Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa Subclass 491

Subclass 491 Australia is a provisional visa. It enables aspiring applicants and their family members to live, study, and work in the designated regional areas of Australia for 5 years. Visa 491 Australia was introduced recently and has replaced the 489 visa. Subclass 491 is a skilled visa and requires an applicant to score a minimum of 65 points to qualify for the Skilled Migration Points Test. It has an age limit of 45 years and requires the candidate to obtain a positive skills assessment before applying. Applicants for this visa must be nominated either; by any Australian State or Territory Government agency or should be sponsored by a family member (If eligible) residing in a designated regional area. The applicant shall be invited to apply for this visa following the submission of a successful Expression of Interest (EOI) on SkillSelect. Subclass 491 visa holders may also be eligible to apply for a Permanent Residence visa (subclass 191) after 3 years, provided they fulfil all the visa conditions and requirements.

An applicant is required to submit an Expression of interest (EOI) in SkillSelect to apply for visa 491 Australia. In the EOI, the applicant is required to mention if he is being sponsored by an eligible relative or would like to be nominated by any Australian State or Territory Government agency. The visa applicant should be able to demonstrate that he qualifies for the State or Territory nomination and has adequate skills, work experience, and qualifications that may be preferred. An applicant would also be required to undergo a positive skill assessment to demonstrate this. The skills assessment must be undertaken before the application is lodged.

All the State and Territory government agencies have their own nomination process and criteria for deciding who they will nominate. The EOI submitted by the applicant will provide the States with the points score. If an applicant scores enough points, the State and Territory Government agencies might nominate the applicant for the visa. For more information on the scores and points test, reach out to our experienced 491 visa immigration agents. We provide professional advice and assistance. You can always rely on our 491 visa consultants.

If the applicant is nominated by any State or sponsored by an eligible relative and fulfils all the 491 visa requirements, the Department shall grant the applicant visa 491 in Australia. The validity period of the visa is five years, and once the applicant is granted a subclass 491 visa in Australia, various conditions will be imposed on the applicant:

• The applicant would be required to live, work, and study in a designated regional area only.
• The applicant must not marry or enter into a de-facto relationship before his entry to Australia on this visa.
• The applicant must notify the Department if there are any changes in his passport or contact details.
  The applicant must be able to provide additional evidence related to his work experience, education, and residence if requested.
• The applicant must attend an interview (if asked for) in connection with the Department’s queries for the grant of this visa.

The applicant must fulfil the required eligibility conditions at all times; if there is a failure to do so, the visa may get cancelled.

Understanding Regional Areas; 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 purpose of the Australian visas. Some of the popular regional areas include Perth, Gold Coast, Adelaide, Sunshine Coast, Lake Macquarie, Geelong, Newcastle, Wollongong, and Canberra.

A holder of a subclass 491 visa will not be able to apply for other skills-based visa streams in Australia unless they have completed at least three years of stay in a designated regional area unless exceptional circumstances allow otherwise. Identical to the arrangements in the previous subclass 457 and 482 programs, the holders of the new provisional visa can be negatively impacted by any non-compliance on the part of the sponsor.

For a detailed understanding of the 491 visa requirements, get in touch with our 491 visa immigration agent. Our team has professional 491 visa consultants to cater to all your visa related queries and concerns. To secure your visa 491 to Australia, avail our services now!

To be able to apply for visa 491 as per the 491 visa requirements, an applicant must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• The applicant must be under 45 years of age at the time of application (exemptions apply).
• The applicant must be nominated by an Australian State or Territory Government agency or;
• The applicant must be sponsored by an eligible relative residing in one of the designated regional areas in Australia.
• The applicant must be able to score more than 65 points in the Skilled Migration Points Test to be invited to apply for the visa.
• The applicant must be able to prove his English language ability and demonstrate that he possesses Competent English at the time of application
• The applicant must be able to meet the skill requirement as specified by the Department. Applicant’s occupation must be listed on the combined list of eligible skilled occupations for a subclass 491 Australia skilled regional visa
• The application should have obtained a suitable skill assessment.
• The applicant must meet the specified health and character requirements as set out by the Department.
• The applicant must ensure they pay back all the dues owed to the Australian Government (if there is any) or have made adequate payback arrangements.
• The applicant (if above eighteen) must sign a values statement to confirm they will obey the Australian laws and living rules.
• The applicant must not have had a visa cancelled, or an application refused earlier.

The visa holder is not allowed to apply for any other skilled/permanent resident visa or partner visa 820 for three years. The shared information is exclusive but not exhaustive, and the applicants are advised to go through the complete 491 visa requirements before applying. For more information on 491 visa Brisbane,  Gold Coast or your desired location in Australia, please contact our renowned 491 visa consultant. E-Help 491 visa immigration agent will assist you with your application from start to finish. Don’t wait, contact us now!

While the Sate or Territory Government Nomination Stream depends on the Skilled Migration Points Test score to invite and nominate an applicant, there are certain requirements under the 491 sponsorship via family stream as well. Sponsorship must be approved before you can be granted a visa. For being sponsored through the family stream, the following points and considerations should be met:

The Applicants sponsor must be –

• Over 18 years of age.
• Be a resident of any designated regional area in Australia.
• Be an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand citizen.
• The applicant’s or their partners’ eligible relative.

Eligible Relative can be-

• Applicant’s parent
• Applicant’s child or step-child
• Applicant’s brother, sister, adoptive sister, adoptive brother, step-sister, or step-brother.
• Applicant’s aunt, uncle, adoptive uncle, adoptive aunt, step-aunt, or step-uncle.
• Applicant’s niece, nephew, adoptive nephew or niece, step-nephew or step-niece.
• Applicant’s grandparent, or
• Applicant’s first cousin

The 491 visa requirements and application process can be tricky and needs professional help. We suggest you book an appointment with our 491 visa consultants to know your eligibility and secure a favourable visa.

The table below compares the 482 TSS, 491 and 494 Visa.

The fee for a main or subsequent visa applicant is AUS $4,240. However, the entire process for a 491 Visa can cost you approximately $4,450 to $6,450. It can be more or less about $1000 to $1500, depending on whether you possess a skill assessment.