoptive uncle, step-aunt or step-uncle
- a nephew, niece, adoptive nephew, adoptive niece, step-nephew or step-niece
- a grandparent, or
- a first cousin
Family applicants who are in Australia at the time the application is submitted must be family unit members of a holder of a subclass 491 visa and possess either a substantive visa, a subclass 010 Bridging A visa, a subclass 020 Bridging B visa, or a subclass 030 Bridging C visa. All family members who are 18 years of age or older must also speak functional English, adhere to certain moral and ethical standards, sign an Australian Values Statement, and pay a second payment when required. Anyone whose visa has been revoked or denied may not be qualified, and all outstanding debts to the Australian Government must be settled in full.
491 Visa application procedure
It’s crucial to carefully follow the detailed application process if you want to apply for the Skilled Work Regional Visa. The correctness of the information submitted determines how the visa application will turn out and how long it will take to process. The following steps may be considered:
- Submit an expression of interest (EOI) through SkillSelect
- Assemble all appropriate documents
- Application submission
- Application reception confirmation
- Await your visa outcome decision
If you are not in Australia when the visa is issued, you must get there before the date noted on the letter granting the visa.
Questions? You’re covered
- 25% of applications: 3 months
- 50% of applications: 6 months
- 75% of applications: 9 months
- 90% of applications: 22 months
Australia considers each application individually, and actual processing timeframes may vary due to unique situations like:
- Whether your application is comprehensive and includes all required supporting materials.
- How fast you respond to any requests for more details
- How long it takes to do the necessary checks on the supporting information provided
As long as the visa is in effect, you are permitted to leave and enter Australia as frequently as you like. The length of your stay outside of Australia will not prolong your visa.
This is just a short-term visa. After receiving your visa, you have five years to stay in Australia.
This visa cannot be extended to allow you to stay in Australia for a longer period. You may consider other visa options if you wish to extend your stay in Australia. Contact us, and we will be happy to discuss your visa options with you.
Eligibility checkup
Are you eligible for the Skilled Work Regional visa (Subclass 491)?
Subclass 491 visa enables eligible skilled workers and their families to live, work and study in designated regional areas of Australia for 5 years. Fill in the form to get a free assessment from us.
Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) Application Process
1 1
STEP 1
Expression of interest (EOI)
From our free assessment, we will check if you are eligible for the 491 visas and assist you in the submission of your expression of interest (EOI)
2 2
STEP 2
Gather your documents
Once you receive the invitation to apply, it’s time to assemble all documents to support the claims made in the EOI and eligibility proof.
3 3
STEP 3
Apply for the skilled 491 visa
You have 60 days to submit a ZERO mistake application. Our processing officers are best in document verification and application filling.