The Subclass 491 Regional Skilled Visa (Provisional) provides qualified professionals an opportunity to reside and work in Australia’s designated regional areas (defined by specific postcodes) for a period of up to five years. The application process begins with obtaining a positive skills assessment in your field, followed by submitting an Expression of Interest. If your application meets the criteria, you’ll receive an invitation to formally apply.

Key Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for this visa when you receive your invitation to apply, you must:

⦁ Age Requirement: Be younger than 45 years
⦁ Occupation Selection: Choose an eligible profession from one of these lists: Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL), Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL), or Regional Occupation List (ROL)
⦁ Skills Verification: Receive a positive assessment from the appropriate Australian authority for your nominated profession (standard subclass 485 assessments are not accepted). For assessments based on Australian qualifications earned while on a student visa, the qualification must have CRICOS registration
⦁ English Language Proficiency: Demonstrate competent English through one of these options:
⦁ Citizenship with current passport from UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand or Republic of Ireland, OR
⦁ Achieve minimum scores in all components of one of these tests:
⦁ IELTS: 6 in each section
⦁ OET: B in each section
⦁ TOEFL iBT: 12 listening, 13 reading, 21 writing, 18 speaking
⦁ PTE Academic: 50 in each section
⦁ CAE (C1 Advanced): 169 in each section
IMPORTANT: All language examinations must be completed within three years before submitting your application
⦁ Points Assessment: Achieve a minimum of 65 points (evaluated based on factors including age, language ability, qualifications, and work experience)
⦁ Nomination/Sponsorship: Either:
⦁ Receive nomination from an Australian State or Territory government, OR
⦁ Obtain sponsorship from an eligible family member living in a designated Australian region

NOTE: An ‘eligible relative’ must be: an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible NZ citizen; at least 18 years old; and a close family relation (parent, child, sibling, grandparent, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, or first cousin) of you or your partner
All applicants for the Subclass 491 Regional Skilled Visa must first receive an official invitation from the Department of Home Affairs.

To begin this process, you need to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) demonstrating how you satisfy the visa requirements.