State Nomination Requirements for Subclass 491 Visa (2024-25 Year)
Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa
The Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) allows skilled workers who are points-tested, along with their families, to live, study, and work in designated regional areas of Australia for up to 5 years.
Pathway to Permanent Residency
If you are granted the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491), you may be eligible to apply for the Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (subclass 191). This visa provides permanent residency and the right to live and work anywhere in Australia.
State and Territory Nominated Visa Allocations (2024–2025)
Following consultations with States and Territories, the nomination levels for 2024-2025 have been allocated as follows, with comparisons to the previous financial year:
State | 190 Visa | 491 Visa | Total (2024-25) | Application Status (Open: √, Not Open: x) |
NT | 800 (+550) | 800 (+400) | 1,600 (+950) | √ |
NSW | 3,000 (+350) | 2,000 (+500) | 5,000 (+850) | √ |
(491- Pathway 1 – Not Open) | ||||
ACT | 1,000 (+400) | 800 (+200) | 1,800 (+600) | √ |
WA | 3,000 (+1,500) | 2,000 (+1,150) | 5,000 (+3,000) | √ |
TAS | 2,100 (+1,500) | 760 (+160) | 2,860 (+1,660) | x |
VIC | 3,000 (+300) | 2,000 (+1,400) | 5,000 (+1,700) | x |
QLD | 600 (-300) | 600 (-50) | 1,200 (-350) | x |
SA | 3,000 (+1,900) | 800 (-400) | 3,800 (+1,500) | x |
The numbers in parentheses indicate changes from the previous financial year.
Summary of State Requirements for the 491 Visa
State | Residence Requirement | Local Employment Requirement | Offshore Invitation | Fees (AUD) |
NSW | Must reside in NSW | Not required | No | $300 |
VIC | Must reside in regional Victoria for at least 3 months | No (effective from 7 July 2021) | No | Nil |
ACT | Must reside in Canberra for at least 6 months | Yes – must have at least 6 months of employment | No | $300 |
WA | No residency requirement | Yes | No | $200 |
NT | Yes | Must show good job prospects | No | $300 |
QLD | Closed | Closed | Closed | $200 |
TAS | Must reside in Tasmania | Yes, unless applying under the Graduates category | Yes, if you have a job offer | $220 |
SA | Must reside in South Australia | Yes | No | $330 |
This summary provides an overview of the key state requirements for the 491 visa, including residency, local employment, offshore invitations, and associated fees.
Victoria State Nomination Criteria – Subclass 491
Basic Requirements:
- Be committed to living and working in regional Victoria.
- Be under 45 years of age at the time of nomination.
- Have at least Competent English.
- Possess a valid Skills Assessment in an occupation listed on the eligible skilled occupation list.
- Achieve at least 65 points on the Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect.
- Submit a Registration of Interest (ROI) and be selected.
Application Process:
The visa nomination process consists of four steps:
- Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI).
- Using the EOI number received from SkillSelect, submit a Registration of Interest (ROI) for Victorian nomination.
- If invited, submit a nomination application through the Live in Melbourne portal.
- If your nomination application is successful, submit a visa application for the selected visa.
Onshore Applicants:
- You must currently be living and working in regional Victoria.
- You can claim annual earnings in your ROI from skilled employment in regional Victoria.
- If you are not working or are employed in non-skilled jobs, you are not eligible to apply for nomination.
Offshore Applicants:
- You must be committed to living in regional Victoria.
- You need a valid Skills Assessment and must meet additional requirements listed below.
- Priority is currently given to offshore candidates for 491 visas with skills in healthcare, social services, and education.
Australian Capital Territory State Nomination Criteria – Subclass 491
Basic Requirements:
- Be under 45 years of age at the time of nomination.
- Have at least Competent English.
- Have a valid Skills Assessment in an occupation on the MLTSSL or STSOL occupation list.
- Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect and achieve at least 65 points.
- Submit a Canberra Matrix and be selected.
Western Australia State Nomination – Subclass 491
Western Australia state nomination for the 491 visa is currently open.
Migration WA has temporarily changed its skilled state nomination program criteria, including:
- Adding new occupations to the eligible lists.
- Waiving the $200 application fee.
- Reducing the employment contract requirement from 12 months to 6 months.
- Lowering the requirements for demonstrating sufficient funds.
- Removing additional English requirements for professional and managerial occupations.
- Reducing work experience requirements for the 2022-23 program year to 6 months.
The 2022-23 WA state nomination requirements have now been released, with the WA migration program expanding the graduate occupation list to include over 300 occupations.
Streams for WA State Nominations:
- General Stream Eligibility:
- The occupation must be on the General Stream occupational list.
- Applicants must reside in Australia.
- Must meet language requirements, which vary by occupation group:
- ANZSCO Group 1 and 2: Proficient (IELTS Level 7)
- All other eligible occupations: Competent (IELTS Level 6)
- At least one year of Australian work experience in the nominated (or closely related) occupation in the last 10 years, or at least three years of overseas work experience in the nominated (or closely related) occupation in the last 10 years.
- Must have a genuine full-time job offer in Western Australia in the nominated occupation for at least 12 months.
- Sufficient settlement funds are required if not residing in Western Australia.
- Graduate Stream Eligibility:
- The occupation must be on the Graduate Stream occupational list.
- Applicants must reside in Australia.
- Must meet language requirements, which vary by occupation group:
- ANZSCO Group 1 and 2: Proficient (IELTS Level 7)
- All other eligible occupations: Competent (IELTS Level 6)
- Must have at least two years of study in Western Australia.
- Must have at least 6 months of work experience in the nominated occupation or have a six-month employment contract in the nominated (or closely related) occupation in Western Australia.
- Sufficient settlement funds are required if not residing in Western Australia.
Occupations Marked as ‘Regional Western Australia Only’
Candidates nominating for a regional occupation must provide evidence of a job offer or employment contract in a location defined as Regional Centres and Other Regional Areas by the Commonwealth.
Regional Postcodes: 6041 to 6044, 6084, 6207, 6213, 6215 to 6537, and 6560 to 6770.
Northern Territory 491 Nomination Criteria
Onshore applications for Northern Territory nomination under the General Skilled Migration program can now be lodged through the online application system. Offshore applications remain closed while national border restrictions are in place.
Queensland 491 Nomination Criteria
Migration Queensland has opened its state-nominated skilled migration program for 2023-24. Like other states and territories, Queensland has received a significantly reduced allocation of places for this program year. Queensland will begin inviting selected applicants from the end of this month and will hold invitation rounds at the end of each month, ensuring an even workload throughout the program year.
NSW 491 Nomination Criteria
Stream 1 — Living and Working in Regional NSW
- Hold a valid skills assessment for an occupation listed on the Stream 1 Combined Occupation List.
- Have lived in a designated regional area of NSW for at least the previous 12 months.
- Have worked in your nominated occupation or a closely related occupation in a designated regional area of NSW for at least the previous 12 months.
Stream 2 — Recently Completed Study in Regional NSW
- Hold a valid skills assessment for an occupation on your nominated region’s occupation list.
- Have completed study or education at an education provider in a designated regional area of NSW, where:
- The study was completed within the past 24 months.
- The education provider is located in a designated regional area of NSW.
- The study meets the Australian study requirement as determined by Home Affairs.
- The qualification obtained is assessed as closely related to your nominated occupation by the relevant assessing authority.
- Have lived in a designated regional area of NSW while completing your study.
Stream 3 — Skilled in an Occupation Required in Regional NSW
- Hold a valid skills assessment for an occupation on your nominated region’s occupation list.
- Be currently residing in an Australian state or territory.
- Offshore candidates are now eligible to submit a Request for Information (ROI) under Stream 3. Note: The chances of receiving an invitation to apply are very low. We strongly recommend offshore candidates explore all other migration pathways available and book an appointment to discuss options.
TAS 491 Nomination Criteria
- The State nomination program remains open.
- Tasmania has reached its full nomination quota for the 2020-21 program year, which includes:
- Subclass 491: 1,400 places
- Subclass 190: 1,000 places
- Business migration: 45 places
- Approximately 25% of the skilled visa nomination places have been used.
- Priority is given to individuals providing critical or specialist medical services, those with critical skills needed to maintain essential goods and services, or those involved in sectors crucial to Australia’s economic recovery.
- International graduates not working in critical areas are unlikely to receive a nomination at this stage.
SA 491 Nomination Criteria
- The GSM (ROI, 491, 190, and BIIP) programs were closed to new applications as of 8 June 2023. Applications that were started but not lodged by this date will be deleted from the system.
- Existing applications lodged before 8 June 2023 will continue to be assessed.
- Pending the allocation of 190 nominations from the Commonwealth Government for the 2023-24 program year, eligible applicants for 190 state nominations will receive a nomination in the upcoming program year.
- South Australia’s skilled migration program will open on 20 July 2021 for the financial year with a total of 5,200 places allocated for both 190 and 491 nominations. Key changes include:
- Applicants residing in Australia but outside South Australia can now apply for South Australia under the Talent and Innovator Employment Stream.
- Offshore applicants may be eligible for South Australian state nomination depending on their nominated occupations.
- Three main streams are available: Talent and Innovators Program, Currently Living and Working in South Australia, and International Graduates stream.
- Some applicants may not need to work in their nominated occupation to apply for state nomination.
South Australian Program Focus
- Talent and Innovators Program: Intended for skilled migrants who can contribute to South Australia’s priority sectors. It includes four streams:
- Employment stream
- Start-up and small business stream
- Independent talent stream
- Currently Living and Working in South Australia: For applicants who are:
- Currently living and working in South Australia.
- Living and working in regional South Australia.
- Long-term residents living and working in South Australia.
- International Graduate of South Australia: Students who complete their studies in South Australia may access additional waivers and concessions. Requirements include:
- The course must be CRICOS registered with a minimum of 46 weeks.
- At least 50% of the qualification must be completed in South Australia.
- The applicant must reside in South Australia for at least one year during their studies and continue residing in South Australia post-study.
- For subclass 190 or 491 nominations, the applicant must be working in South Australia in their nominated occupation.