What is a Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa?
The 491 visa requires nomination from an Australian State or Territory government or eligible Australian relative, with the committment that applicants will settle in a regional area of Australia.
A condition of the visa limits all visa holders to living, working, and studying in regional Australia. This is to ensure skills are brought to the areas of most need, and to support regional communities to grow and thrive.
Requirements For the 491 Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa
Applicants undergo evaluation through a points-based system, where factors like age, English language proficiency, work experience, and education contribute to their overall score. Additional points are contributed by the nominating relative or State/Territory Government, which is particularly attractive for older applicants to counteract a low age score.
Applicants must:
- be under 45 years of age
- nominate an occupation:
- on any of the available skilled occupation lists, that is also on that that is also on the State/Territory’s sponsorship list – State Nominated pathway
- from the Medium-Long Term Skills Shortage List (MLTSSL) – Family nominated pathway
- obtain the specified skills assessment for the nominated occupation
- demonstrate at least Competent level English
- provide evidence of support from an eligible Australian relative living in regional Australia, or obtain State/Territory nomination
- meet health and character requirements
Applicants first submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) via the SkillSelect system, and await an invitation to apply for a visa.
The 491 is a provisional visa, meaning holders are monitored and have specific reporting conditions. Once they have lived and worked in Australia for at least 3 years, a pathway to permanent residency via the subclass 191 Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa.
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Hold a 491 Visa and Planning to Apply for a 191 Visa?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
When I hold this visa, can I work remotely for an employer?
Immigration expects that the employer would have a branch office or site located in the regional area of Australia to comply with condition 8579.
The visa holder may be in breach of this condition if they work from home/remotely for an employer who does not have a presence in the regional area.
My employer needs me to visit the head office in Brisbane/Sydney/Melbourne. Is this okay?
Condition 8579 is not intended to prevent a visa holder from engaging in incidental activities outside a regional area, such as holidays or work-related travel/training.
However, Immigration will closely scrutinise time spent outside the regional area where:
- the holder spends more than 90 days in total per annum outside the regional area, or
- the holder spends more than 60 continuous days outside the regional area, or
- there is a pattern of extended and/or frequent absences that are indicative of employment outside the regional area.