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Pathway

Australia Skilled Regional Permanent Visa

Australia Residency
Pathway overview

At a glance

If you hold a Subclass 491 or 494 visa, Subclass 191 may let you become an Australian permanent resident after at least three years. You must meet the visa conditions and supply three years of official tax assessments. There is no minimum income amount for this route.

Existing visa
Subclass 491 or 494
Minimum time
At least three years holding an eligible visa
Tax evidence
ATO notices of assessment for three income years from the eligible five-year visa period

Summary

The Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (Subclass 191), Regional Provisional stream, is the permanent-residence step for an eligible Subclass 491 or 494 holder. It is not an entry visa for someone beginning skilled migration.

The applicant must have held an eligible regional provisional visa for at least 3 years, complied with its conditions, and provide Australian Taxation Office (ATO) notices of assessment—the official results of processing tax returns—for 3 income years out of the 5-year eligible visa period.

There is no minimum income requirement for this stream. The old shorthand that a 191 applicant must earn a prescribed taxable-income amount is incorrect under the current Home Affairs rules.

Could this pathway work for you?

Eligibility

The main applicant generally must:

The tax requirement is about supplying official notices of assessment, not crossing a minimum earnings threshold. A person with low or uneven income may still qualify if the required notices and all other requirements are present.

Visa-condition compliance is broader than income. Subclass 491 and 494 holders have regional residence, work and/or study obligations and notification requirements. A breach can affect the permanent application even if the applicant has three tax assessments.

Eligible family members can be included if they meet the relationship, health and character rules. In some family situations, a family member who holds a 491 or 494 visa as a dependent may qualify as the main 191 applicant under the detailed criteria; check the official application page rather than assuming only the original main applicant can apply.

Moving from a regional visa to permanent residence
  1. Check your 491 or 494 history and conditions Confirm three qualifying years and review regional and notification requirements.
  2. Gather three years of official tax assessments Resolve tax debt and prepare family, health, and character evidence.
  3. Apply for Subclass 191 Apply after the holding period is complete and show that visa conditions were met.

No minimum income is required, but three ATO notices of assessment remain mandatory.

What This Route Allows

Subclass 191 grants permanent residence. The holder can live, work and study anywhere in Australia, enroll in Medicare, sponsor eligible relatives, and later apply for citizenship if the separate residence and other requirements are met.

The visa lets you leave and return as a permanent resident for 5 years. After that expires, the person remains a permanent resident while in Australia but generally needs a Resident Return visa to re-enter after travel unless they have become an Australian citizen.

What This Route Is Not

This is not available merely because someone lived in regional Australia for 3 years. They must have the eligible 491 or 494 visa history.

It is not subject to a fixed minimum income amount. However, "no minimum" does not mean no tax evidence: three ATO notices of assessment remain mandatory under the current rules.

Waiting 3 years does not resolve a failure to follow the earlier visa’s conditions. Work for an unauthorized employer, residence outside designated areas, failure to notify changes, or other condition issues should be reviewed before applying.

Next Steps

  1. Confirm the current visa is Subclass 491 or 494 and identify the exact grant date.
  2. Download all visa grant letters and check every condition using Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO).
  3. Obtain ATO notices of assessment—not merely tax returns, payslips or account summaries—for 3 income years during the eligible visa period.
  4. Resolve any ATO debt with payment or an approved payment plan and keep evidence.
  5. Keep records showing that you followed the visa conditions, including regional addresses, employers, study, travel and required notifications.
  6. Check health, character, family and Australian Values Statement requirements.
  7. Apply only after the 3-year holding period is complete; remember that there is no minimum-income amount for this application.

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Sources