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1300 188 999The Skilled Work Regional Visa 491 is for skilled works nominated by one of our state or territory governments to work and live in regional Australia.
5 Years
75% of applications: 11 months
90% of applications: 14 months
with our Registered Migration Agents in Australia to find more about your visa options.
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The Subclass 491 Skilled visa is a provisional visa. It allows aspiring individuals and their family members to study, work, and live in a designated regional area in Australia for five years. This regional skilled visa program was introduced recently as a replacement for the 489 visa program. To qualify for this skilled visa class, the applicant should score at least 65 points in the Skilled Migration Points Test.
The visa program has an age limit of 45 years, and the applicant should acquire a positive skills assessment before applying. The applicants for this visa type must be nominated by any of the following parties: an Australian State, a Territory government agency, or an eligible family member residing in the designated regional area.
Upon the successful submission of an Expression of Interest (EOI) on SkillSelect, the applicant shall get the invitation for the visa program. Importantly, Subclass 491 visa holders may become eligible to apply for the Permanent Residence visa class 191 after three years of living in the country and fulfilling the visa requirements and conditions.
The applicant should submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect. On the EOI, the applicant must choose whether they are sponsored by an eligible relative or nominated by a Territory government agency or an Australian state. The candidate should demonstrate that they qualify for the Territory or State nomination and possess the required skills, qualifications, and work experience.
The applicant should also complete a positive skill assessment to demonstrate their skills. Importantly, the skill assessment should be completed before lodging the application. All the Territory and State government agencies have specific nomination processes and criteria to decide whom they will nominate. The EOI of the applicant will be provided to the States with the points score.
If the individual has secured enough points, the State or Territory government might nominate the applicant for the visa program. You can connect with our 491 visa immigration agents to learn about the points test and the scores. Southern Stone give professional advice, guidance, and assistance to choose the visa program with an end-to-end service.
If the applicant fulfils all the visa requirements, the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) shall issue visa 491 to the applicant. Each visa 491 is valid for five years. The visa holders should adhere to a set of conditions during the visa period:
Importantly, throughout the tenure of the visa, the visa holder should fulfil the eligibility conditions, failing which the visa may get cancelled.
In Australia, most areas outside the major cities – such as Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane – are classified as designated regional areas for migration. Importantly, the DHA lists a number of postcodes that fall under the designated regional areas for the aspirants to apply for Australian visas. Interestingly, the preferred regional areas for applicants include:
A subclass 491 holder won’t be able to apply for visas for other skills unless they complete three years of staying in the designated regional area or have exceptional circumstances. Similar to the subclass 457 and 482 programs, getting a new provisional visa can negatively impact non-compliance on the sponsor’s part.
You can learn more about the subclass 491 requirements by contacting us and talking to our expert 491 visa consultants. You can discuss your specific needs and let them know your background to guide you in the visa application process. Get a completely professional and seamless visa application processing with us.
Each aspiring applicant must meet the following criteria to apply for subclass 491 visa:
The visa holder wouldn’t be allowed to apply for any other skilled/permanent resident or partner visa 420 for the initial three years. The shared information is exclusive, and we request all applicants to go through the complete 491 visa requirements and fully prepared before beginning the application process.
You can contact our 491 visa immigration agents to know more about the visa subclass and get guidance on beginning the application process. As a team of professionals, we give comprehensive visa and immigration services from start to finish.
While the Territory or State government nomination is based on the Skilled Migration Points Test score to get an invitation for visa application, a number of requirements must be fulfilled by the applicant through the family stream as well. The sponsorship of the relative must be approved before granting the visa to the applicant. To get the sponsored visa family stream application approved, the sponsor of the applicant must meet the following conditions:
The eligible relative can be the:
Keep in mind that the Subclass 491 visa requirements and application process are tricky and confusing for many. You can always reach out to us for professional help as our visa consultants can give you expert information and guide you through the application process through comprehensive service.
Individuals who hold a subclass 491 visa get certain perks. The 491 visa holders get the following inclusions and benefits:
Other than this we also offer partner visa, skilled independent visa, subclass 190, employer sponsored visa and more. The visa consultants of Southern Stone are here to help you with your visa application and processing. Call us on 1300 188 999 or use our contact form to connect with us to discuss your immigration plans.
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