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Migrating abroad along with your family could probably be the wish for many. But not all countries provide you with such a feasible visa option. But you don’t have to worry anymore about this matter as the 491 visa Australia is a working visa that lets you work and study in the designated regional area of Australia along with your family for up to 5 years. This visa will let you obtain PR in Australia after fulfilling the eligibility criteria mentioned by the Australian Department of Home Affairs. 491 Visa will also open a pathway for you to get Australian Citizenship.

What is 491 Visa ?

The 491 Visa Australia is a temporary visa that allows you and your family, as a skilled migrants to live, work and study in the allocated regional areas of Australia as skilled workers. It is part of the Australian government's initiative to distribute the skilled workforce across different parts of the country and promote economic growth in regional areas. Regional Visas 491 was introduced to replace the Subclass 489 Visa. With this visa, you can live and work in a regional area where you’re invited for up to 5 years.

You must meet certain Visa 491 Conditions to be eligible, such as having a relevant occupation, a positive skills assessment, and meeting the points visa requirement, etc. You must either be nominated by an Australian state or territory government agency or be sponsored by an eligible family member residing in a designated regional area. Although the 491 subclass visa Australia is a provisional visa, you can apply for permanent residency through the subclass 191 Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa after living and fulfilling the criteria set by the Australian Department of Home Affairs for 3 years.

491 Visa Requirements for Eligibility

The eligibility visa requirements for Regional Subclass 491 Visa Australia are as follows:

Age

You must be below 45 years of age in order to be invited for the visa. However, if you were already invited, you can apply for the regional visa after turning 45.

Skills and Occupation

• Your occupation must be included in the skilled occupations list specified by the Australian Department of Home Affairs.
• You must successfully complete a skill assessment to prove that you have all the skills and qualifications necessary to successfully work in your preferred occupation.

Point Assessment

You must score at least 65 points in the points assessment in order to be invited for the regional visas. However, you may need to score higher than 65 points, depending on the claims you made in your EOI.

Nomination/Sponsorship and Invitation

• You must submit an Expression of Interest(EOI) and be invited to apply for regional visa 491
• You must either be invited by the Australian state/territory government agencies or sponsored by your family members currently living in Regional Australia

English Requirement

You and your parents applying along with you need to have competent English for Skilled Regional Visa Subclass. For competency, you can give English Language Proficiency Test(IELTS, TOEFL, etc).

Health and Character Requirement

You must meet the health and character requirement as specified by the Australian Department of Home Affairs for Skilled Regional Visa Subclass 491.

Skilled Work Regional Provisional Subclass 491 Visa Benefits

Below mentioned are the benefits of regional provisional subclass 491 visa Australia that you can enjoy over your visa period:

• You can stay in Australia for 5 years
• You can live, work and study in the designated regional areas of Australia
• You may be eligible for Medicare
• You can travel to and from Regional Australia as many times as you want during your visa period
• You can apply for Permanent Residency(PR) skilled regional after fulfilling the eligibility criteria
• You can work in any occupation as long as it is listed in the skilled occupation list

Subclass 491 Visa Documents Checklist

The following is the checklist of the documents required for provisional subclass 491 visa:

1. Identity Documents

• Valid passport
• Birth certificate
• National identification card (if applicable)
• Proof of change of name

2. Relationship documents

• Marriage certificate for partner visa
• Birth certificates of children
• Evidence of de factor relationship or registered partnership
• Divorce or Separation Documents(if applicable)

3. Health and Character Documents

• Health examination results
• Police clearance certificates from all countries you’ve resided in for 12 months or more in the past 10 years

4. English Language Proficiency

• English language proficiency test results (e.g., IELTS, TOEFL, PTE Academic)

5. Educational Qualifications

• Academic transcripts
• Degree or diploma certificates

6. Skills Assessment Documents

You need to submit the documents that assist the claims that you’ve made in your EOI. Depending on your claims, you could provide the documents that show the following:

• Skills assessment outcome letter from the relevant assessing authority
• Satisfying the Australian study requirement
• Specialist education
• Accredited community language
• Study in Regional Australia
• Partner skills for partner visa
• Professional Year in Australia

7. Expression of Interest (EOI)

• Copy of the submitted EOI in SkillSelect.

8. Work Experience

• Employment reference letters
• Pay slips or tax documents to demonstrate work experience

9. If you are being sponsored then your sponsor needs to submit the following documents

• Age proof (18 years and above)
• Declaration by your sponsor
• Proof of being an eligible relative for sponsored visa
• Permanent residency skilled regional proof

10. You don’t need to provide the evidence of your nomination along with the application as per the Australian Department of Home Affairs

11. Partner documents

You need to provide the following documents of your partner visa who is applying along with you in order to verify your partner's identity and relationship with you:

• Identity documents and photos
• Character documents
• Marriage certificate(if applicable)
• Documents about other relationships(if applicable)

12. Confirmation of Enrolment(COE) of your course completed from regional Australia and Course completion letter

13. Dependants under 18 documents

If a dependent under 18 years of age is applying along with you then, you need to submit their birth certificate or a family book, and either a parental consent form 1229 or a statutory declaration

14. Dependants over 18 documents

In case a dependent over 18 years of age is applying with you then, you need to submit their identification documents. You also need to submit proof of dependency, and form 47a

491 Visa Application Process

The application process for a subclass 491 visa Australia involves several important steps. The following is the detailed list of steps that are involved in the regional 491 visa process:

Step 1: Skilled Occupation List

First, you need to ensure that your occupation is listed in the Skilled Occupation List.

Step 2: Skills Assessment

You have to undergo a skills assessment conducted by the relevant Australian assessing authority for your occupation.

Step 3: Points System

You have to calculate your points based on various factors such as age, education, work experience, Competent English, and more to be eligible for the regional provisional visa. The minimum score required to receive an invitation is 65 points for visa 491.

Step 4: Expression of Interest (EOI)

Then you have to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) through SkillSelect to express your intention to apply for the subclass 491 visa. SkillSelect will evaluate your points and eligibility.

Step 5: Submission of Supporting Documents

Once your EOI is accepted, you will be invited to apply for the regional provisional visa. You need to prepare and submit all the required supporting documents within 60 days. You can apply online through ImmiAccount and pay the applicable fees.

Step 6: Application Status

You can monitor the progress of your application by logging into your ImmiAccount. You may need to undergo medical examinations and provide biometric data during this stage.

Step 7: Visa Approval

If your skilled regional visa subclass application is approved, you will receive an email with your visa grant number, start date, and the terms and conditions of your visa.

Subclass 491 visa Processing Time

The processing time of your regional provisional visa 491 application is allocated by the Australian Department of Home Affairs. Following are the processing times provided by the DHA:

• 25% of applications: 6 Months
• 50% of applications: 10 Months
• 75% of applications: 14 Months
• 90% of applications: 18 Months

DHA assesses all the applications on a case-by-case basis. However, the above-mentioned processing time for 491 visa can vary depending on various factors such as:

• Whether your application is complete and includes all required documents to support it
• How quickly you respond to any inquiries for additional information asked by DHA
• How long it takes to do the necessary checks on the additional information that was provided
• How long it takes to get additional data from other organisations, especially on visa requirements for national security, character, and health

What are Subclass 491 Visa Fees?

The primary applicant and dependent family members for the contributory parent visa must fulfil the visa requirements and pay a visa application charge. For certain applicants, there may be a second instalment payable before a decision is made on the application for the contributory parent visa.

Australia 491 Visa Fees for Primary Applicant

For the primary applicant, the visa application charge for the Skilled Regional Subclass 491 visa is A$4640.

Subclass 491 Visa Fees for Additional Applicant At least 18 Years of Age

For each additional applicant who is at least 18 years old, the primary applicant submitting the Skilled Regional Subclass 491 visa application must pay a visa application charge of A$2320.

Subclass 491 Visa Fee for Additional Applicant below 18 Years of Age

For each additional applicant below 18 years of age, the primary applicant applying for the Skilled Regional Subclass 491 visa application must pay a visa application charge of A$1160.

Subclass 491 Application Fee for Second Instalment Payable Before Visa Grant

If an applicant is at least 18 years old at the time of the 491 visa application and is assessed as not having functional English, they must pay a second instalment of A$4885 before the visa grant.

Subsequent Temporary Application Charge

There is no subsequent temporary application charge payable when applying for the Subclass 491 visa application onshore.

Conclusion

491 Visa Australia offers an excellent opportunity for you to live, work, and contribute to the development of designated regional areas in Australia as a temporary skilled worker. This visa opens doors for a prominent future in Australia with its pathway to permanent residency . By meeting the eligibility criteria and providing the required documents specified by the DHA Australia, you can enter on a journey that not only enhances your career prospects but also enriches your life in diverse regional Australia.

However, the application process can be hectic for you for which we suggest you to seek professional assistance for seamless migration. CDR Writer Australia provides you with professional as well as technical support throughout your 491 visa process. Our team of experts are always ready to help you with your flawless migration visa to Australia.