Australia has always been one of the popular destinations for job aspirants. With a developed economy, every year, Australia comes up with many job opportunities and welcomes a huge number of skilled workers. It’s not about the job; the workers are even well paid in Australia.
But, working in Australia is only possible if you get the right category of the work visa. There are 4 categories of skilled work visas that allow working in the country. Each of them has different features and roles to play during your stay in Australia.
The categories are:
- Skilled Recognized Graduate Visa (visa subclass 476)
- Skilled Independent Visa (visa subclass 189)
- Skilled Sponsored Visa (visa subclass 491, 190, and 887)
- Distinguished Talent Visa (visa subclass 124 and 858)
Here, in this blog, we will discuss Visa subclass 491 that is known as a Skilled sponsored visa.
A brief about the visa
The Visa subclass was introduced by the Australian Department of Home Affairs as a replacement of Australian permanent residency pathways skilled regional visa (Subclass 489). The visa became effective from 16 November 2019. The complete name of the visa is Subclass 491 Skilled work regional (Provisional) visa.
As the name suggests, you are allowed to work in a designated region in Australia and along with the visa, you are sponsored by an Australian State or Territory Government or an eligible family member residing in a designated regional area of Australia.
Benefits of Visa Subclass 491
- You are allowed to stay in a regional or designated area of Australia for as much as 5 years
- Along with work, you can study and live in the designated area of Australia
- Till the validity of the visa, you can travel several times to and from Australia
- If you fulfil the eligibility criteria, you can even apply for permanent residency in Australia
- You are allowed to include your eligible family members in your visa application
- You qualify for incentives if you are a newcomer immigrant
- You get additional points with subclass 491 visa
Eligibility criteria for Visa Subclass 491
- If your age between 18-45 years
- If you are competent in English with minimum 6 points in IELTS, or if you hold an approved passport
- If you have received a nomination from a region or state to apply for the visa
- If you clear the health and character requirements
- If you get the passing mark in the skilled migration points test
Preferences for getting an invitation for Visa Subclass 491
The Australian Department of Immigration grant invitation in the following hierarchy:
- First preference– Candidate with a skilled partner or without a partner
- Second preference– Candidate with a partner having proficiency or competency in the English language
- Third preference– Candidate with a partner who is not eligible for proficient English or has skilled partner points
So, these are a few important things that you should know about Visa Subclass 491 when applying for it.
