491 Skilled Work Regional Visa (Provisional) Nomination Criteria

The Subclass 491 visa enables individuals (491) to reside, work, and pursue studies in specified regional zones of Australia. To apply for this visa, candidates must receive an invitation. They can either be nominated by a State or Territory government agency or sponsored by an eligible family member residing in a designated regional area.

Each state has distinct criteria that must be fulfilled before acquiring the Subclass 491. There is a general Department of Home Affairs criteria which everyone has to fulfill apart from the state specific criteria.

The Department of Home Affairs criteria includes:

• Have a points-test result of 65 or higher, inclusive of state nomination points.
• Have a positive skills assessment in your nominated occupation.
• Be under 45 years.
• Satisfy the minimum English language requirement of competent unless a higher level is required by your assessing authority.

The specific requirements for state nomination are outlined below -

NSW Nomination Requirements:

To be considered for NSW Nomination, at a minimum, you must meet the following basic criteria:
 Visa eligibility: You must meet all visa requirements outlined for the 491 visa.
 Skills assessment: You must hold a valid skills assessment in an occupation on the eligible
skilled occupation list for this visa.
 Residency: You must be either currently residing:

• In NSW and have continuously resided in NSW for a minimum period of three months; or
• Offshore and have continuously resided offshore for a minimum period of three months.

There are two regional NSW-based pathways:
 Pathway 1 – Apply directly to Investment NSW if you have an established work history with a
regional NSW based employer.
 Pathway 2 – Be invited by Investment NSW

Queensland Nomination Requirements:

To be eligible for the QLD nomination, you must satisfy both the Australian Department of Home Affairs criteria and Migration Queensland criteria for your chosen visa category.

Migration Queensland criteria includes for skilled workers living in Queensland:

• Have a points-test result of 65 or higher for subclass 491.
• Living in regional Queensland, with an occupation on LIN19/051 for the 491-visa pathway
• Have Competent English or higher (except for occupations where a higher level of English is required**)
• Must provide evidence that you are living and working in regional Queensland and have full-time post-qualification employment (minimum of 30 hours per week) in your nominated or closely related occupation.
• Must provide evidence that you have ongoing full-time (minimum of 30 hours per week) employment in regional Queensland for a further six months at time of EOI lodgement in your nominated occupation.
• Must commit to living and working in regional Queensland for three years from date of visa grant.

Migration Queensland criteria includes for Graduates of Queensland University:

• Have points test result of 65 points or higher for the 491-visa pathway (inclusive of state nomination points)
• Living in regional Queensland, with an occupation on LIN19/051 for the 491-visa pathway
• Completed 100% of studies in Queensland.
• Graduated in the last two years.

Migration Queensland criteria includes for skilled workers living offshore:

• Have a points-test result of 65 or higher for subclass 491.
• Have an occupation on the Queensland Skilled Occupation List (QSOL) eligible for the 491- visa pathway.
• Have Competent English or higher (except for occupations where a higher level of English is required**)
• Must provide evidence of the required years of post-study work experience as per the QSOL. Work experience must be full-time (minimum of 30 hours per week) and continuous.
• Must commit to living and working in regional Queensland for three years from date of visa grant.

Victoria Nomination Requirements
To be eligible for Victoria’s state nomination, you must meet the following requirements:

• Be committed to living in Victoria.
• Have had your Registration of Interest (ROI) selected,
• Be under the age of 45.
• Have competent English.
• Hold a valid skills assessment in an occupation on the eligible skilled occupation list.
• If you are onshore, you must be living ad working in regional Victoria at the time of nomination.
• Have achieved at least 65 points on the Australian Government’s points test for your Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect.

Tasmania Nomination Requirements:

Skilled Migration Tasmania offer a range of pathways for skilled candidates to apply for State nomination. Each Pathway has a clearly defined set of requirements and attributes required of a candidate.

Nomination Pathways

• Tasmanian Skilled Employment Pathway
• Tasmanian Skilled Graduate Pathway
• Tasmanian Established Resident Pathway
• Tasmanian Business Operator Pathway
• Overseas Applicant (Job Offer) Pathway
• Overseas Applicant (OSOP) - Invitation Only Pathway

To be considered for the Tasmanian state nomination, you must be living and working in Tasmania in an occupation which is under Skill Level 1-3 for having a higher chance of getting invited. However, if you are a long-term resident of Tasmania i.e., if you are living for more than 2 years or you have completed a course which is at a level of Diploma or higher from Tasmania you will have a chance of getting invited under the Established Resident Pathway or Skilled Graduate Pathway. Note: If you are nominated by the Tasmanian government for this visa, you must live in Tasmania for at least two years after your nomination has been approved.

Western Australia Nomination Requirement:
To be considered by subclass 491 visa Western Australia for State Nomination, you must first lodge an expression of interest (EOI) in the Department of Home Affairs SkillSelect database. WA Migration Services invites eligible EOIs on a monthly basis to apply for Western Australian State nomination based on a ranking system.

Features of the 2023—24 program

• no application fees.
• equal invitation ranking for Interstate and Overseas candidates.
• prioritised invitations for candidates with an occupation in a WA industry sector with critical demand for skilled workers; and
• reduced employment requirements for candidates invited through a WA building and construction industry sector occupation (as classified on the WA State nomination Occupation lists)

If you would like to be considered for an invitation for State nomination, your occupation will need to be eligible under the following streams.

• General stream — A skilled migration pathway for a range of occupations and industry categories. Eligible occupations are listed on the WA Skilled migration occupation list (WASMOL) Schedule 1 or 2.
• Graduate stream — A skilled migration pathway for eligible international students who are completing vocational education and training (VET) or higher education qualifications in WA. Eligible occupations are listed on the Graduate occupation list (GOL).

South Australia Nomination Requirements:
South Australia offers a state nomination pathway for the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa – if you meet all requirements. To be eligible for the skilled migration visa application, you must:

• Be under the age of 45.
• Hold a valid skills assessment.
• Possess an eligible skilled occupation.
• Attain a minimum of 65 points, which can be verified using the Department of Home Affairs points calculator.
• Demonstrate at least Competent English.

For South Australian state nomination under this visa, you must:

• Fulfill the visa requirements specified by the Department of Home Affairs.
• Satisfy state-specific occupation requirements and possess skills in an occupation listed on the State Skilled Occupation List.
• Be eligible for state nomination under one of South Australia's nomination streams.

Every occupation has a minimum work experience requirement in South Australia, and you could only be eligible for state nomination if you meet those requirements. If you are an international graduate of South Australia, highly skilled and talented or are currently living and working in Outer Regional South Australia, you may be eligible for concessions and waivers.

If you have any questions or need more information about the nomination requirements for each state, please don't hesitate to get in touch with IME Advisors. To ensure a smooth immigration journey, we are offering your first consultation for free. Reach out today before the opportunity expires.