Subclass 491 — Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa — immi.wiki

The Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa is a points-tested temporary visa for skilled workers who are willing to live and work in a designated regional area of Australia. It is a 5-year provisional visa and not a direct grant of permanent residence.

The Subclass 491 replaced the former Subclass 489 visa in November 2019. It offers 15 points under the points schedule at r 2.72 for regional nomination (compared to 5 points for Subclass 190 nomination), making it accessible to applicants with lower overall points scores who are willing to live regionally.

After 3 years of living and working in a designated regional area, holders may be eligible to apply for the Subclass 191 Permanent Residence (Regional) visa, which grants permanent residence.

• Be under 45 years of age at the time of invitation
• Have at least vocational English at the time of invitation
• Have a nominated occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list
• Hold a positive skills assessment for the nominated occupation
• Be nominated by either:
  • A state or territory government agency, or
  • An eligible relative who is a permanent resident or citizen living in a designated regional area
• Receive an invitation through SkillSelect
• Satisfy the points test (the regional nomination attracts 15 points under r 2.72)

The application process is the same as for the Subclass 190:

1. Skills assessment → EOI in SkillSelect → state/territory or family nomination → federal invitation → visa application within 60 days → assessment → decision under s 65.

The key difference is the regional nomination, which may come from either a state/territory agency or an eligible relative living in a designated regional area.

The Subclass 491 carries significant conditions:

• The holder must live, work, and study only in a designated regional area of Australia. Working in a non-regional area (including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and the Gold Coast) while holding a Subclass 491 is a breach of visa conditions.
• The visa is valid for 5 years and does not automatically lead to permanent residence.
• To qualify for the Subclass 191 permanent residence visa, the holder must have lived and worked in a regional area for at least 3 years and meet minimum income thresholds.
• Standard conditions regarding character and national security apply. The visa is cancelable under s 116.