Skilled Regional (Provisional) Subclass 489 Visa
Important: the 489 visa closed on 16 November 2019
Please note that the 489 visa is closed to new applications and has been replaced by the 491 visa (the 489 closed on 16 November 2019). This page is kept as a reference for existing 489 visa holders.
The Skilled Regional (Provisional) Subclass 489 visa is a 4-year provisional visa which requires holders to live and work in a regional area to obtain permanent residence. To qualify, you needed to be sponsored by either a relative living in a designated area or a State or Territory Government.
The applicable occupations list if sponsored by a relative is the same as the list for the Skilled Independent visa. The state sponsored 489 occupations list can be seen here.
If you are sponsored by a relative, you will need to live for 2 years and work full time for 12 months in a regional or low population growth area to qualify for permanent residence through the Skilled Regional Subclass 887 visa.
The applicants can either be in Australia or overseas to lodge this visa.
If the applicant is in Australia:
Must hold a Substantive Visa or a Bridging A, B or C visa.
| SkillSelect Only Application (historical)
1. In order to apply for a Skilled Nominated or Sponsored (Provisional) Subclass 489 visa, you must first lodge an Expression of Interest through SkillSelect and be invited by the Department of Immigration to apply. 2. Once you are invited to apply for a skilled visa, you must lodge your application within 60 days, otherwise the invitation lapses. Accordingly, it is very important that you have all required documentation prepared to lodge as soon as possible after receiving the invitation. |
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| Visa Criteria | To be granted a Subclass 489 visa, applicants needed to:
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| Sponsorship by a Relative Living in a Designated Area
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You can apply for a Subclass 489 visa if you are sponsored by a relative living in a Designated Area.
The relative must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or Eligible New Zealand Citizen. The following relatives can sponsor for the Subclass 489 visa:
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| Including Family Members | You can include the following types of family members in your application:
It is possible to include partners and dependent children after lodgement of the application, but other dependent family members must be included at lodgement. |
| Duration and Conditions
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The visa is a 4-year provisional visa. Whilst in Australia you and your included family members can only live, work and study in an approved regional area. The approved regional areas vary depending on whether you are sponsored by a relative or by a State or Territory Government:
Designated areas are wider than Regional or Low Population Growth areas; in particular the major cities of Melbourne, Canberra, and the Gold Coast are considered Designated Areas. If you are outside Australia when the visa is granted, you and your family members will need to enter Australia for the first time prior to expiry of your health and police clearances. |
Related guides
I’m in Australia on a 489 visa
You can stay in Australia on a Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 489) until your visa expires, as long as you keep meeting your visa conditions. The COVID-19 travel restrictions ended in 2022 and no longer apply.
If you wish to stay longer, you must apply for a new visa before your current visa expires. Most 489 visa holders move to permanent residence through the Subclass 887 visa.
You may be able to get a bridging visa. This will allow you to stay until:
- you have a new visa or,
- have made arrangements to leave.
If your visa has expired or is expiring book a consultation to discuss your options.
Leaving Australia
You can travel in and out of Australia while your 489 visa is valid. If your visa expires while you are overseas, you cannot return on it, so check your expiry date before you travel.
I’m overseas and want to travel to Australia
Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 489) holders can travel to Australia while their visa is valid. Australia’s border has been open to all visa holders since 2022, and the COVID-19 travel exemption process no longer exists.
If you plan to apply for the Subclass 887 visa, remember that you need to have lived in a specified regional area for at least 2 years, so long periods overseas can delay your eligibility.
If you are unsure about your general visa requirements book a consultation to discuss your options.
Other State Skilled Occupations lists for 190 visa and 489 state sponsored visa
Select a state below to see its requirements:
Australia
State and territory requirements
Each state and territory has its own list of occupations, requirements and processes you must follow.
More information about the requirements and processes on how Australian states or territories nominate applicants is available.
