Start The Process
Your Eligibility Assessment will be done by us
Skills Assessment
Skills Assessment Authority will assess your skills
EOI and State Nomination
Lodge Expression of Interest (EOI) and State Nomination
Department of Immigration
Lodge application with Immigration Department
FEATURES
You need State or Territory Nomination or Relative sponsorship for this visa. This visa option allows you to stay in Certain Regional / Designated areas of Australia for a period of 5 years. For Designated areas, you need to be sponsored by an Australian relative.
State/Territory nomination for this visa provides you with 15 additional points to help meet the Department of Home Affairs points test pass mark of 65 points.
If you are nominated by the State or Territory Government for this visa, you must live in that State/Territory for the period of the entire visa. You will be able to lodge a Subclass 191 Visa application if you have lived and worked in a regional area for three years and should have minimum salary of $53,900 per annum. Once a permanent residence visa is granted, you can live anywhere in Australia. You cannot start living anywhere in Australia before Subclass 191 Visa is granted.
If you wish to apply for this SC 491 visa, you must first obtain a positive skills assessment from your nominated occupation, and then lodge an Expression of Interest & State or Territory nomination application. If this is successful, you will be invited to lodge a visa application.
Points are awarded on the basis of the factors listed in the POINTS TEST. All factors are assessed as they are at the time you are invited to apply for this visa.
ELIGIBILITY
In order to qualify for a Subclass 489 visa, you would need to:
-
Lodge an EOI, State Nomination and receive an Invitation
-
Meet the points test pass mark of 65 points
-
Be under 45 years of age
-
Be sponsored by a relative living in a designated area or State/territory
-
Pass a skills assessment in the occupation list of MLTSSL/STSOL/ROL
-
Have Competent English or higher depending on the points you have
-
Meet health and character requirements.
This option requires sponsorship by a relative or State/Territory Government
Nomination by a State or Territory Government
Each state/territory has its own list of occupations they desire. Eligibility of which can be met if you have the right English scores/experience etc.
Sponsorship by a Relative Living in a Designated Area
Your occupation should be in MLTSSL. You can apply for this subclass if you have a relative living in the designated area
The relative has to be an Australian citizen, Permanent visa holder or eligible New Zealand, citizen
The following relatives can sponsor
-
Parents
-
Brothers and Sisters
-
Uncles and Aunts
-
Nephews and Nieces
-
First Cousins Grandparents
Do I Apply in Australia or Overseas?
You can either be onshore or offshore to apply for this visa. If you are onshore, you need to have a valid visa before applying for this or a bridging visa A, B or C. Once applied, you will be given a bridging visa until the decision of your file comes up, allowing you to stay in Australia till then.
Duration and Conditions
This is a 5-year provisional visa allowing you and your dependents to live, work or study in any regional or low populated areas. The approved regional areas vary depending on whether you are sponsored by a relative or by a State or Territory Government:
State or Territory Government: you can only live in a Regional or Low Population Growth Area
Relative: You can live in a Designated Area
THE PROCESS
Anyone who wishes to apply for this visa MUST first be INVITED to lodge an application by the Department of Immigration. In order to qualify for an invitation, you must lodge an ‘Expression of Interest’ (EOI), which sets out how you meet the requirements for this visa.
STAGE 1: INITIAL ELIGIBILITY
STAGE 2: SKILLS ASSESSMENT
STAGE 3: EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (EOI)
STAGE 4: STATE OR TERRITORY NOMINATION
Each State and Territory Government publishes a list of occupations in short supply in their area. There may be specific requirements in terms of work experience, English language ability or specialised skills.
STAGE 5: VISA APPLICATION
OTHER REQUIREMENTS
HEALTH
Main applicant and all of the family members must meet health requirements.
CHARACTER
You must be of good character.You might be asked to provide police certificates for each country you have lived in for 12 months or more, over the last 10 years (calculated immediately before the time the visa application is lodged), since turning 16 years of agePolice Certificate is valid for 12 months for the immigration purpose.If you have a substantial criminal record, you cannot pass the character test. For example,You have been sentenced to 12 months or more in prison.
LOCATION
You can be in or outside Australia when you apply for the visa and when a decision is made.
DEBTS
You must have repaid, or have arranged to repay, any outstanding debts to the Australian government.
VISA CANCELLED OR REFUSED
You might not be eligible to apply for this visa if you have had a visa cancelled or refused while you were in Australia.
VISA APPLICATION FEES
Additional Applicant Charge 18 And Over : AUD 2025
Additional applicant charge under 18 : AUD 1010
PROCESSING TIME
PLEASE NOTE: The actual time taken by the Department of Immigration to approve an application and grant a visa varies from case to case depending upon an applicant’s particular circumstances, and the amount of supporting information that the Department requires.
COMPARISON SUBCLASS 189/190/491
SUBCLASS 189
65
POINTS
- Permanent Residence
- State/Territory/Relatives Points cannot be claimed
- Occupation should be on the MLTSSL List
- State/Territory/Relatives cannot sponsor
- Eligible Relatives Points cannot be claimed
- Higher points applicants (90-105) are invited
- limited quota for some occupations
SUBCLASS 190
60
POINTS
- Permanent Residence
- State/Territory 5 Points can be claimed
- Occupation should be on MLTSSL or STSOL OR ROL
- State/Territory can sponsor but relatives cannot.
- Eligible Relatives Points cannot be claimed
- 65 points applicants can get invitation
- Strict State/Territory Nomination selection
SUBCLASS 491
55
POINTS
- Temporary Residence
- State/Territory or Relatives 15 Points can be claimed
- Occupation should be on MLTSSL/STSOL/ROL
- State/Territory/Relatives can sponsor
- Relative or State/Territory 15 points can be claimed but not both
- 65 points applicants can get invitation
- Permanent Residence easy pathways after 3 years
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
It depends on the occupation you nominate. For example, if you are occupation is the one whose skills assessment authority is Engineers Australia, you have to submit English language evidence at the time of making skills assessment application. If your occupation skills assessment authority is Vetassess then you must have English language evidence at the time of making EOI application as Vetassess does not require English language evidence.
Yes. You need State or Territory Nomination. Relative cannot sponsor you.
An EOI is managed by the SkillSelect program of the Department of Immigration. After lodging an EOI, you will need to wait for the invitation to apply from the Department of Immigration. You will be ranked according to your score on the points test.
When you submit your EOI, you will be shown your points score but will not be able to view your ranking position. This is because your ranking will change as people enter and leave SkillSelect. More points mean a better chance of early invitation.
You will be able to complete an EOI even if you do not meet the pass mark, however, you will not be eligible to be invited to apply for a visa.
Once you have completed your EOI, it is stored in SkillSelect and is valid for two years.