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494 Visa
Regional Employer Sponsored Visa
Subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored (Regional) visa enables regional employers to address identified labour shortages within their region by sponsoring skilled workers where employers can’t source an appropriately skilled Australian worker.
Regional Employer Sponsored Visa
The Subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored (Regional) Visa is a temporary visa that allows skilled workers to live and work in regional areas of Australia. This visa is designed to address skill shortages in regional and rural areas by allowing Australian employers to sponsor skilled workers for positions that are difficult to fill locally. It is part of Australia’s efforts to encourage migration to regional areas and help boost the local economy.
The Subclass 494 visa is a temporary visa that provides a pathway to permanent residency for skilled workers who meet the requirements and live in a regional area for a specified period.
- Temporary Visa: The Subclass 494 visa is a temporary visa, typically granted for a duration of up to 5 years.
- Regional Work: The visa allows holders to live and work in designated regional areas of Australia, which may include areas outside of the major metropolitan cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. It is designed to address regional skills shortages by encouraging workers to settle in regional and rural areas.
- Pathway to Permanent Residency: After holding the Subclass 494 visa for at least 3 years and meeting other eligibility criteria, visa holders may be eligible to apply for permanent residency through the Skilled Regional (Permanent) Subclass 191 visa, which was introduced in November 2022.
To be eligible for the Subclass 494 visa, both the applicant and the employer must meet certain criteria:
For Applicants:
- Age: Applicants must generally be under 45 years of age at the time of application.
- Skilled Occupation: The occupation being sponsored must be on the Regional Occupation List (ROL) or the Medium and Long-Term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL). The applicant must have relevant skills, qualifications, and experience to meet the requirements for the nominated occupation.
- Skills Assessment: A positive skills assessment is required for many occupations. This assessment must be conducted by the relevant skills assessment authority for your nominated occupation.
- Work Experience: Applicants must generally have at least 3 years of relevant work experience in the nominated occupation. This may vary depending on the occupation and the skills assessment requirements.
- English Language: Applicants must meet the minimum English language proficiency requirements (usually competent English, which is equivalent to an IELTS score of 6.0 in each band or equivalent in another English language test).
- Health and Character Requirements: Applicants and their family members (if included in the application) must meet health and character requirements, which may involve undergoing medical exams and providing police clearance certificates.
For Employers:
- Sponsorship: The employer must be a business operating in a designated regional area of Australia. The business must demonstrate that it is actively operating and has a genuine need for the sponsored worker.
- Labour Market Testing: Employers must prove that they have made genuine efforts to recruit an Australian citizen or permanent resident for the position before seeking to sponsor an overseas worker.
- Nomination: The employer must nominate the position to be filled by the skilled worker. The position must be full-time, ongoing, and meet the skill and salary levels required by Australian immigration law.
- Wages: The employer must offer a salary that meets the minimum salary threshold set by the Australian government, ensuring that the worker is paid fairly and in line with Australian workplace standards.
There are two key streams within the Subclass 494 visa:
1. Employer-Sponsored Stream
- This stream is for skilled workers who are nominated by an employer to fill a position in a regional area. The employer must meet all the requirements, and the nominated occupation must be on an eligible skills list.
2. Labour Agreement Stream
- This stream is for workers sponsored under a Labour Agreement between the employer and the Australian government. Labour agreements are typically used when an employer has unique needs that cannot be met through standard sponsorship pathways.
The Subclass 494 visa has a built-in pathway to permanent residency. After living and working in a regional area for at least 3 years on the Subclass 494 visa and meeting other eligibility criteria, visa holders can apply for the Skilled Regional (Permanent) Subclass 191 visa.
To be eligible for the Subclass 191 visa, applicants must:
- Have held the Subclass 494 visa for a minimum of 3 years.
- Meet income requirements, ensuring they have earned a specified minimum income level during their time in Australia on the Subclass 494 visa.
This provides an opportunity for skilled workers to transition from temporary work to permanent residency, contributing to the long-term development of regional Australia.
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