What are the New Guidelines Introduced in Australia's 491 Regional Visa?

If you are a skilled worker and want to be an Aussie, you can consider your options with the new 491 visas introduced in Australia. The new Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) subclass 491 visa allows eligible skilled workers and their families to live, work and study in assigned regional areas of Australia for up to 5 years. The Visa holders are eligible to apply for a Permanent Residence visa after three years of stay in the country. In this post let us take a look at what the guidelines are for the 491 Visa outlined by the Australian government.

The Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa has replaced the 489 visas on November 16, 2019. The 491 visa is a highly skilled visa and is points-tested. The age limit is 45 years and applicants need to have a positive skills assessment.

Benefits of 491 Visa

You can avail a lot of feature and benefits with visa 491

• You can stay in Australia for 5 years
• You and your family can live, work and study in a regional area of Australia about your visa conditions. The designated area in Australia for skilled migration purposes includes all areas of Australia except the metropolitan parts of; Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Now, Gold Coast, Perth, Newcastle, Wollongong and the NSW Central Coast are included.
• You get multiple travel rights with the visa
• You can apply for PR, if/once eligible through the PR (Skilled Regional) visa (subclass 191)
• You can work in any job and for any employer in a designated regional area

Eligibility Criteria

• You should be invited to apply and nominated by the state or territory government agency or should have a sponsor from an eligible relative
• You should have a job on a relevant skilled occupation list
• Have a successful skills assessment for that same occupation and score should be 65 points or more
• You should be aged under 45 years before getting an invitation for application
• You should possess a competent level of English
• You should meet the health and character requirements stated by the government
• You shouldn’t owe any money to the Australian government
• You shouldn’t have any history of visa cancellation or refusal of a previous application, though cancellation/refusal in the past does not necessarily preclude eligibiltiy

Different Schemes

The Australian government offers two schemes under the subclass 491 visa

• Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa - Main applicant
• Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa – Subsequent entrant

Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa - Main applicant

Under this scheme, only the skilled worker who wants to be an Aussie can live and work in Australia. The stay period is about 5 years. The cost for this visa starts from AUD 4,045. The 491 subclass doesn’t have a standard processing time.

Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa – Subsequent entrant

Under this scheme, the family member of a person who has the 491 subclass visa, who wants to join them on that visa can apply for a stay. The stay is up to the end of the main applicant’s visa. The 491 subclass doesn’t have a standard processing time.

Changes Under The Scheme

Skilled migration changes: the migration points have changed from November 2019 from 491 South Australia subclass and other skilled migration visas. The changes include 15 points for nomination from the State or Territory government agency and 10 points for STEM qualifications. The partner points include 10 points for a skilled spouse or de facto partner of a single applicant. If your partner is competent in English, you get 5 points.

Bottom Line

The 491 visa has opened new opportunities for people worldwide who wish to become an Aussie. With the help of a visa counsellor and agent, you can make a proper application.