Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional Visa (494)

The Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) Visa (494) is a temporary employer sponsored visa that allows you to live, work and study in a designated regional area of Australia for 5 years. You may be eligible to apply for the Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) Visa (191) after three years. This visa has three streams as explained below, with requirements.

The Employer Sponsored Stream allows employers in a designated regional area of Australia to sponsor you once they have the nomination for the position approved by Home Affairs.

Requirements for visa applicant

As the visa applicant, you:

• must be under the age of 45 years
• need to be nominated by an employer who is actively and lawfully operating a business in Australia
• need to demonstrate that you have the skills and experience to be able to perform the tasks of your nominated occupation
• have obtained a positive skills assessment for your nominated occupation
• have at least Competent English.

This stream is for members of the family unit of the main applicant who already holds the 494 Visa. This visa can be used in situations where the family members decide that they wish to join the primary 494 visa holder at a later point in time i.e. subsequently.

Requirements for subsequent entrants

The applicant who is applying under the subsequent entrant stream will need to:

• demonstrate that they are a family member of the primary applicant who holds the 494 visa
• de nominated by the employer of the primary 494 visa holder
• have at least Functional English.

The Labour Agreement Stream (LA) of the 494 Visa allows a business to sponsor employees for the permanent visa under an arrangement (‘Agreement’) previously negotiated with the Government. This stream is commonly used by employer groups or in situations where it would be impracticable for the visa applicant to meet the standard conditions set out under the TRTS or the DE streams explained above. If an agreement is reached between the employer group and the Government that certain concessions can be offered, these are written into the Labour Agreement.

Requirements for business

• is operating actively and lawfully in Australia;
• does genuinely need the employee to work in the nominated position
• is a party or signatory to the Labour Agreement under which the visa will be processed
• the position to be filled is listed in the Labour Agreement
• to the will make the position available full-time and for at least two years from the time the visa applicant is granted their visa
• will offer salary that is at least equal to the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT).

Requirements for visa applicant

• is under the age of 45 years, unless a concession for age has been provided in the Labour Agreement
• have held an employer sponsored temporary visa (visa 482 or its predecessor visa 457) for at least 2 years in the last 3 years
• they have been genuinely performing the tasks related to their nominated occupation
• have at least Competent English, unless a concession for English has been provided in the Labour Agreement.

As at 1 July 2024, the Home Affairs fees for this visa are as below:

• primary applicant – A$ 4,770
• dependent over 18 years of age – A$ 2,385
• dependent under 18 years of age – A$ 1,190

In addition, there will be fees associated with undertaking health examination and obtaining police clearance (if required) and obtaining skills assessment (for the DE stream).

Assure Visa fees for visa 189 are listed on our  Fees Page.