494 Visa – Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional)

Sponsorship

Regional Certification & Nomination

The employer is required to identify an occupation on the Regional Occupation List that aligns with the role on offer. The role must be located in regional Australia, which is generally anywhere outside the Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane metro areas.
The role must also attract a ‘market rate’ salary that is no less than the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) of $76,515 per annum.

The employment conditions including salary must be assessed by a Regional Certifying Body to ensure they align with the local market rates. The Certifying body often have additional requirements, including specific LMT advertising, in order to meet their assessment criteria. Note that some Certifying bodies require that the nominating business is registered in their State or Territory, meaning remote work may not be acceptable.

Labour Market Testing (LMT) is mandatory for the 494 visa. LMT advertising must meet Immigration’s strict requirements in order to be accepted for Nomination purposes.

A one-off Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy payment is payable for each nomination, with the amount determined by the turnover of the sponsoring business.

Visa Application

To qualify for the 494 Visa, candidates must:

• Meet the skill requirement for their nominated occupation as set out in the ANZSCO.
• Provide a formal skill assessment in their nominated occupation
• Evidence at least three years of recent, full-time, paid work experience in their occupation
• Demonstrate Competent level English ability
• Meet health and character requirements

Family members can be included in the application. Family members over the age of 18 must demonstrate Functional level English ability.