Immigration experts in Australia and NZ

Immigration experts in Australia and NZ

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491 Skilled Work Regional Visa

491 Skilled Work Regional Visa

The 491 skilled work regional visa is similar to the subclass 494 visa, allowing skilled workers to work and live in designated areas of regional Australia for up to five years. Ready to explore your visa options? Get in touch with our friendly team of immigration specialists, who can answer any of your questions and can help you with your Australian immigration pathway. 

491 Skilled Work Regional Visa

491 Skilled Work Regional Visa

The 491 skilled work regional visa is similar to the subclass 494 visa, allowing skilled workers to work and live in designated areas of regional Australia for up to five years. Ready to explore your visa options? Get in touch with our friendly team of immigration specialists, who can answer any of your questions and can help you with your Australian immigration pathway. 

Our 491 Visa Services

Contact the team at Absolute Immigration, and arrange a discovery call to find out about your visa options, including whether you have a partner and/or family who is also eligible for a 491 visa.

After the discovery call, our Migration Agents will develop a Migration Strategy outlining the steps involved, and the details required to lodge your 491 visa application.

Once you have approved the Strategy, we take over and begin the application using the documents and information you provide. We are able to lodge the 491 application with the Department of Home Affairs on your behalf, taking away the stress from you!

Requirements to apply for a Skilled Work Regional Visa (Subclass 491)

The 494 visa has the following application requirements: 

  • Nomination or invitation to apply from a government agency
  • Sponsorship by an eligible relative
  • Hold an occupation on a relevant skilled occupation list
  • Completion of an appropriate skills assessment
  • Satisfaction of the points test
  • Aged under 45 years
  • Meet the minimum standards of English language proficiency

Types of 491 visas

There are two pathways to access the 491 skilled work visa: 

Main applicant stream

As the principal applicant, you must meet all the eligibility criteria and be nominated or sponsored by an eligible relative or sponsor. Once you receive the 491 visa, your family members can apply via the subsequent entrant stream.

Subsequent entrant stream

If your family member holds a subclass 491 visa, you can apply for the same visa through the subsequent entrant stream. 

Apply for a 491 skilled work regional visa

Step 1

Once you reach out to Absolute Immigration, we set up a discovery call to understand what your needs are and what Visa best suits you.

Step 2

From there, we will send you a Strategy proposal outlining the steps we will take to assist you in getting a Visa for you to sign off on.

Step 3

Now our team leaps into action, following immigration pathways, taking care of the paperwork and helping you through the entire application process.

Take the first step and schedule a call

Call us

You can reach our team via our support lines at 1300 227 658 or +61 3 9827 3721 or schedule a consultation through our Acuity Portal.

Email us

You can get in touch with the team through our support email: aisupport@absoluteimmigration.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. You and your family members can study in designated areas of regional Australia on the 491 skilled worker visa for up to five years. 

No. The 491 visa is provisional, allowing you and your family to live, work, and study in Australia for up to five years. You can also apply for permanent residency three years after receiving your visa. 

The processing time for each application varies. The length of time to receive your visa will depend on individual circumstances. According to the Australian Government, these are the average processing times for the 491 visa: 

    • 25% of applications: 5 Months
    • 50% of applications: 12 Months
    • 75% of applications: 15 Months
    • 90% of applications: 20 Months

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Recent articles

South Australia continues to face persistent skills shortages, with 289 occupations in shortage. Data from Jobs and Skills Australia highlights why employer sponsorship is becoming an increasingly important workforce strategy.
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The New South Wales Government has closed Subclass 491 Pathway 1 and Pathway 3 for the 2025–26 migration program year. No new applications are being accepted. Applications already lodged will
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