Subclass 491- Skilled Regional (Provisional) Visa

The subclass 491 visa allows invited skilled workers to live and work in designated regional areas of Australia (specified by postcode) for up to five years. You must first obtain a positive skills assessment for your nominated occupation and then lodge an Expression of Interest. If this is successful, you will be invited to lodge a visa application. The minimum requirements of subclass 491 visa are set out below:

At the time that you are invited to apply for this visa, you must:

• be under 45 years of age
• nominate an eligible skilled occupation that is included on the relevant Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL), Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL) or Regional Occupation List (ROL)
• have your skills assessed by the appropriate Australian skills assessing authority as suitable for your nominated occupation (must not be a subclass 485 skills assessment). If your skills assessment is based on an Australian qualification while holding a student visa, that qualification must have been CRICOS registered
• have competent English i.e.
  • hold a valid passport issued by the UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand or the Republic of Ireland (and you are a citizen of that country) OR
  • an IELTS test score of at least 6 in EACH test component OR
  • an OET test score of at least B in EACH test component OR
  • a TOEFL iBT test score of at least 12 for listening, 13 for reading, 21 for writing and 18 for speaking OR
  • a PTE Academic test score of at least 50 in EACH test component OR
  • a CAE (C1 Advanced) test score of at least 169 in EACH test component

• score at least 65 on the relevant points test (which takes into account your age, English competency, qualifications and work experience, amongst other factors)
• be nominated by an Australian State or Territory government agency OR be sponsored by an eligible relative who resides in a designated area of Australia

NOTE: In order to be an ‘eligible relative’, your (or your partner’s) relative must be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible NZ citizen; at least 18 years old; and a close family member (i.e. a parent, child, sibling, grandparent, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, or first cousin)