Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional Visa (Subclass 494)
The Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) (Class PE) (Subclass 494) visa is a provisional employer-sponsored visa. The purpose of this visa is to allow businesses which are actively and lawfully operating in Regional Australia to nominate highly skilled professionals for provisional visas.
Obtaining a subclass 494 visa is a 3-stage process:
- Sponsorship: The employer must be or have applied for approval of sponsorship.
- Nomination: The employer must lodge a nomination that specifies the details of the position and identifies the nominee.
- Visa Application: The applicant applies for Subclass 494 visa under a relevant stream.
Highlights
- You may be in or outside Australia to lodge a valid visa application.
- This visa allows you to work, study and live in regional Australia.
- There are 2 different visa streams: Employer Sponsor and Labour Agreement.
- This is a provisional visa and allows you to stay in Australia for up to 5 years. After 3 years on this visa you may be eligible to meet the requirements for a permanent Subclass 191 visa (coming into effect on 16 November 2022).
Key Eligibility requirements – Common criteria to all streams
- The nomination lodged by your employer must have been approved.
- Your employer must be an Approved Work Sponsor.
- You must have a genuine intention to perform your nominated occupation.
- The position associated with the nomination must be genuine.
- You must satisfy certain Public Interest criteria and Special Return criteria.
- You must meet health and character requirements.
- You must satisfy all Nomination Criteria including specific criteria to the stream you are applying for such as: having an occupation on the relevant list of eligible occupations, having an associated position in a designated regional area or having received a positive assessment from a relevant Regional Certifying Body (RCB) etc.
- You must satisfy specific criteria relating to the visa stream you are applying for.
Key Eligibility requirements – Employer Sponsor stream
- You must satisfy the relevant Health requirements.
- Unless exempt, you are employed to work in the nominated occupation and in a position for your employer (sponsor).
- You must be under 45 years of age (prescribed applicants may be eligible for exemption).
- Unless exempt, you may need to provide a positive Skills Assessment from the relevant skills assessing authority in relation to your nominated occupation.
- Unless exempt, you must have been employed in your nominated occupation for at least 3 years.
- You must be able to demonstrate ‘Competent English’ (prescribed applicants may be eligible for exemption).
Key Eligibility requirements – Labour Agreement stream
- You must satisfy the relevant Health requirements.
- Your nominated occupation must be the subject of a work agreement between the Commonwealth and your sponsor.
- You must be under 45 years of age unless otherwise agreed with the Minister.
- You must have suitable qualifications, experience, skills and English proficiency to perform the tasks of the occupation to which your nominated position relates
- You must have been employed in your nominated occupation for at least 3 years unless otherwise considered by the Minister.
Criteria and requirements relevant to Approval of nominated positions, Approval as a Standard Business Sponsor or Regional Certifying Body (RCB) approval have NOT been included in the above summary. An approved sponsorship, nomination and RCB are required for this visa.
