Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 491)

What do I need to be eligible for a Sc 491 visa?

You may be invited to apply for Sc 491 visa if the following criteria are met:

• Age Limit - you must be under the age of 45 when you receive an invitation to apply from the Dep of Home Affairs and submit your visa application.
• Health and Character - you and your family members included in the visa application must meet the health & character requirements
• Eligible occupation - your nominated occupation must be included in the Medium- and Long-Term Strategic Skills List or Short-Term Skilled Occupations List or Regional Occupations List if applying under State/Territory Nominated stream or in the Medium- and Long-Term Strategic Skills List if applying under Eligible Relative Sponsorship stream;
• State/Territory Nomination if applying under Nominated stream - you must be nominated by one of the Australian States or Territories. Each State and Territory Government has their own list of occupations in demand as well as criteria to be met.
  Eligible Relative Sponsorship if applying under Sponsorship stream – you must be sponsored by an eligible relative and your sponsorship must be approved by the Department of Home Affairs
• Skills assessment – you must secure a positive skills assessment from the relevant authority in Australia as evidence that you possess the necessary qualifications and skills to be able to work in your occupation;
• English level - the principal applicant must provide evidence of at least Competent English, however, only Proficient and Superior English levels will be awarded points
• Points Test and Expression of Interest – you must score at least 65 points in your Expression of Interest (EOI), be nominated by one of the states or territories or sponsored by an eligible relative and be invited to apply for this visa by the Department of Home Affairs of Australia.

Under State Nominated stream, while 65 points is a minimum threshold for the EOI to be entered into the pool, states/territories are likely to give preference to applicants whose EOI's points total is higher than 65.

The Department of Home Affairs may also increase the points threshold for applicants under Sponsored stream at any time.

For both streams - you must meet the points score eligibility at the EOI submission as well as at the time of receiving an Invitation to Apply for the visa.

Online assessment

English proficiency

Family members over the age of 18 who are included in Sc 491 visa application are required to provide evidence of at least Functional English.

English requirements

Health and Character

All family members who are included in Sc 491 visa application must meet health and character requirements. All applicants over 16 must provide police clearances from every country they lived in, Australia inclusive, for at least 12 months in the past 10 years.

Can I include my family in a Sc 491 application?

Principal applicants for Sc 491 visa may include the following family members in their application

• Spouse or De Facto Partner (can be same or opposite sex)
• Your and/or your partner's dependent children

Spouse/De Facto Partner

For both spouse and de facto applicants, you must prove that you are in a genuine and ongoing relationship.

For De Facto applicants, you must additionally provide evidence that:

• you are not related by family
• you and your partner are mutually committed to a shared life to the exclusion of all others
• you live together, or do not live separately on a permanent basis.

Dependent Children

Children can be included in your Sc 491 visa application, provided they fall under of the below categories:

Category 1

They are under 18 years of age
They are your or your partner's child from a current or a previous relationship
They are not married, engaged or in a de facto relationship;

Category 2

They are over 18 years of age but not yet turned 23
They are dependent on you or your partner
They are your or your partner's child from a current or a previous relationship
They are not married, engaged or in a de facto relationship;

Category 3

They are over 23 years of age and unable to earn a living to support themselves due to *physical or cognitive limitations
They are dependent on you or your partner
They are your or your partner's child from a current or a previous relationship
They are not married, engaged or in a de facto relationship
*Such child/ren will still need to meet Australia's health requirements for the visa to be granted.

Note: The child must meet the dependency criteria at the time of application submission as well as at the time of decision-making.

How long does it take to get a Sc 491 visa for Australia?

Applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis, and actual processing times can vary due to individual circumstances.

The current processing times are 11-14 months under Nominated stream and 9-11 months under Sponsored stream (from the date of visa application submission.)

What are the fees?

Sc 491 visa application fees are currently AUD$4,115 for the main applicant, AUD$2,060 for any secondary applicant aged 18 and above and AUD$1,030 for any secondary applicant under the age of 18.

Online assessment

Our Skilled Visa Service includes

• Your personal adviser will manage everything required for the entire process, taking all the stress off your shoulders.
• We will review your supporting documents and make sure they meet visa requirements
• We will apply for a skills assessment on your behalf.
• We will prepare and submit your Expression of Interest.
• We will prepare and submit state/territory nomination application
• We will apply for a visa on your behalf once you receive an Invitation to Apply
• We will monitor the progress of your visa application regularly and will provide timely updates
• We will liaise with the Department of Home Affairs and will act as your representative until the decision is made

Online assessment