2024 New Regional Visas Guide

To qualify for a Queensland nomination, you need to satisfy both the criteria set by the Australian Department of Home Affairs and the criteria specified by Migration Queensland for your selected visa category.

1. Have a points test result of 65 or higher
2. Hold an occupation listed on the Home Affairs relevant list of eligible skilled occupations (LIN19/051)
3. Demonstrate Competent English or higher proficiency (except for occupations requiring a higher level of English).
4. Provide proof of residing in regional Queensland and engaging in full-time post-qualification employment (minimum of 30 hours per week) in your nominated or closely related occupation for three months directly preceding the Expression of Interest (EOI) lodgement. Continuous employment in the nominated or closely related occupation is mandatory during EOI assessment.
5. Provide evidence of sustained full-time employment (minimum of 30 hours per week) for an additional six months at the time of EOI lodgement in your 3ated occupation.
6. Commit to residing and working in regional6eensland for a duration of three years from the date of visa grant.

If you are interested to work in Victoria, please refer the below link to find out more.

– New nomination requirements

Due to high demand in Australia’s labour market, the skilled Work Regional (Provisional)(subclass 491) visa will commence on 18 November 2019. This visa enables points-tested workers to live, study and work in designated regional areas for 5 years and applicants can include their family member in their application.

New nomination requirements for this visa are:

• Age requirement: the applicant must be under 45 years of age
• Language requirement: All applicant must have a competent level of English and acquire IELTS at least 6 in each band score or equivalent. (unless you are a citizen of the USA, UK, Canada, Republic or Ireland or New Zealand)
• Occupation: your occupation must be feature in the skilled occupation list
• Offer of employment: All applicant must provide evidence of a current offer of employment in regional area of Victoria. This must be in your nominated occupation and full-time work for at least 12 months.
• Positive Skills Assessment
• CV: Your updated CV.

In addition, financial resource requirement, you must have money to support yourself and your family.

According to the state website, the application of expression of interest have commenced on 16 November 2019 and subsequently, invitations to apply for WA State nomination under the new 491 visa will commence on 21 November 2019. To be eligible, you must satisfy the following requirements:

1. Eligibility of Expression of Interest (EOI)

–  Submit an EOI

– Score at least 65 points

– Have a suitable permanent migration for your occupation

– Have a nominated occupation on Western Australian Skilled migration occupation list WASMOL or Graduate occupation list GOL.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for this state nomination, you must meet the following requirements:

• Have a relevant occupation on a skied occupation list
• Have a suitable skills assessment for the occupation,
• Satisfy the points test;
• Under 45 years of age at the time of invitation;
• Have Competent English;
• Submit an Expression of Interest;
• Nominated by a state or territory government agency or be sponsored by an eligible relative;
• Be invited by the Department to apply; and
• Meet public interest criteria including health and character requirements

Eligibility

The State nomination requirements include:

1. Commitment to South Australia – live and work in SA for 2 years when you arrive
2. Under 45 years if age at the time of nomination
3. Occupation
4. Skills Assessment – positive
5. Work experience – at least 1 year of skilled work experience in the last 3 years but if you are an international graduate of SA, you may be exempted
6. English: MEET THE SA’s min. requirement for your occupation unless you are a citizen of US, UK, Ireland, Canada or NZ
7. Financial capacity: enough funds to settle in SA
8. EOI

If you are interested to work in Northern Territory, please refer the below link to find out more.

The Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa subclass 491 will re-open on Monday 9 December 2019 and the application fee is AUD300.

Eligibility

To be eligible or this visa, you must:

• Meet the Australian Government requirements, The Australian Department of Home Affairs (HA) criteria 
• Be nominated by the NT Government
• Meet all other Australian Government visa requirement for permanent residence for you and your dependant in your application
  • Age
  • Health
  • Character (if applicable)

NT Government will still consider your application of one of the following applies and you need the NT residency and work requirements for onshore applicant)

• Your skilled occupation is feature in the NT Migration Occupation List
  • You can find the list via 
• If you don’t have a skilled occupation that is feature in the above NT Migration Occupation list buy on the Australian Government’s current list of eligible skilled occupations:
  • You must provide strong evidence of good employment prospects in the NT in your skilled occupation or a closely related skilled occupation
• successfully completed an eligible enrolled course (full-time and for at least two years at a college or university in the NT)
• have a skilled occupation on the Australian Government’s current list of eligible skilled occupations and you can demonstrate strong, well established family connections in the NT.

If you are interested to work in Northern Territory, please refer the below link to find out more.

If you are interested to work in Tasmania, please refer the below link to find out more.

To be eligible to apply for state nomination, you must meet the following requirements set out by the Department of Home Affairs. You must have:

• not yet turned 45 years of age
• nominated an occupation on the relevant list of eligible skilled occupations
• a valid and positive skills assessment for your nominated occupation
• at least ‘Competent’ English language proficiency
• at least 65 points on the Department of Home Affairs points test.

Requirements

• demonstrated ability and commitment to establishing yourself, and any dependents, in Tasmania with a view to your prospects for long-term settlement in the state
• demand for your particular skills and expertise, and your ability to find work in Tasmania
• the suitability and transferability of your qualifications, skills and experience – including any specialist capabilities – to the needs of Tasmania’s labour market
• the skills and background of dependent family members
• level of English language competency
• the likelihood of you obtaining a personal income that would meet the minimum taxable income requirement for the subclass 191 Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (currently AU$53,900 per year for at least 3 years in the next 5 years)

There are 5 nomination categories available:

Category 1 – Tasmanian Graduates (1-year full-time study)

• Graduated from a CRICOS registered tertiary institution in Tasmania
• Either a degree or a diploma or trade qualification with at last 40 weeks
• Your course must be full time and on site in Tasmania
• You must live in Tas for at least 1 year during your period of study
• You and your dependents are currently living in Tas
• Evidence of ongoing genuine commitment

Category 2 – Working in Tasmania (at least 6 months full time employment in Tasmania)

• Worked in Tas for at least 6 months (at least 35 hours per week in one full time or 2 or more part time jobs) immediately before your application (You don’t have to be working in your nominated occupation) with evidence
• Your job must fill a genuine, ongoing skill shortage in Tas
• You and your dependents are currently living in Tas
• Evidence of ongoing genuine commitment
• Employer: must be a well-established business that has been actively operating in Tasmania for the past 12 months
• A genuine need for your position within the business

This visa does not include non-skill shortage occupation, this includes employment in relating to: 

• Supermarkets
• Service statements
• Limited service restaurants such as cooks, chef and café/restaurant managers
• Massage clinics
• Taxi/uber driving

Category 3 – Overseas applicant (TSOL) – skills and experience in TSOL

• nominated occupation must be listed on the TSOL
• You or your dependent have not lived in another Australian state with the last 12 months
• Achieved the English requirement for your occupation
• Meet the requirement of your occupation
• Evidence indicate that there are sufficient employment opportunities (at least 5 but no more than 8 opportunities) in your occupation
• You have skills and recent experience relevant to the opportunities or relevant to the Tasmanian economy
• If your occupation is classified as High Demand and you satisfy the specified requirements, employability evidence is not required
• Sufficient financial assets to fund your migration and settlement in Tasmania for at least 6 months while you seek employment

Category 3A – Oversea applicant (job offer)

• Have a formal job offer in your nominated occupation in Tasmania
• You or your dependent have not lived in another Australian state with the last 12 months
• Employer: must be a well-established business that has been actively operating in Tasmania for the past 12 months
• Genuine need for your position within the business (existing, current and genuine need and ongoing need for your position)

Category 4 – Overseas applicant (job Offer) (living overseas, full-time job offers with a well-established Tasmania business)

• must have an IMMEDIATE family member who
  • is an Australian Permanent Resident or an Australian Citizen for a minimum of 12 months before lodgement
  • currently residing in Tasmania an has been for a minimum of 12 months
  • is a parent, brother, sister, child, aunt, uncle or grandparent
  • agrees to support and assist you in the process of gaining employment in Tasmania

Category 5 – Small Business Owner (living and operating a successful business in Tasmania for at least 6 months)

• Must be living in Tas at the time of lodgement
• demonstrate that you have established and operated your business (solely owned) in Tasmania for at least 6 months
• demonstrate that the business is highly likely able to give you a personal income that would meet the minimum taxable income requirement set by Home Affairs for the subclass 191 Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa.

Currently, that is AU$53,900 per year for at least 3 years in the next 5 years.

If you are interested to work in Tasmania, please refer the below link to find out more.

The Subclass 491 is a provisional (temporary) visa which allows you to live and work in regional Australia for up to 5 years. The Subclass 491 visa is for people who wish to settle in regional Australia who have an occupation which is in high demand in Australia’s labour market. As the holder of a Subclass 491, you are entitled to stay in Australia for 5 years from the date of the grant, live, work and study in a designated regional area and travel to and from Australia as many times as you want.

For the purpose of Subclass 491 visas, most locations of Australia outside major cities such as Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are classed as designated regional areas for migration purposes.

A list of postcodes that specify designated regional areas is available by clicking on this link.

Before you apply, you must satisfy a list of requirements. Each State has different requirements. Please refer to our New Regional Visas Guide for more information.

Yes, you do. You must have been invited, in writing by the Minister, to apply for this visa.

The time of invitation date is critical for the assessment of whether you satisfy the criteria for a Subclass 491 visas. We strongly recommend our clients to update their EOI (expression of interest) in SkillSelect for any changes in circumstances or in points-tested factors.

At this stage, there are no standard processing times available for this visa subclass. Please refer to our website for future updates.

Our website offers comprehensive information about the Subclass 491. You can click on this link for more information.