Subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional Visa

The Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional Visa (Subclass 494) enables regional employers across Australia to address identified labour shortages within their local area by sponsoring skilled workers where it is not possible to recruit an appropriately skilled Australian worker.

Visa Overview

Feature	Details
Visa Type	Provisional (temporary) visa with pathway to permanent residency
Introduced	16 November 2019
Replaces	Subclass 187 (RSMS) Visa – Direct Entry stream
Annual Places	10,000 allocated per year
Validity Period	5 years
Pathway to PR	Eligible for Subclass 191 Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) after 3 years

Key Changes: 494 Visa vs 187 Visa

494 Visa (NEW)	187 Visa (OLD)
Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa	Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme visa – Direct Entry stream
5-year provisional visa	Direct permanent residence
Pathway to PR via Subclass 191 after 3 years	Immediate permanent residence
Regional conditions apply	Regional conditions applied at time of application

Regional Areas Definition

Regional areas of Australia are defined as any area excluding Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

Included as Regional	Excluded (Not Regional)
Perth	Sydney
Gold Coast	Melbourne
Sunshine Coast	Brisbane
Lake Macquarie
Illawarra
Geelong
Newcastle
Wollongong
Adelaide
Hobart
Canberra

Visa Requirements

Applicant Requirements

Requirement	Details
Age	Under 45 at time of application (exemptions apply)
English Language	Competent English (IELTS 6.0 in each component or equivalent)
Work Experience	Minimum 3 years full-time employment in nominated occupation at skilled level (within last 5 years)
Skills Assessment	Successful skills assessment at time of application
Visa Status (if in Australia)	Must hold substantive visa or Bridging Visa A, B or C

Notes:

• Part-time work may be considered
• Casual work is not counted
• GTE requirement does not apply
• Doctor registration requirement does not apply

Employer and Job Offer Requirements

Requirement	Details
Employer Location	Must be located in a designated regional area
Occupation	Must be on the eligible occupations list
Position	Full-time position, likely to be available for 5 years
RCB Approval	Regional Certifying Body endorsement required
Salary	Must meet Australian Market Salary Rate (AMSR)

Visa Conditions

Condition	Requirement
8579	Must live, work and study only in regional areas
Work Commencement	Must commence work within 90 days of visa grant
Occupation	Must only work in nominated occupation
Employer	Must only work for nominating employer
Consequences	Non-compliance may result in visa cancellation

Pathway to Permanent Residency

Subclass 191 Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional)

Requirement	Details
Visa Held	Must have held 494 visa (or 491 visa) for at least 3 years
Compliance	Must have complied with all visa conditions
Regional Residence	Must have lived and worked in regional area for 3 years
New Nomination	Not required
Second SAF Levy	Not required

Visa Fees

Applicant	Fee
Main Applicant	$4,910
Spouse/Partner	$2,455
Child (under 18)	$1,230
Second VAC (if no functional English)	$4,890 per adult

Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) Levy for Employers

All employers sponsoring a foreign worker for a 494 Visa are required to pay a Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy.

SAF Levy Rates

Years Elapsed on Existing Visa	Annual Turnover < $10 Million	Annual Turnover > $10 Million
No existing visa – <1 year	$3,000	$5,000
Between 1 year and 2 years	$2,400	$4,000
Between 2 years and 3 years	$1,800	$3,000
Between 3 years and 4 years	$1,200	$2,000
Between 4 years and 5 years	$600	$1,000

Note: Discounts apply where the individual already holds a 494 Visa and is seeking to change employers.

Application Process

Stage 1: Employer Nomination

Step	Details
RCB Advice	Employer obtains approval from Regional Certifying Body
Nomination	Employer lodges nomination application with Department
SAF Levy	Employer pays Skilling Australians Fund levy

Stage 2: Visa Application

Step	Details
Skills Assessment	Applicant obtains positive skills assessment
English Test	Applicant demonstrates competent English
Visa Lodgement	Applicant lodges visa application
Health and Character	Applicant completes health examinations and police checks

Comparison: TSS Visa vs 491 Visa vs 494 Visa

Feature	TSS Visa (Subclass 482)	491 Visa	494 Visa
Visa Type	Temporary	Provisional	Provisional
Sponsor	Employer	State/Territory or Family	Employer
Regional Requirement	No	Yes	Yes
Validity	Up to 4 years	5 years	5 years
PR Pathway	Yes (186 TRT)	Yes (191 after 3 years)	Yes (191 after 3 years)
Age Limit	No age limit (but PR pathway has age limit)	Under 45	Under 45
Occupation List	STSOL/MLTSSL/ROL	Regional Occupation List	Regional Occupation List
Skills Assessment	Required for some	Required	Required

Benefits of 494 Visa

Benefit	Details
PR Pathway	Eligible for Subclass 191 visa after 3 years without requiring second nomination
Lower Employer Cost	Only one SAF levy stage required
Family Inclusion	Family members can be included in application
Work Rights	Full work rights for family members
Study Rights	Access to education for family members
Regional Living	Opportunity to live and work in beautiful regional areas

Summary

Aspect	Details
Visa Name	Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional Visa
Subclass	494
Duration	5 years (provisional)
PR Pathway	Subclass 191 after 3 years
Age Limit	Under 45
English	Competent
Work Experience	3 years
Skills Assessment	Required
Regional Areas	Everywhere except Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane
SAF Levy	$3,000 – $5,000 depending on business size

Contact us today for a commitment-free briefing with our Registered Migration Agents in Melbourne to find out more about your Subclass 494 visa options.