Subclass 491 Overview
Subclass 491
Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa
Overview
Stay
5 Years
With this visa, you can
- stay in Australia for 5 years
- live, work and study in a designated regional area of Australia
- travel to and from Australia as many times as you want, while the visa is valid
- apply for permanent residence after 3 years from the time your visa is granted
You must
- be nominated to apply by a state or territory government agency, or an eligible relative must sponsor you
- have an occupation on a relevant skilled occupation list
- have a suitable skills assessment for the occupation
- be invited to apply
- satisfy the points test
How long you can stay
This is a temporary visa. You can stay in Australia for 5 years from the date we grant your visa.
Stay longer
You can’t stay in Australia longer by extending this visa. Explore your visa options
Include family
You can include members of the family unit in your application. You can:
- include them when you submit your visa application
- add a dependent child after you submit but before we decide on your visa application.
Family members who apply for the visa must meet our health and character requirements.
Family members not accompanying you to Australia might also need to meet our health and character requirements.
If your partner or dependent children are not included in this application, tell us the reason why (for example, they already hold Australian citizenship or are a permanent resident).
Apply from
You can be in or outside Australia, but not in immigration clearance when you apply for the visa and when we decide on your application.
Travel
You can travel out of Australia and return as many times as you want while the visa is valid.
The time you spend outside Australia does not extend the visa.
Visa label
We will digitally link your visa to your passport. You will not get a label in your passport.