What is an Australia 491 visa?
The Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa, commonly referred to as the Subclass 491 visa, is a visa designed for skilled foreign workers who have received a nomination from an eligible relative or a territory or state government.
This Australia Subclass 491 visa allows you to live, work, and study in designated regional areas of Australia for up to five years.
Who is eligible for an Australian 491 visa?
Eligibility criteria for a subclass 491 visa:
1. Be nominated by a state or eligible relative or a territory government
How to get nominated for a 491 visa?
To be nominated by a territory or Australian state government, you must first submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) through the SkillSelect Website. If your EOI is selected, you will be invited to apply for a nomination.
To be nominated by an eligible relative, you must have a close relative who is an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen, and who resides in a designated regional area of Australia. Your relative must also meet certain financial requirements.
Once you have been nominated, you will be able to file a visa application with the Australian government.
Who is an eligible relative?
Eligible relatives for the Australia Subclass 491 visa include parents, siblings, children, step-parents, step-children, step-siblings, Aunts and uncles, Nephews and Nieces.
The territory or state government will review the Skillselect profile that you have created on the SkillSelect site by providing all your personal and professional details, and the ANZSCO code determine that you have the skills and experience that they are looking for and nominate your profile.
Have a skilled occupation that is on the MLTSSL list:
Your occupation must be on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) to be eligible for a subclass 491 visa. The MLTSSL is a list of occupations that are in high demand in Australia.
Have a positive skills assessment:
A recognized assessing authority in Australia will assess your skills and work experience, as provided in your Expression of Interest (EOI), and determine whether they meet the Australian standard for the occupation you are applying for.
Score minimum points on the Australian points-based system:
The Australia Subclass 491 visa is a points-based system, so you need to score a certain number of points to be eligible. Points are awarded based on your education, age, work experience, English language skills, and other factors.
To be eligible for a subclass 491 visa, you must score at least 65 points on the Australia Points calculator
Meet the English language requirements
You need to take English language proficiency tests like IELTS or PTE to prove your proficiency in English. You must achieve a minimum score of 6 in each of the four modules of the IELTS test or a minimum score of 50 in each of the four modules of the PTE-A test.
Must have character and health certificates
You must get a good health and character certificate from the concerned authorities in your home country. You must undergo a medical examination to get a medical clearance certificate and also pass a police background check and obtain a police clearance certificate.
How to apply for an Australian 491 visa?
The process to apply for a subclass 491 visa includes the following steps:
Step 1: Create an online SkillSelect profile
The first step to applying for an Australia 491 visa is to create an online SkillSelect profile. Your SkillSelect profile will include complete information about your skills, relevant work experience, and educational qualifications.
Step 2: Receive an invitation to apply (ITA)
Once you have created a SkillSelect profile, you will be entered into a pool of candidates. Australian territory and state governments will review your SkillSelect profile and invite the highest-scoring candidates to apply for a subclass 491 visa.
Step 3: Submit your Australia 491 visa application
Once you have received an invitation to apply (ITA) for an Australian subclass 491 Visa, you will need to submit your visa application. To submit
your Subclass 491 visa application, you must first create an ImmiAccount on the Australian government's website. Once you have created an ImmiAccount, you will be able to lodge your visa application online.
You will need to provide several supporting documents with your visa application, including:
- Valid passport
- A police clearance certificate(PCC)
- A medical examination certificate(MEC)
- Skills assessment certificate
- Nomination certificate (if nominated by a territory or state government or an eligible relative)
Step 4: Attend a visa interview (if required)
You may be required to attend a visa interview at the Australian embassy or consulate in your home country if the visa officer wants to know additional information about your profile.
What is the 491 visa processing time in 2023?
In general, the 491 processing time would be around 6 to 12 months. However, note that this is just an estimation, the actual processing time can be longer or shorter depending on various factors. some of the factors that decide the processing time include:
- Based on the complexity of your visa application. Make sure your visa application is accurate and complete. Respond to the requests for information from the Australian government promptly and provide the required supporting documents.
- Number of applicants in the pool.
- Based on the region or country you are applying from.
Contact a registered Australian immigration consultant in Hyderabad to help you with your visa application.
Benefits of the Australia Subclass 491 visa
The Australia Subclass 491 visa allows you to live, work, and study full-time or part-time in any course in a designated regional area of Australia for up to 5 years. After 3 years, you may be eligible to apply for a Australia permanent residency (PR) visa.
If you are granted a Australia 491 visa, you will also be eligible for several benefits, including:
-
Access to Medicare (Australia's public healthcare system):
Medicare provides free or low-cost medical services to permanent residents and citizens. -
Access to Centrelink (Australia's social security system):
You may be eligible for certain social security benefits, such as the Youth Allowance or Newstart Allowance. Social security benefits are payments made by the Australian Government to help needy people who are disabled, unemployed, or sick.
- You can bring your family to Australia
- Freedom to travel within Australia and New Zealand
