Subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored (Regional)

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The Three Streams of the 494 Visa

• Employer Sponsored stream: the standard pathway. Your employer must be an approved sponsor, and the nomination needs advice from a Regional Certifying Body (RCB).
• Labour Agreement stream: for employers who have a labour agreement with the Australian Government, including a Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA). Labour agreements can allow concessions, such as on age or English, depending on the agreement. Read more on our 494 labour agreement stream page.
• Subsequent Entrant stream: for family members who join a 494 holder after the main visa has been granted, such as a new partner or a child born after the grant.

How the 494 Process Works: Step by Step

The 494 involves the employer and the worker, and each stage has to be approved before the next can succeed.

1. The employer becomes an approved sponsor. Most employers apply for standard business sponsorship. A business that already has current sponsorship approval can skip this step.
2. The employer tests the local labour market. Unless an exemption applies, the position must be advertised in Australia to show that a suitable Australian worker is not readily available. Keep copies of the advertisements and a record of the applicants.
3. The employer obtains RCB advice. For the Employer Sponsored stream, the RCB for the region assesses whether the position is genuine, whether it could be filled locally and whether the salary and conditions are at least equal to those of Australian workers.
4. The employer lodges the nomination. The nomination fee and Skilling Australians Fund levy are paid at this stage.
5. The worker lodges the visa application. This includes the skills assessment, English results, evidence of three years of work experience, and identity and family documents.
6. Health and character checks. The worker and family members complete medical examinations and provide police certificates.
7. Grant and start work. Once the visa is granted, the worker must start work with the sponsor within the required time, live in a designated regional area and comply with the visa conditions.

The nomination and visa application can often be lodged close together, but the visa cannot be granted until the nomination has been approved.

494 Visa Costs: A Worked Example

The costs are split between the employer and the worker. The sponsorship, nomination and SAF levy must be paid by the employer and cannot be passed on to the worker.

Cost	Paid by	Amount
Standard business sponsorship	Employer	$420
Nomination fee	Employer	$540
SAF levy (turnover under $10 million)	Employer	$3,000
Visa application charge: main applicant	Worker	$6,140
Visa application charge: partner (18 or over)	Worker	$3,070
Visa application charge: one child (under 18)	Worker	$1,535

In this example, a small business sponsoring a worker for the first time pays $3,960 in government costs, and the worker pays $10,745 for a family of three. A business with turnover of $10 million or more pays a $5,000 SAF levy instead. If an adult applicant does not have functional English, a second instalment of $4,890 per adult also applies. Skills assessments, English tests, health examinations, police certificates, translations and RCB fees are extra. Government charges are usually indexed on 1 July each year.

494 Visa Document Checklist

For the worker:

• passport and identity documents
• a positive skills assessment for the nominated occupation, unless exempt
• English test results showing at least competent English, or evidence of an exemption
• evidence of at least three years of skilled work, such as employment references, contracts, payslips and tax records
• qualifications and transcripts
• a signed employment contract with the sponsor
• police certificates and health examinations, for you and your family members
• marriage, relationship and birth certificates for family members included in the application

For the employer:

• business registration and financial documents
• evidence that the position is located in a designated regional area
• evidence of labour market testing, unless exempt
• RCB advice (Employer Sponsored stream)
• evidence that the salary meets the annual market salary rate and the Core Skills Income Threshold
• an organisation chart and position description showing why the role is needed

Documents that are not in English must be translated by an accredited translator.

Employer Obligations After the Visa Is Granted

Sponsoring a 494 worker comes with ongoing obligations. In broad terms, the employer must:

• pay the worker at least the salary in the approved nomination, and give them terms and conditions no less favourable than those of an Australian worker in the same role
• employ the worker in the nominated occupation and in the designated regional area
• not recover sponsorship, nomination or SAF levy costs from the worker
• tell Home Affairs about certain events within 28 days, such as the worker resigning or the employment ending
• keep records and cooperate with Home Affairs monitoring

Breaching these obligations can lead to fines, cancellation of sponsorship and a bar on future sponsorship.

What Happens if Your Employment Ends?

If you stop working for your sponsor, you have up to 180 days at a time, and a maximum of 365 days in total across your visa, to find a new sponsor, apply for a different visa or leave Australia. These periods apply from 1 July 2024. During this time you can work for other employers, including in occupations other than your nominated occupation.

To return to sponsored employment, a new employer must have a 494 nomination approved before you start working for them. See our guides on leaving your visa sponsor and nomination transfers for 482 and 494 visas.

You must still live in a designated regional area during this time. Any period of non-compliance with your visa conditions can affect your later 191 visa application, so get advice early.

494 vs 482 vs 186: Comparing Employer Sponsored Visas

	494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional	482 Skills in Demand	186 Employer Nomination Scheme
Visa type	Provisional, 5 years	Temporary, up to 4 years	Permanent
Location	Designated regional areas only	Anywhere in Australia	Anywhere in Australia
Work experience	3 years	1 year	3 years (Direct Entry stream)
Main applicant visa charge	$6,140	$4,015	$6,140
Path to permanent residence	191 visa after 3 years	186 Temporary Residence Transition stream after 2 years of employment	Already permanent

The 494 is often the best fit for regional employers who want to offer a clear path to permanent residence without the worker first spending time on a 482. For a worker, the trade-off is the regional living requirement for at least three years. Compare options in our Skills in Demand visa and 186 visa guides.

Common 494 Mistakes to Avoid

• Assuming a business is regional because of its head office, when the position itself must be in a designated regional area. Check the postcode list.
• Advertising the role in a way that does not meet labour market testing rules, or before checking whether an exemption applies.
• Offering a salary below the annual market salary rate or the Core Skills Income Threshold.
• Counting casual work, or work that is not at the required skill level, towards the three years of experience.
• Lodging the visa when the applicant is close to 45 without allowing for processing time or checking for an age exemption.
• Moving to a metropolitan area or changing employer without a new approved nomination, which can affect the 191 later.

More Questions About the 494 Visa

Can I apply for a 494 visa from outside Australia?

Yes. You can apply in or outside Australia. If you apply in Australia, you need to hold a substantive visa or an eligible bridging visa, as explained above.

Can my family join me after my 494 is granted?

Yes. Family members who were not included in your original application, such as a new partner or a child born after the grant, may be able to apply through the Subsequent Entrant stream.

Can my employer make me pay the SAF levy or nomination fee?

No. The sponsorship fee, nomination fee and SAF levy must be paid by the employer. An employer must not ask the worker to repay these costs, directly or indirectly.

Is there an exemption from the age limit?

Some exemptions exist, for example for certain academics, regional medical practitioners and scientists, and for some long term 457 and 482 workers on high incomes. See our 494 visa exemptions page.

How long does the 494 take to process?

Processing times change regularly and depend on the stream, the nomination and how complete the application is. See our 494 visa processing time page.

Employer sponsored visa guides

• Skills in Demand 482 visa
• 482 Core Skills stream
• 482 Specialist Skills stream
• 482 visa fees
• 482 visa path to PR
• Employer Nomination Scheme (186 visa)
• Regional employer sponsored (494 visa)
• Becoming a standard business sponsor
• Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy
• Labour agreements
• Designated Area Migration Agreements (DAMA)
• Employer sponsorship assessment