The Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494) is a 5-year provisional visa for skilled workers sponsored by an employer in a designated regional area of Australia. It is an employer-driven regional pathway — unlike the points-tested subclass 491 (which is nominated through a state/territory or family sponsor), the 494 requires the applicant to have a genuine employer in a regional area who is an approved sponsor. Like the 491, it is a provisional visa and does not grant permanent residence on grant — the pathway to PR is the Skilled Regional visa (subclass 191) after 3 years of meeting income and regional living requirements.

For current eligible occupations, regional area definitions, and processing times, refer to the DHA subclass 494 page.

• Migration Regulations 1994 — Subclass 494 (Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional Provisional) — the visa criteria
• DHA: Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494) — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/skilled-employer-sponsored-regional-494
• DHA: Employer Sponsored stream (494) — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/494/employer-sponsored-stream
• DHA: Labour Agreement stream (494) — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/494/labour-agreement-stream
• DHA: Regional certifying bodies (494) — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/494/regional-certifying-bodies

The two streams

Employer Sponsored stream

The Employer Sponsored stream is the main stream of the 494. The employer must:

• Be an approved Standard Business Sponsor (SBS) — the same sponsorship approval used for the subclass 482 TSS visa
• Be located in and operating in a designated regional area of Australia
• Have the position endorsed by a regional certifying body (RCB) — the RCB confirms the occupation is genuinely needed in the region and that the employer has demonstrated a labour market need
• Nominate the position and applicant through the standard DHA nomination process

The applicant must:

• Have a positive skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority for the nominated occupation (for most occupations)
• Meet the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) — the position must pay at or above this threshold. For current TSMIT, refer to the TSMIT page
• Have at least 3 years of relevant work experience in the nominated occupation
• Meet English language requirements (functional English at minimum — equivalent to IELTS 4.5 in each component)
• Be under 45 years of age at time of invitation or application (with limited exceptions)

Labour Agreement stream

The Labour Agreement stream is for employers who have a current regional labour agreement in place with the Australian Government. This stream applies when a standard employer sponsorship is not available — typically for occupations not on the standard eligible occupation lists, or where specific concessions on skills, language, or age are negotiated into the agreement. For current regional labour agreement types and industries covered, refer to the DHA Labour Agreement stream page.

Role of regional certifying bodies (RCBs)

A distinguishing feature of the subclass 494 Employer Sponsored stream is the requirement for regional certifying body (RCB) endorsement. RCBs are regional development bodies, state and territory government agencies, and industry bodies with authority to certify that a position in a regional area is genuinely required. The RCB must provide a letter of support for the nomination before DHA will approve the nomination. RCBs are listed on the DHA regional certifying bodies page.

The 5-year provisional period and regional living requirement

The subclass 494 is granted for 5 years. A condition of the visa is that the holder must live and work in a designated regional area of Australia throughout the visa period. This is a genuine obligation — it is not simply aspirational. The holder cannot relocate to a major metropolitan area and continue to hold their subclass 494 without breaching visa conditions.

Pathway to permanent residence

Like the subclass 491, the 494 is a stepping stone to permanent residence through the Skilled Regional visa (subclass 191). After holding the 494 for at least 3 years and meeting the regional income threshold and regional living requirements, the holder can apply for the subclass 191, which grants permanent residence. For details, see the regional provisional to PR pathway page.

Subclass 494 vs. subclass 482 vs. subclass 491

Feature	494	482 (TSS)	491
Visa type	Provisional (5 yr)	Temporary (2 or 4 yr)	Provisional (5 yr)
Nomination type	Employer in regional area + RCB	Employer (any approved location)	State/territory or family
Regional requirement?	Yes — must live and work regionally	No	Yes — must live and work regionally
Pathway to PR?	Yes — via subclass 191	Yes — via subclass 186 (TRT stream)	Yes — via subclass 191
Points test?	No	No	Yes

The 494 is suited for skilled workers who have a specific regional employer sponsoring them and who are willing to live and work regionally for 5 years. The 491 is suited for skilled workers who can obtain state/territory nomination and are willing to live regionally, and who are competing in a points-tested pool rather than relying on a specific employer.

The subclass 494 is less commonly used than the 491 or 482 because it requires the additional step of RCB endorsement, which adds time and complexity to the nomination process. However, it is an important pathway for regional employers who cannot find Australian workers for specific roles and who have a genuine labour market need certified by the regional body. For current eligible occupations, TSMIT, regional area definitions, and processing times, refer to the DHA subclass 494 page.