Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa

Three Step Process

1. Anyone intending to apply for Subclass 491 visa, submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) visa SkillSelect.

To submit the EOI for Subclass 491 visa, applicant must be under 45 years of age, have suitable and valid skills assessment, competent English and occupation must be in Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MTSSL) or Short term Skilled Occupation list or Regional Occupation list. Additionally, applicant must be seeking nomination by eligible relative living in reginal Australia or state/territory government. 

2. After EOI is submitted, eligible intending migrants are invited to apply for Subclass 491 visa.

 If your EOI is ranked high enough, you will be invited to apply for the 491 visa. It is important to note that there is no guarantee that you will receive an invitation to apply for the 491 visa, even if you meet the criteria. The number of invitations issued each round is limited, and the number of applicants who meet the criteria is often much higher than the number of invitations available.

3. At stage 3, once invited, intending migrants can apply for the visa specified in their invitation. 

Once Invited, applicant have 60 days to submit visa application and it cannot be extended.

Eligibility for Subclass 491

1. You must be invited to apply visa.

You cannot submit the visa application without getting an invitation. 

2. You must have been nominated for this visa by an Australian state or territory government agency or eligible relative living in reginal Australia.

Each state and territory government agency has its own set of criteria for deciding who they will nominate for migration to Australia. Alternatively, an eligible relative who is resident of regional Australia can sponsor you for this visa.

3. You must have a suitable skills assessment and Your occupation must be on the combined list of eligible skilled occupations for a Skilled Regional (subclass 491) visa.. 

You must have a suitable skills assessment for your nominated occupation which is on combined list of eligible skilled occupations. This assessment will determine whether you have the skills and experience required to work in the occupation in Australia. There are a number of different skills assessment agencies that can conduct these assessments.

4. You must be aged under 45 when invited to apply for the visa. 

If you turn 45 after you are invited to apply for the visa, you can still apply. However, If you turn 45 after you submit your Expression of Interest (EOI) but before you are invited to apply, you will not be invited to apply.

5. You must be able to score 65 points or more.

This visa requires you to score a minimum of 65 points to be invited to apply. Your final score may be higher. When you submit your EOI, you will be given an indicative points score based on your claims. If you are invited to apply, you will need to provide evidence supporting your claims. 

6. You must have competent English.

You must score at least 6 for each of the four components of the IELTS test or at least 50 for each of the four components of the PTE test.

7. You must meet the health and character requirements.

It means that you must be free from any serious health conditions and that you must have a good character. You will need to provide medical and police clearances to prove that you meet these requirements.