Australia Regional Visas 491 and 494: Rules, Costs and the 191

For many skilled workers, the big cities aren't where the opportunity is. Australia's regional visas trade a few years outside Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane for a clear route to permanent residence, and for some people that trade makes a lot of sense.

This guide goes deeper into the two regional provisional visas, the Skilled Work Regional visa (subclass 491) and the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa (subclass 494). It also covers the permanent visa they lead to, the Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (subclass 191). For the wider picture, including the points table and the Skills in Demand visa, start with our Australia skilled migration guide. Details here were checked against Home Affairs pages in September 2026.

The 491 and 494 at a glance

Both visas let you include your partner and dependent children, and both let you travel in and out of Australia while the visa is valid.

What counts as a "designated regional area"?

Home Affairs says most locations outside the major cities of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are designated regional areas for migration purposes. It splits Australia into three categories.

This means "regional" can still mean a large city. Perth and Adelaide qualify, so a regional visa doesn't necessarily mean life on a farm.

The 491 in detail

Two ways in

State or territory nomination. You submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect, the free online system Home Affairs uses to manage invitations. States and territories can see your EOI and may nominate you. Each one sets its own occupation needs, residence or work requirements and application process.

Eligible relative sponsorship. A relative can sponsor you if they're 18 or older, usually resident in a designated regional area, and an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. Home Affairs lists parents, children, siblings, aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews, grandparents and first cousins, including step and adoptive relatives. Home Affairs may then invite you in an invitation round.

Core requirements

Home Affairs says you must:

• have an occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list
• have a suitable skills assessment, obtained within 3 years before your invitation
• be invited to apply, and be under 45 at invitation
• score at least 65 points

If you don't apply after two invitations, your EOI is removed from SkillSelect.

State nomination in practice

Every state and territory runs its program differently, and settings change during the year. Official agencies include Migration ACT, NSW Visas and Migration, Live in Melbourne (Victoria), Business and Skilled Migration Queensland, Migrate NT, Skilled Migration Western Australia, Move to South Australia and Migration Tasmania.

As one example, the Western Australian government says that if your EOI seeks nomination for both the 190 and 491, you'll generally be invited for the 491 first, because your points score is usually higher for it.

Restrictions while you hold a 491

You and any family members on the visa must live, work and study in a designated regional area. Until you've held the 491 for 3 years, Home Affairs says you can't apply for a Partner visa (subclass 820), or be granted visas including the 186, 189 or 190. In practice, the 191 is your main route to permanent residence.

The 494 in detail

The 494 is for people with a regional employer ready to sponsor them. There's also a Labour Agreement stream for employers with a labour agreement with the government.

Requirements for you

For the Employer Sponsored stream, Home Affairs says you must:

• be nominated for an occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list
• have at least 3 years of full-time relevant experience, generally within the last 5 years; casual work doesn't count
• have a relevant skills assessment before you apply, unless exempt
• be under 45 when you apply, unless exempt
• have at least Competent English

Exemptions to the age rule include some academics, scientists and medical practitioners, and certain long-term 457 or 482 visa holders.

Rules once you arrive

You must start work within 90 days of arriving, or of the grant if you're already in Australia. You must work only in your nominated occupation and only for your nominating employer, or an associated entity, in regional Australia. Home Affairs warns that it might cancel your visa if you don't.

What your employer must do

The employer carries most of the obligations. According to Home Affairs, they must:

• be an approved work sponsor, or have applied to become a standard business sponsor
• offer a full-time position that's likely to exist for at least 5 years
• carry out labour market testing, unless exempt
• have a Regional Certifying Body assess the annual market salary rate (AMSR), unless exempt
• pay the Skilling Australians Fund levy when nominating you

The income rule for 494 jobs

Employers must pay at least the AMSR, meaning what an Australian would earn for the same work at the same location. Both that rate and your guaranteed earnings must be at least the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT), unless the salary is AUD 250,000 or more.

Non-monetary benefits, such as accommodation or a car, don't count towards the TSMIT. The threshold is a floor, not a typical salary.

The 191: turning regional years into permanent residence

The Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (subclass 191) is the permanent step for 491 and 494 holders. Home Affairs says you must:

• hold, or have held, a 491 or 494 for at least 3 years
• provide ATO notices of assessment for 3 income years out of the 5 years of your eligible visa
• have complied with the conditions of your 491 or 494

There's no minimum income requirement. You still need tax returns lodged for 3 income years so the ATO can issue those notices, and proof that you lived, worked and studied in a designated area. Home Affairs suggests leases, utility bills, school reports, reference letters and payslips.

The 191 lets you live, work and study anywhere in Australia, enrol in Medicare, sponsor eligible relatives and, if eligible, apply for citizenship. It includes a 5-year travel facility.

Costs and money

Visa charges

These are the charges on the Home Affairs current visa pricing table at the time of writing.

For the 491 and 494, adults assessed as not having functional English may have to pay a second instalment of AUD 4,890 before the visa is granted. A lower charge applies from 1 July 2026 to eligible citizens of Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste. Use the official Visa Pricing Estimator for your exact total.

Other costs to budget for

• skills assessment fees, set by each assessing authority
• English tests
• health examinations, police certificates and biometrics
• translations
• any state nomination fee, where one applies
• relocation within Australia, since your job and home must be regional

Your 494 employer must cover its own sponsorship, nomination and levy costs.

Life in the regions

Regional salaries and rents vary widely. A mining town, a coastal city and a farming district can have very different costs. Before you commit, check local rental listings and job ads for the exact town. Once you're working, apply for a Tax File Number, open a bank account and keep every payslip, because you'll need them for the 191.

Who these visas suit

The 491 often suits people who:

• have a strong points score but miss out on 189 or 190 invitations
• work in an occupation a particular state wants
• have a close relative already living in regional Australia

The 494 often suits people who:

• already have a regional employer willing to sponsor them
• have at least 3 years of experience and Competent English
• are happy to stay with one employer for several years

Neither may suit you if you need to live in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane, expect to change careers soon, or can't commit to 3 years in the regions. Our guides to high-paying trade jobs for immigrants and healthcare worker shortages cover occupations that often appear in regional hiring.

Step by step: from regional visa to permanent residence

1. Check your occupation on the Home Affairs skilled occupation list and note which visas it's eligible for.
2. Start your skills assessment and English test.
3. Choose your route. Target state nomination or relative sponsorship for a 491, or find a regional employer for a 494.
4. For a 491, lodge a free EOI in SkillSelect and apply to your chosen state's program.
5. For a 494, make sure your employer is approved or has applied, and that the salary meets the AMSR and TSMIT.
6. Lodge your visa application once invited or nominated.
7. Move to a designated regional area and start work, within 90 days for a 494.
8. Lodge tax returns every year and keep proof of where you lived and worked.
9. Apply for the 191 once you've held your visa for 3 years and have 3 notices of assessment.

Scam warning

Regional visas are a target for fraud because the job or nomination is so valuable.

• Never pay for a job offer or sponsorship. Australian law prohibits asking for or receiving payment in return for visa sponsorship.
• Nobody can sell a state nomination. Only the state or territory agency decides.
• Be wary of "regional" jobs that don't exist. Check the business, its address and its sponsor approval.
• Don't fake residence or work evidence. You'll need genuine records for the 191.
• Only use registered help. Immigration assistance must come from a registered migration agent, an Australian legal practitioner or an exempt person.

Your regional visa checklist

• Confirm your occupation and assessing authority.
• Check that your target town or city is a designated regional area.
• Read the current nomination rules for each state you're considering.
• Estimate your points, or confirm your employer's sponsor status.
• Check any 494 salary against the market rate and the TSMIT.
• Use the Visa Pricing Estimator and budget for extra costs.
• Plan to stay regional for at least 3 years.
• Lodge tax returns every year and keep residence and work records.
• Never pay for sponsorship or nomination.