491 visa (Skilled Work Regional): requirements, cost and processing

Key facts

How long the visa lasts: Provisional, 5 years, in designated regional areas
Permanent residence: Home Affairs lists a path to permanent residence after 3 years from grant
Base charge, main applicant: From AUD 6,140
Points test pass mark: 65 points
Age: Under 45 when invited to apply
Nominator or sponsor: A state or territory government agency, or an eligible relative

491 visa requirements

Home Affairs lists these on the Eligibility tab of its 491 page:

Be nominated or sponsored. A nomination by an Australian state or territory government agency, or sponsorship by an eligible relative. Home Affairs must approve a sponsorship before the visa can be granted.
Be invited to apply. An expression of interest (EOI) is lodged in SkillSelect, stating whether a relative will sponsor or a state or territory nomination is sought.
Suitable skills assessment. A skills assessment for the nominated occupation, obtained in the 3 years before the invitation.
Age. Under 45 when invited to apply.
Points. A score of at least 65 on the points test.
English. At least competent English at the time of invitation.
Occupation. On the combined skilled occupation list for the 491.
Health. The applicant and family members applying must meet the health requirement.
Character. The applicant and family members 16 and over must meet the character requirement.
Debts. Any debt to the Australian Government has been paid back, or there is an arrangement to pay it back.
Australian values. Applicants 18 and over sign the Australian Values Statement.
Regional living. The holder and family members on the visa must live, work and study in a designated regional area.

Home Affairs says a sponsoring relative must be 18 or over, usually live in a designated regional area, and be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. They must be a relative of the applicant, or of the applicant's partner if the partner is also applying. Eligible relatives are a parent, child or step-child, brother or sister (including adoptive and step), aunt or uncle, nephew or niece (including adoptive and step), grandparent, or first cousin.

What the visa lets you do

According to Home Affairs' 491 page, the visa lets the holder:

stay in Australia for 5 years from the date of grant
live, work and study in a designated regional area of Australia
work in any occupation and for any employer, in line with the visa's work and residence conditions
attend free English classes through the Adult Migrant English Program, if eligible
travel to and from Australia as many times as wanted while the visa is valid
apply for permanent residence through the Skilled Regional visa (subclass 191), if eligible

The visa cannot be extended. Time spent outside Australia does not extend it.

Path to permanent residence (191 visa)

Home Affairs says a 491 holder can apply for permanent residence after 3 years from grant, through the Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (subclass 191), if eligible. It says the holder or their partner must have met the work and residence requirements.

Until a 491 has been held for 3 years, Home Affairs says the holder cannot make a valid application for a subclass 820 Partner visa. They also cannot be granted a subclass 132, 186, 188, 189, 190 or 858 visa (491 page).

Family members

Home Affairs lets the main applicant include members of the family unit, such as a partner and dependent children, when the application is lodged. After lodgement and before a decision, only dependent children can be added. Family members may also be able to apply later as subsequent entrants (491 page).

Family members who apply must meet the health and character requirements. Home Affairs' Visa Pricing table lists these charges for the 491:

Applicant	Charge
Main applicant	AUD 6,140
Additional applicant 18 and over	AUD 3,070
Additional applicant under 18	AUD 1,535

A second instalment of AUD 4,890 applies to each applicant 18 or over who is assessed as not having functional English. For any other applicant it is nil. Home Affairs asks for it only if it is going to grant the visa. Other costs, such as health checks, police certificates and biometrics, are not included.

491 visa points table

These are the points values on Home Affairs' 491 points table page.

Factor	Points
Age (at invitation)
At least 18 but less than 25	25
At least 25 but less than 33	30
At least 33 but less than 40	25
At least 40 but less than 45	15
English language
Competent English	0
Proficient English	10
Superior English	20
Overseas skilled employment (outside Australia, in the last 10 years)
Less than 3 years	0
At least 3 but less than 5 years	5
At least 5 but less than 8 years	10
At least 8 years	15
Australian skilled employment (in Australia, in the last 10 years)
Less than 1 year	0
At least 1 but less than 3 years	5
At least 3 but less than 5 years	10
At least 5 but less than 8 years	15
At least 8 years	20
Educational qualifications (highest qualification only)
Doctorate from an Australian institution, or an overseas doctorate of a recognised standard	20
At least a bachelor degree from an Australian institution, or an overseas bachelor qualification of a recognised standard	15
Diploma or trade qualification from an Australian institution	10
Qualification or award recognised by the assessing authority as suitable for the nominated occupation	10
Other factors
Specialist education qualification (Australian masters by research or doctorate in a listed STEM or ICT field, with at least 2 academic years of study)	10
Australian study requirement met	5
Professional Year in Australia (accounting, ICT/computing or engineering)	5
Credentialled community language (NAATI)	5
Study in regional Australia (meets the Australian study requirement)	5
Partner skills
Partner is also an applicant and meets the age, English and skill criteria	10
Partner is also an applicant and has competent English	5
Single, or partner is an Australian citizen or permanent resident	10
Nomination or sponsorship
Invited to apply because of a state or territory nomination that has not been withdrawn, or sponsored by a family member and the sponsorship has been accepted	15

Employment points are capped. Overseas and Australian skilled employment together can give a maximum of 20 points. Employment counts only if it was in the nominated occupation or a closely related one, for at least 20 hours a week.

The points test pass mark is 65. Home Affairs ranks EOIs in SkillSelect and invites the highest-ranked ones. The invitation states the points score that must be met, which can be higher than 65.

Step by step

This follows the Step by step tab of Home Affairs' 491 page.

Before you apply

Check the occupation is on the combined skilled occupation list for the 491.
Get a suitable skills assessment from the assessing authority for that occupation.
Check the points score and the other eligibility criteria. English test results count towards both.
Lodge an EOI in SkillSelect for the 491. It is free and is not a visa application. It can be lodged in or outside Australia.
For nomination, state and territory agencies can see the EOI and may nominate. A nominated person receives an invitation.
For relative sponsorship, Home Affairs may invite the EOI in an invitation round. An EOI can receive an invitation up to 2 years after it is lodged.

Apply

After an invitation, the application is lodged online in ImmiAccount (through the 'Apply for visa' button in SkillSelect), with documents attached and the first instalment paid for each applicant.
The application must be lodged within 60 calendar days of the invitation. Home Affairs cannot extend this time.

After you apply

Home Affairs may ask for health examinations, biometrics (fingerprints and photo) or more information.
Dependent children can be added before a decision. Changes in circumstances must be reported.
Home Affairs tells the applicant its decision in writing. It does not refund the charge if the visa is refused.

Applying in or outside Australia

Home Affairs says applicants can be in or outside Australia when they apply and when it decides the application, but not in immigration clearance. People applying in Australia must hold a substantive visa or a Bridging A, B or C visa, otherwise the application is not valid (491 page).

How the 491 works

Home Affairs describes two ways in on its 491 page: nomination by a state or territory government agency, or sponsorship by an eligible relative living in a designated regional area. Both start with an EOI in SkillSelect and an invitation to apply.

Where you can live on a 491

The 491 requires you to live, work and study in a designated regional area. Home Affairs defines these areas by postcode (designated regional areas). See the city pages on Settledin for each city's category.

Regional incentives Home Affairs lists

Priority processing of regional visas.
Access to the Regional Occupations List, which has more occupations than the non-regional lists.
5 points for study completed in a designated regional area (with the Australian study requirement).

491 visa processing time

Home Affairs publishes current processing times on its global visa processing times page.

Compare: 189, 190 and 491

	189	190	491
Permanent?	Yes	Yes	No, provisional for 5 years
Nomination	None	State or territory	State or territory, or an eligible relative
Points from nomination	0	5	15
Where you live	Anywhere	The nominating state's expectations apply	A designated regional area

Common questions

What is the 491 visa in Australia?

The Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) is a five-year provisional, points-tested visa to live, work and study in designated regional areas. You need a nomination from a state or territory government agency, or sponsorship by an eligible relative living in a designated regional area.

How many points does a 491 nomination give?

Home Affairs gives 15 points if you are nominated or sponsored to live and work in designated regional Australia (designated regional areas).

Which areas count as regional for the 491?

Most of Australia outside Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Home Affairs' designated regional areas include Category 2 'Cities and Major Regional Centres' (Perth, Adelaide, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Canberra, Newcastle/Lake Macquarie, Wollongong/Illawarra, Geelong and Hobart) and Category 3 'Regional Centres and Other Regional Areas'. A postcode list is on its page.

Is Perth regional for the 491 visa?

Yes. Perth is a Category 2 'Cities and Major Regional Centre' in Home Affairs' designated regional areas, so it counts for the 491.

What are the requirements for the 491 visa?

Home Affairs lists: a state or territory nomination or eligible relative sponsorship, an invitation to apply after an EOI in SkillSelect, the 65-point pass mark, and being under 45 when invited, plus an occupation on the relevant list.

How long is the 491 visa?

The 491 lets the holder stay in Australia for 5 years from the date of grant. Home Affairs says it cannot be extended, and time spent outside Australia does not extend it.

Can I include my partner in a 491 visa application?

Yes. Home Affairs lets the main applicant include members of the family unit, such as a partner and dependent children, when the application is lodged. After lodgement, only dependent children can be added before a decision.

Who can sponsor me for a 491 visa?

Home Affairs says a sponsor must be an eligible relative aged 18 or over who usually lives in a designated regional area and is an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. Eligible relatives include a parent, child, sibling, aunt or uncle, niece or nephew, grandparent or first cousin.

Subclass 491 visa: Skilled Work Regional