The Subclass 491 visa, also known as the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa, is a State or Territory nominated or family sponsored provisional residence visa that is granted for 5 years.
491 visa holders can apply for the Subclass 191 Skilled Regional Visa, which is a permanent residence visa visa, once they can meet the 191 requirements.
The subclass 491 visa lets you:
- Stay in Australia for up to 5 years
- live, work and study in a designated regional area of Australia
- Travel to and from Australia as many times as you want, during the period that your visa is valid
- Apply for permanent residence when you can meet the requirements.
In order to apply for a 491 visa, you need to submit an EOI in SkillSelect and then keep your fingers crossed that you receive an invitation to apply for State or Territory Nomination ( if you need a State or Territory Nomination), or keep your toes crossed that you receive an invitation to apply for a 491 visa if you have an eligible family member to sponsor you. Submitting an EOI does not guarantee that you will be invited to apply for State or Territory nomination or a 491 visa. It’s a highly competitive process with no guaranteed outcome.
The 491 EOI application process is very similar to the 189 and 190 EOI application process, and it is at the EOI stage that you get the opportunity to say which States or Territories you seek nomination from.
If you are lucky enough to receive an invitation to apply for State or Territory nomination and your application is successful, you will receive an invitation to apply for a 190 visa. Each State and Territory has a different set of nomination requirements. We recommend visiting the State and Territory migration websites for up-to-date information on their nomination requirements.
The following links will take you to the State and Territory migration websites:
- Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
- New South Wales (NSW)
- Northern Territory (NT)
- Queensland (QLD)
- South Australia (SA)
- Tasmania (TAS)
- Victoria (VIC)
- Western Australia (WA)
Interested in applying for a 491 Visa?
The Department of Home Affairs website can be a good place to start when researching your eligibility to apply for a 491 visa. Some people find the Home Affairs website easy to understand and others find it as clear as mud! If you want to make a longterm future for yourself in Australia, it can be invaluable to get quality migration advice at the outset of your journey. We can work out whether you are actually eligible to pursue a 491 visa, and if you are … we will be delighted to explain the various processes involved. If it transpires that you are not eligible to pursue a 190 visa, our team can help you explore other visa options.
The visa strategy you adopt can play an important part when pursuing a point tested skilled visa. As they say, there is often more than one way to skin a cat! Getting your strategy right can make a significant difference to your chances of being invited to apply for a points tested skilled visa. … and we are here to help you get your strategy right … as well as helping you to get your visa!
Our team is here to help you maximise your chances of being invited to apply for a 491 visa.
Contact Us to find out more