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.

How does a Subclass 491 Visa Work?

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:

• The visa holder should study, work, and live in the designed area only.
• The visa holder should not marry or make a de-facto relationship before their entry to Australia.
• The visa holder should inform the DHA if there are any changes in their passport or contact information.
• The applicant should produce supporting documents related to their education, work experience, and residence if requested.
• If called for, the applicant must attend an interview by the DHA to answer questions related to granting a visa.

Importantly, throughout the tenure of the visa, the visa holder should fulfil the eligibility conditions, failing which the visa may get cancelled.

Understanding Regional Areas

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:

• Perth
• Adelaide
• Sunshine Coast
• Canberra
• Gold Coast
• Geelong
• Newcastle/Lake Macquarie
• Wollongong

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.

The Subclass 491 Visa Requirements

Each aspiring applicant must meet the following criteria to apply for subclass 491 visa:

• The applicant must be under 45 years to at the time of application – exceptions apply.
• They should be nominated by an Australian Territory or State Government agency or
  sponsored by an eligible family member who resides in the designated regional area
• The applicant should secure more than 65 points on the Points Test to get the invitation for applying for the visa.
• The applicant must demonstrate the required English language competency at the time of application.
• The applicant should meet the skill requirement specified by the DHA.
• The occupation of the applicant must be listed on the list of eligible skilled occupations for the subclass 491 skilled regional visa type.
• The application should get a suitable skill assessment.
• The individual must meet the health and character standards set by the DHA.
• The individual should ensure that they don’t have any debts with the Australian Government by ensuring they adequately pay it back if there are any dues.
• The applicant (above eighteen) should sign a Values Statement to confirm that they will obey the Australian rules and regulations.
• The applicant shouldn’t have a history of visa cancellation or application rejection.

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.

Other Stipulated Subclass 491 Visa Requirements

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:

• Be 18 years of age or more
• Should be a resident of any of the designated regional area of Australia
• Be an Australian citizen, an eligible New Zealand citizen, or an Australian permanent resident
• Be a relative of the applicant or applicant’s partner

The eligible relative can be the:

• Applicant’s parent
• Applicant’s child or stepchild
• Applicant’s brother, sister, adoptive brother, adoptive sister, step-brother, or step-sister
• Applicant’s uncle, aunt, adoptive uncle, adoptive aunt, step-uncle, or step-aunt
• Applicant’s nephew, niece, step-nephew, step-niece, adoptive nephew, or adoptive niece
• Applicant’s grandparent
• Applicant’s first cousin

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.

Why You Should Apply for This Visa

Individuals who hold a subclass 491 visa get certain perks. The 491 visa holders get the following inclusions and benefits:

• The visa holder can stay in Australia for five years
• They can study, work, and live in the designated regional area of the country
• They can include the family members in the application
• They can travel back and forth from Australia as long as their visa is valid
• They can apply for Permanent Residence after three years of granting the visa – if eligible
• They are permitted to move anywhere within the regional areas as long as the visa conditions are met
• The regional visa applicants get priority processing
• New migrants get incentives to work and settle in regional areas for the long-term
• 491 visa applicants get additional points to make visa processing easier

Contact Us Today To Begin Your Visa Processing

Other than this we also offer partner visa, skilled independent visa, subclass 190, employer sponsored visa, and more. The migration agents in Melbourne 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.