Why Choose 494 Subclass Visa?

Looking to work and settle in Australia? The Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) Subclass 494 Visa offers a fantastic opportunity for skilled workers to live, work, and apply for PR in Australia’s designated regional areas. With this visa, you can stay in Australia for up to 5 years, earn a high salary in AUD, and bring your family along. No need for points or state nomination, get sponsored directly by an eligible regional employer.

• Stay In Australia For 5 Years
• Work In Australia Along With PR
• Travel To And From Australia Any Number Of Times
• Earn In AUD, 5 Times More Than Your Current Salary
• Settle In Australia Along With Your Family

What is the Subclass 494 Visa?

The Subclass 494 visa is granted to eligible immigration candidates with the required skills and job offers from employers in the regional areas of Australia. These employers will sponsor candidates only after demonstrating to their government that they couldn’t employ a skilled Australian worker for this position.

The validity of this visa is up to five years. Applicants for this visa need to be nominated by an employer in Australia who will sponsor them.

The applicant must be under 45 at the time of applying for this visa. Other criteria for Subclass 494 include that the applicant must:

• Be employed in an occupation that is listed on the skilled occupation list
• Have suitable skills assessment of skills for the occupation
• Have required language proficiency in English

Y-Axis has expert consultants to help their clients to migrate to Australia. They inform you about all the terms and conditions attached to the Subclass 494 visa and help you easily acquire a visa.

Overview of Subclass 494 (Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional — Provisional)

• Two pathways: Employer Sponsored stream and Labour Agreement stream.
• Where you can live/work: Only in designated regional postcodes (outside Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane).
• Stay period: Up to 5 years from grant, with multiple entries.
• Work rights: Full work rights for the nominated occupation with your sponsoring employer (or a replacement sponsor, if approved).
• Family: Eligible partner and dependent children can be included (together or later as subsequent entrants).
• Healthcare: Eligibility to enrol in Medicare may apply under current policy settings.
• Pathway to PR: Potential transition to Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) Subclass 191 after meeting residence, compliance and tax‑filing requirements while holding an eligible regional visa.

Subclass 494 Visa Streams

There are three streams of immigration under the Subclass 494 visa type. With each of these types of visas, you can do the following:

Stream	Purpose	Sponsor Requirement	Typical Stay
Employer Sponsored	Regional employers sponsoring skilled workers for occupations they cannot fill locally.	Requires an approved standard business sponsor and a Regional Certifying Body (RCB) assessment of the Annual Market Salary Rate (AMSR).	Up to 5 years
Labour Agreement	Used when standard pathways are unavailable, under a tailored labour agreement (including DAMA).	Must be backed by an employer with a formal labour agreement allowing for possible concessions (e.g., lower English or salary requirements).	Up to 5 years
Subsequent Entrant	For family members joining the primary 494 visa holder.	Must be a legitimate member of the family unit associated with a Subclass 494 visa holder.	Up to 5 years (aligned with main visa validity)

Employer-Sponsored Stream

It is a stream under which regional employers in Australia nominate immigration candidates. These employers will find suitable candidates to tackle labor shortages within their region. They will sponsor skilled workers if it is challenging to find skilled Australian workers.

If you secure a Subclass 494 visa under this stream, you can:

• Live, work, and settle in Australia’s designated regional areas for five years
• Apply for Australia PR (Permanent Residence) depending on your eligibility three years after being granted this visa.
• Travel to and from Australia multiple times for five years.
• Take your family members by including them in this visa.

Labour Agreement Stream

Under this stream, foreign workers nominated by Australia’s regional employers should hold a labor agreement entered into by the employers and the Government of Australia.

With a Subclass 494 visa under this stream, you can

• Live, work, and study in regional Australia in its designated regional areas for five years.
• Based on your eligibility, apply for a Australia PR three years after getting this visa.
• Travel to and from Australia any number of times in five years.
• Include members of your family unit in your visa application.

Subsequent Entrant Stream

Under this stream for Subclass 494 visa, you apply to your family members. The holders of Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visas must apply separately for their Subclass 494 visa.

With a Subclass 494 visa under this stream, you can:

• Live in Australia until the visa is valid.
• Travel to and from Australia any number of times until the visa is valid.
• Stay in the designated region of Australia for five years with the intent of studying and working there.

Eligibility Criteria (Applicant) — Subclass 494 (Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional)

• Nomination: You must be nominated by an approved employer operating in a designated regional area of Australia.
• Occupation: Your occupation must be on the relevant skilled occupation list for this visa.
• Skills assessment: You must hold a suitable skills assessment for your nominated occupation (unless exempt under a labour agreement).
• Work experience: You must have at least 3 years of relevant full-time work experience in your nominated occupation.
• Age requirement: You must be under 45 years of age at the time of application (unless exemptions apply under a labour agreement).
• English language: You must meet the minimum English language requirement set for this visa.
• Regional commitment: You must live, work, and study only in designated regional areas of Australia.
• Health and character: You and any included family members must meet Australia’s health and character requirements.

Requirements for Subclass 494 Visa

The requirements that applicants of Subclass 494 visa must meet are as follows:

• You should be aged at least 45 at the time of applying for a Subclass 494 visa.
• You must receive a nomination from a legal employer in regional Australia. You have to be employed in the occupation you are nominated for. It must be located in a designated regional area of Australia.
• As the primary applicant for the Subclass 494 visa, you have to show that you have the eligible qualifications, skills, and work experience to work in the occupation you are nominated for.
• The occupation you have applied for has to be one that’s included in the skills occupation list.
• Your skills must be assessed and found suitable for the occupation you are nominated for by the assessing authority deemed relevant. Such an assessment will demonstrate that you possess the skills needed to be employed in the occupation you are nominated for.
• You must have a specific level of proficiency in the English language as given below in any of the approved English proficiency tests. This applies to even your family members who are added to your application for Subclass 494 visa.

• • IELTS – At least six in each of the four aspects tested for language.
  • TOEFL – At least 13 in reading, 12 in listening, 18 in speaking, and 21 in writing
  • PTE Academic – At least 50 in each of the four aspects that test your English language abilities
  • OET – At least grade B in each of the four aspects tested for language
  • Cambridge C1 Advanced test – At least 169 in each of the four aspects tested for the English language.
• You must satisfy the health and character requirements that the Australian authorities require from migrants.
• You need to sign the values statement of Australia.
• You should not have had any history of visa cancellation or refusal with a previous application.
• You or your family members should not owe any money to the Government of Australia. If you were indebted in the past, you must have repaid them or made arrangements to repay them.

Checklist for Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) Visa

When you apply for a Subclass 494 visa, you have to ensure that you collect all the required documents that you have to produce before the visa authorities. Ensure that the information you submit is proper and backed by legal documents. Here is a checklist of documents you must submit.

Document of identity:

• Pages of your existing passport to show your personal details, photo, and dates of issuance of passport and expiry.
• An ID card (if required)
• Proof of name change like:

• A certificate of marriage/divorce
  • Documents proving name change issued by an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths, and Marriages or of the equivalent foreign authority that’s relevant
  • Documents of other names that you referred to
• Documents to ascertain eligibility for an age waiver
• Documents of educational qualifications and skills:
  • A document to prove skills assessment by the required authority deemed relevant, wherever needed (not skills assessment that you got for a Subclass 485)
  • Your CV/résumé
  • Your qualifications and evidence of work experience, including references of employment, where required
  • The documents issued by Australian authorities are considered relevant, stating that you hold required licenses/registrations or that you can fulfill requirements for licensing and registration.
• Documents proving your English language proficiency, which is considered competent
• Documents proving that you satisfy character requirements which include:
  • Certificate from Australian police if you have resided in Australia for a minimum of 12 months in the last ten years after you attained the age of 16.
  • A police certificate from overseas countries or your home country, where you have stayed for at least 12 months in the last ten years after you attained the age of 16.
  • Records of defense service or its discharge papers in case you have served in them in any country in the last ten years.
• Documents for partners, including:
  • ID documents
  • Marital status

• • Document of having good character
  • Existing relationship documents
    • Invoicing accounts held jointly
    • Joint account statements of banks
    • Documents showing you and your spouse have both lived at the same address.
    • Joint agreements or mortgages
• Documents of primary applicant’s dependents aged below 18
  • Identity documents
  • Character documents (if required)
  • Documents of fulfilling parental responsibilities
• Documents for primary applicant’s dependents aged above 18
  • Identity documents
  • Character documents
  • Documents of other relationships (if required)

Step-by-Step Application Process (Subclass 494)

Step 1: Employer nomination
Your regional employer applies to become a standard business sponsor (or must already hold approval) and lodges a nomination for your role.

Step 2: RCB advice (Employer Sponsored stream only)
For most Employer Sponsored nominations, the employer must obtain advice from a Regional Certifying Body (RCB) confirming that the nominated salary meets the Annual Market Salary Rate (AMSR).

Step 3: Prepare your documents
Gather key documents: identity, skills assessment, qualification certificates, 3+ years’ work experience evidence, English test results, and health/character documents.

Step 4: Lodge your visa application
Apply online through ImmiAccount once the employer nomination has been lodged. Ensure you attach all supporting evidence and pay the visa application charge.

Step 5: Health and character checks
Complete medical examinations using your HAP ID and provide police clearances for every country you’ve lived in for 12 months or more.

Step 6: Department assessment
Home Affairs assesses both the nomination and visa application, ensuring all eligibility requirements are met, including regional location compliance.

Step 7: Receive a decision
If granted, you’ll get a 5-year provisional visa, allowing you to live, work, and study in designated regional areas of Australia, with conditions tied to regional stay and employer obligations.

Subclass 494 Visa Processing Time

Subclass 494 visas processing time is as follows:

Applications percentage	Estimated time for processing
90	15 months
75	12 months
50	8 months
25	88 days

Here are specific reasons/conditions that may affect a Subclass 494 visa’s processing time:

• Is the application that you have lodged complete and includes all the required documents to support the information you have specified
• The swiftness of your response to any appeal seeking additional particulars/information.
• The length of time taken to complete the required checks on the supporting information furnished
• The time taken to get additional information from external agencies; pertinent mainly to health, character, and national security

You need Y-Axis to offer you expert consultation and assistance for your Australian visa application. One must consider the importance of preparing correctly for your visa application by providing the correct information. Get in touch with us at Y-Axis.

Key Visa Conditions for Subclass 494

Holders of the Subclass 494 (Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional — Provisional) visa must comply with specific conditions to maintain their visa status. These include:

1. Regional Location Restrictions

• You must live, work, and study only in designated regional areas of Australia as defined by postcode lists issued by the Australian Government.
• Living or working outside these areas may breach your visa conditions.

2. Employer and Occupation Restrictions

• You must work only in the nominated occupation and for the approved sponsoring employer (unless a formal change is approved).
• If you stop working for your sponsor, you have 90 days to find a new approved sponsor in a regional area or risk visa cancellation.

3. Minimum Salary (TSMIT) Compliance

• Employers must pay at least the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT), which is AUD $70,000 per annum (as of July 1, 2023).
• The salary offered must also meet the Annual Market Salary Rate (AMSR) to ensure terms and conditions are no less favorable than those for an Australian worker in a similar role.

4. Duration and Visa Rights

• The visa is valid for up to 5 years and provides full work rights in regional areas.
• After 3 years of living and working regionally on a 494 visa, you may be eligible to transition to permanent residence through the Subclass 191 (Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional)) visa, provided income and compliance requirements are met.

5. Family Members

• Eligible family members can be included as secondary applicants and must also comply with the regional living and study restrictions.

Pathway to Permanent Residence via Subclass 191

Holders of the Subclass 494 (Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional — Provisional) visa can transition to permanent residency through the Subclass 191 – Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa. This visa was introduced to ensure that regional employers and communities benefit from skilled migration in the longer term.

To qualify, you must generally meet the following requirements:

• Regional Residence & Work: You must have lived, worked, and studied only in designated regional areas of Australia for at least 3 years while holding a 494 visa.
• Minimum Taxable Income: For at least 3 of the 5 years you hold the 494 visa, you must show a taxable income that meets or exceeds the income threshold specified by the Department of Home Affairs (currently aligned with the TSMIT of AUD $70,000 per annum).
• Compliance with Conditions: You must have complied with all 494 visa conditions, including regional living restrictions, employer obligations, and occupation requirements.
• Family Inclusion: Eligible family members included in your 494 visa can also be granted permanent residence under the 191 pathway, provided all conditions are met.

Once granted, the Subclass 191 visa provides permanent residence, meaning you can live and work anywhere in Australia, access Medicare, sponsor eligible relatives, and apply for Australian citizenship when eligible.

Employer Nomination Obligations (Subclass 494) — Summary

Use this section to brief sponsoring employers on what is expected when nominating a worker for the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) – Subclass 494 visa.

Before you nominate

• Be an approved sponsor (standard business sponsor) or hold an approved labour agreement (e.g., DAMA) that covers the nominated occupation.
• Position is genuinely needed in a designated regional area, is full‑time, and aligns with the business activities at the stated location.
• Set lawful pay and conditions: remuneration must meet the Annual Market Salary Rate (AMSR) for the role and be at least the current TSMIT if applicable.
• Obtain Regional Certifying Body (RCB) advice confirming the AMSR and the genuineness/necessity of the role (Employer Sponsored stream).
• Pay the nomination charges, including the Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy, and do not pass these costs to the nominee.

When lodging the nomination

• Nominate the correct occupation and list accurate duties that match the relevant occupation classification.
• Specify the regional work location(s) and provide evidence of the business’s capacity to employ (e.g., financials, contracts, staffing).
• Provide contracts/offer letters showing hours, pay, and conditions that are no less favourable than for an Australian performing the same work.

After nomination / while the visa is held

• Employ only in the nominated occupation, employer, and regional location(s) unless a new, approved nomination is in place.
• Maintain equivalent terms and conditions to those provided to Australian citizens/permanent residents doing comparable work.
• Keep records and cooperate with monitoring (retain payroll, timesheets, contracts, and evidence used to determine AMSR/TSMIT).
• Do not recover costs from the nominee (e.g., SAF levy, migration agent fees you chose to incur, recruitment fees charged to you).
• Provide information to the worker about their employment conditions and visa‑related obligations.

494 vs 491 vs Other Provisional/Temporary Visas

Feature	Subclass 494 – Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional)	Subclass 491 – Skilled Work Regional (Provisional)	Subclass 482 – Skills in Demand (Temporary)	Subclass 485 – Temporary Graduate (Temporary)
Core purpose	Employer in a designated regional area sponsors you to fill a local skills shortage.	Skilled workers apply through points test, nominated by a state/territory or sponsored by an eligible family member in regional Australia.	Employer anywhere in Australia sponsors a skilled worker to fill a vacancy.	Allows recent graduates of Australian institutions to live, work, and study temporarily.
Where you can live/work	Designated regional areas only (postcode list applies).	Designated regional areas only (postcode list applies).	No regional restriction; depends on employer’s location.	Anywhere in Australia (subject to visa stream).
Validity period	Up to 5 years.	Up to 5 years.	Up to 4 years (depending on stream and occupation).	Temporary; duration depends on qualification and stream.
Key requirements	Employer nomination; occupation on skilled list; positive skills assessment; at least 3 years of relevant work experience; under 45 years (unless exempt); English; health and character.	Submit Expression of Interest (EOI); meet points test and English requirements; state nomination or eligible family sponsorship; occupation on list; health and character.	Employer nomination; relevant skills and occupation; English requirement; must meet salary thresholds; health and character.	Hold a recent Australian qualification; usually under 35 years old; meet English, health, and character requirements.
Salary settings	Must meet Annual Market Salary Rate (AMSR) and Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) – AUD 73,150 in 2024–25, rising to AUD 76,515 in 2025–26.	No TSMIT requirement (points-tested visa).	TSMIT applies (same thresholds as above) plus AMSR.	No TSMIT requirement.
Pathway to permanent residency	Eligible to apply for Subclass 191 after 3 years of living and working in regional Australia and holding 3 years of ATO Notices of Assessment (no minimum income requirement).	Eligible to apply for Subclass 191 under similar conditions as 494.	May lead to permanent residency through other employer-sponsored visas such as Subclass 186.	Does not provide direct PR but can lead to skilled or employer-sponsored pathways later.

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