Edu Global Melbourne Brisbane Immigration Agent -20 Years of Experience
491 – Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa is a visa category similar to the previous 489 visa, designed for highly skilled individuals who wish to live and work in remote areas of Australia. When applying, the government of the respective region or the applicant’s relatives can provide sponsorship. After obtaining this visa, the applicant must live and work in the designated region for a minimum of three years before being eligible to apply for permanent residency (191 visa, similar to the previous 887 visa).
The latest definition of “regional areas” refers to any area in Australia except for the three regions of Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. “Skilled individuals” refer to individuals whose occupations are listed on the skilled occupation list and meet the requirements for scoring, occupational assessment, English proficiency, and other criteria.
Applicants for the 491 visa, whether through government or family sponsorship, need to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI), and their points must meet the minimum score required by the EOI (currently 65 points). Note: Regional sponsorship grants an additional 15 points.
Applicants for the 491 visa need to meet the following criteria:
- The applicant’s occupation is listed on the occupation list for the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa in the designated regional areas.
- Under the age of 45
- Attain a minimum score of 6 in each component of the IELTS examination.
- Successfully complete the skills assessment specific to the nominated occupation. Note: The skills assessment used for the application of the 485 Graduate Work visa is not valid for the 491 visa.
- Obtain sponsorship from either the regional government or an eligible relative.
- If applying for state government sponsorship, meet the immigration list and additional criteria specific to that state.
- Meet the health and character requirements specified by the Department of Home Affairs.
In addition, the 491 visa has the following features:
- The visa is valid for 5 years.
- Visa holders are eligible for Medicare, which provides access to medical services.
- To apply for permanent residency (PR), the visa holder must reside and work in a designated regional area of Australia for at least 3 years. There are no specific income requirements for the work, but tax records need to be provided.
- With the updates to the Skilled Migration Points Test, regional government or family sponsorship for the 491 visa grants an additional 15 points, making it more advantageous for applicants.
For more information on EOI points calculation, refer to the article on the189 Independent Skilled Migration visa.
