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Pathway

Australia Skilled Regional Visa

Australia Residency
Pathway overview

At a glance

Subclass 491 is a five-year visa for skilled workers selected by a state or territory or sponsored by an eligible regional relative. You and included family must live, work, and study in designated regional areas. Permanent residence may be possible later through a separate Subclass 191 application.

Support
State or territory nomination, or sponsorship by an eligible regional relative
Age
Under 45 when invited
Points
At least 65, including 15 nomination or sponsorship points

Summary

The Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (Subclass 491) is a 5-year points-tested visa for skilled workers formally selected by a state or territory, or sponsored by an eligible relative in an officially designated regional area.

State or territory selection, called nomination, or accepted family sponsorship gives 15 points. The holder must live, work and study only in designated regional areas. After holding an eligible regional visa for at least 3 years and complying with its conditions, the person may be able to apply for permanent residence through Subclass 191.

Applying for a regional skilled visa
  1. Check skills, points, and the support option Confirm state nomination rules or an eligible relative’s status and regional address.
  2. Submit an Expression of Interest and apply if invited Provide evidence for all claims within the 60-day deadline.
  3. Follow the regional visa conditions Keep address, employment, study, and tax records for any later Subclass 191 application.

Official postcodes define regional areas. Three years on the visa do not automatically grant permanent residence.

Could this pathway work for you?

Eligibility

The applicant normally must:

A family sponsor must be at least 18, usually resident in a designated regional area, and an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. Eligible relationships include a parent, child or stepchild, sibling or step-sibling, aunt or uncle, nephew or niece, grandparent or first cousin, including specified adoptive and step relationships.

States and territories set their own nomination criteria. A person who meets federal criteria may still not meet a state's occupation, employment, residence, graduate, English or points priorities.

An Expression of Interest (EOI) records your skills and interest in applying through SkillSelect. It is not a visa application. If invited, the applicant generally has 60 days to apply and must prove all claimed points. Health, character, identity and family-member rules also apply.

What This Route Allows

Subclass 491 allows the holder and included family to live, work and study in designated regional areas for 5 years and travel while the visa remains valid.

It can lead to Subclass 191 permanent residence after the required 3-year holding period and compliance. Current 191 rules require Australian Taxation Office (ATO) notices of assessment, the official results of processing your tax returns, for 3 income years but set no minimum income amount.

Designated regional Australia is broad and includes many major cities and regional centers outside Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, but official postcodes—not common-language geography—decide eligibility.

What This Route Is Not

Subclass 491 is not permanent residence and does not permit unrestricted residence in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane. Regional conditions apply to the holder and family members who hold the visa.

The federal minimum of 65 points does not guarantee an invitation. State nomination is competitive, and family-sponsored invitations depend on Home Affairs rounds and occupation priorities.

Three years on the visa does not automatically give permanent residence. The holder must separately apply for Subclass 191, provide tax assessments and prove compliance. There is no current minimum-income figure, but there is still an income-document requirement.

Next Steps

  1. Confirm the occupation, skills assessment, English, age and documented points.
  2. Decide whether state nomination or eligible-family sponsorship is realistic.
  3. For family sponsorship, verify the relationship, sponsor's status and usual residence against an official regional postcode.
  4. For state nomination, use the state or territory’s current rules and commitments about living there.
  5. Submit and maintain an accurate SkillSelect EOI; an EOI gives no permission to stay in Australia while waiting.
  6. If invited, apply within 60 days and prove all claims.
  7. After approval, keep address, work, study, tax and notification records for the full period on the temporary regional visa and future 191 application.

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Sources