The 491 visa is a provisional visa available for 5 years. It allows you to work and live in a designated regional area of Australia. You may then transition into the Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (Subclass 191) after living and working above the specified income threshold for at least 3 years in the designated regional area.
As part of the Australian Government’s initiative to promote residence in the regional areas of Australia, invitation or nomination under this visa gives an extra 15 points.
The steps to achieving this are:
- Skills Assessment – You must first be assessed as qualified to perform the occupation. Each occupation has its own assessing authority who will assess your level of experience and qualifications. A positive result must be received before proceeding to the next step.
- Expression of Interest (‘EOI’) + State/Territory Nomination – An EOI is required for the Governments to select the top candidates in monthly rounds. They will pick the candidates with the most points to pass through to the next round.
- Visa Application – You can then lodge your visa application within 60 days of receiving an invitation.
You will need a minimum of 65 points to be invited, however, each occupation will generally have a different cut-off point depending on the demand for that occupation.
You can use the points table to calculate an estimate of the number of points you may need to be eligible for the 491 visa:
| Factor | Points | |
| Age | 18-24 | 25 |
| 25-32 | 30 | |
| 33-39 | 25 | |
| 40-44 | 15 | |
| English | Competent English | 0 |
| Proficient English | 10 | |
| Superior English | 20 | |
| Skilled Employment – Overseas | < 3 years | 0 |
| 3-5 years | 5 | |
| 5-8 years | 10 | |
| 8 years + | 15 | |
| Skilled Employment – Australia | < 1 year | 0 |
| 1-3 years | 5 | |
| 3-5 years | 10 | |
| 5-8 years | 15 | |
| 8 years + | 20 | |
| Educational Qualifications | PhD from Australia or a recognised foreign educational institution | 20 |
| Bachelor degree from Australia or a recognised foreign educational institution | 15 | |
| Diploma or trade qualification from Australia | 10 | |
| Qualification/award otherwise recognised by relevant assessing authority as being suitable for that occupation | 10 | |
| Specialist education qualification | A Masters degree by research or a PhD from an Australian educational institution that included at least 2 academic years of study in STEM fields. (see below) | 10 |
| Australian Study Requirement | Completed at least 1 degree, diploma or trade qualification from an Australian educational institution for at least 2 academic years study. | 5 |
| Professional Year | Completion of Professional Year in Australia | 5 |
| Credentialled Community Language | Hold a recognised qualification in a credentialled community Language | 5 |
| Study in Regional Australia | Completed the Australian study requirement for 1 degree, diploma or trade qualification whilst living and studying in a designated regional area | 5 |
| Partner Skills Qualification | Spouse/De facto partner is: · Under 45 · Has competent English · Has suitable skills assessment for their nominated occupation which is on the same skilled occupation list | 10 |
Spouse/De facto partner is: · Has competent English | 5 | |
Spouse/De facto partner is an Australian citizen or permanent resident OR You are single | 10 | |
| Invited by State/Territory visa | Subclass 190 visa | 5 |
| Subclass 491 visa | 15 |
The other requirements for the 491 visa are:
- Invitation from State/Territory has not ended
- Must be under 45 at the time of invitation
- Provide evidence of the points claimed in the invitation including the skills assessment result
- Demonstrate at least Competent English
- Occupation is found on the occupation list
The most difficult part of the visa process is to obtain an invitation from a State/Territory Government. Even if your occupation is listed on the Department’s list, each State/Territory Government has its own smaller list of occupations that they are specifically looking for and inviting for the subclass 491 visa. Therefore, it is important to do all thorough research and planning prior to making the first step.
If you are unsure whether you qualify, you should book in a consultation with us to discover more.
