491 Visa Explained

Apply for the 491 Visa to Australia

The General Skilled Migration (GSM) 491 visa is a pathway for skilled professionals to migrate to Australia and settle in regional areas. The GSM program is designed to address skill shortages in regional areas of Australia and the subclass 491 is an important part of this program.

Key Features of the 491 Visa

The 491 visa is a points based visa that allows skilled professionals to live and work in designated regional areas of Australia for up to five years. After three years these visa holders can then apply for permanent residency through the 191 visa.

The 491 visa is designed to attract skilled professionals to regional areas of Australia that have identified shortages in certain occupations. To be eligible for the 491 visa applicants must have an occupation that is on the relevant skilled occupation list, have a suitable skills assessment for that occupation, be of good character, be nominated by a State or Territory and meet the minimum points score on the Points test. Applicants may also be nominated by an eligible family member who is living in a designated regional area of Australia.

Eligibility Requirements for the subclass 491

• Age: Applicants must be under 45 years of age at the time of 491 application.

• Skilled Occupation: Applicants must have a skilled occupation that is on the relevant skilled occupation list. The skilled occupation must also be in demand in regional areas of Australia.

• Skills Assessment: Applicants must have a positive skills assessment for their nominated occupation.

• Points test: Applicants must score a minimum of 65 points on the Points test.

• Health and Character: Applicants must meet health and character requirements.

• Nomination: Applicants must be nominated by a state or territory government agency or sponsored by an eligible family member who is living in a designated regional area of Australia.

Designated Regional Areas

To be eligible for the subclass 491 applicants must agree to live and work in a designated regional area of Australia. Designated regional areas include all areas of Australia except for the metropolitan areas of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast and Perth.

The designated regional areas are divided into three categories:

• Cities and Major Regional Centers: This category includes cities with a population of over 250,000 and their surrounding areas as well as other regional centers with a population of over 30,000.

• Regional Centers and Other Regional Areas: This category includes regional centers with a population of less than 30,000, as well as other regional areas.

• Remote and Very Remote Areas: This category includes areas that are classified as remote or very remote under the Australian Statistical Geography Standard.

491 visa application process

• Skills Assessment: Before applying for the visa applicants must have their skills assessed by a relevant assessing authority.

• Expression of Interest (EOI): Applicants must submit an EOI through the Department of Home Affairs SkillSelect system.

• State Nomination or Family Sponsorship: Applicants must be nominated by a state or territory government agency or sponsored by an eligible family member who is living in a designated regional area of Australia.

• Visa Application: Applicants must submit their visa application within 60 days of receiving their invitation to apply (ITA).

• Visa Decision: The Department of Home Affairs will assess the visa application and make a decision. Processing times depend on the complexity of the application and the workload of the department.

• Visa Conditions: If the visa is granted there will be conditions attached including requirements to live and work in a designated regional area of Australia.

Benefits of the 491 Visa

• Regional Opportunities: The visa allows skilled professionals to live and work in regional areas of Australia that have identified skill shortages.

• Pathway to Permanent Residency: After three years on the 491, applicants can apply for permanent residency through the 191 visa.

• Access to Public Services: Visa holders have access to public services such as healthcare and education.

• Sponsorship of Family Members: Visa holders can sponsor eligible family members for permanent residency in Australia.

• Work and Study: Visa holders can work and study in Australia, and can also bring family members with them.

Disadvantages of the visa subclass 491

• Regional Living: Living in regional areas of Australia may not suit everyone’s lifestyle or career aspirations.

• Limited Eligibility: The visa subclass 491 is only available to applicants who have a skilled occupation that is in demand in regional areas of Australia

• State Nomination or Family Sponsorship: To be eligible for the 491 visa applicants must be nominated by a state or territory government agency or sponsored by an eligible family member who is living in a designated regional area of Australia.

• Pathway to Permanent Residency: While the 491 provides a pathway to permanent residency through the 191 visa there is no guarantee that an applicant will be granted permanent residency.

• Limited Duration: The 491 is a temporary visa that allows visa holders to live and work in regional areas of Australia for up to five years. After this tim visa holders need to apply for a new visa or leave Australia.

• Visa Conditions: The 491 visa comes with conditions such as requirements to live and work in a designated regional area of Australia. Visa holders who do not comply with these conditions will get their visas cancelled.

491 Visa pathway to Australian Citizenship

The 191 visa pathway is a pathway to permanent residency and ultimately Australian citizenship for holders of the 491 visa. The 191 visa is a permanent residency visa that is only available to applicants who have held a 491 visa for at least three years and have met the requirements for permanent residency.

Eligibility requirements for the 191 visa pathway after the 491 visa

In order top be able to move from a 491 visa to a 191 visa for Permanent Residence and ultimately Citizenship, 491 holders must meet the following requirements:

• Hold a valid 491 visa: Applicants must have held a valid 491 visa for at least three years and have complied with the conditions of the visa.

• Meet the residence requirement: Applicants must have lived and worked in a designated regional area of Australia for at least three years while holding the 491 visa.

• Meet the income requirement: Applicants must have earned a minimum income for at least three years while holding the 491 visa.

• Meet health and character requirements: Applicants must meet health and character requirements to be eligible for the 191 visa.

• Have a successful skills assessment: Applicants must have a successful skills assessment for their nominated occupation.

• Meet other eligibility criteria: Applicants must meet other eligibility criteria for the 191 visa, such as age requirements and English language proficiency.

If the applicant meets all of the eligibility criteria they can apply for the 191 visa. The 191 is a permanent residency visa which means that holders can live and work in Australia indefinitely. After holding the 191 visa for at least one year, applicants can apply for Australian citizenship if they meet the eligibility criteria.

Take a Free Visa Assessment to check your eligibility for these visa subclasses.

Why is the subclass 491 visa for Australia unpopular?

The 491 visa is a relatively new Australia visa category introduced in 2019 as a replacement for the 489 visa. It is a skilled regional visa that allows applicants to live and work in designated regional areas of Australia for up to five years.

The 491 visa is unpopular among potential migrants for the following reasons:

• Limited regional options: The subclass 491 is only available to applicants who are willing to live and work in designated regional areas of Australia. This means that the options for where applicants can live and work are limited.

• Longer processing times: Compared to other skilled migration visas the processing time for the subclass 491 is longer due to the need for state or territory nomination.

• Higher English language requirements: The 491 has a higher level of English language proficiency compared to other skilled visas.

• Limited pathway to permanent residency

• Stringent conditions: The 491 has stringent conditions that must be met in order to maintain the visa.