State Nomination Requirements for Subclass 491 Visa (2024-25 Year)

Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa

The Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (subclass 491) visa allows points-tested skilled workers and their families to live, study and work in designated regional areas for a period of 5 years.

Pathway to PR

If you are granted a Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (subclass 491) visa, you may be eligible to apply for the Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) (subclass 191) visa, which provides permanent residence and the right to live and work anywhere in Australia.

State and Territory nominated visa allocations (2024 – 2025)

Following consultation with States and Territories, the following nomination levels have been allocated for 2024-25 and comparison to the previous financial year:

State190 visa491 visaTotal(2024-25)Application Status
NT800 (+550)800 (+400)1,600 (+950)
NSW3,000 (+350)2,000 (+500)5,000 (+850)

(491- Pathway 1&3 - Open soon)
ACT1,000 (+400)800 (+200)1,800 (+600)
WA3,000 (+1,500)2,000 (+1,150)5,000 (+3,000)
TAS2,100 (+1,500)760 (+160)2,860 (+1,660)
VIC3,000 (+300)2,000 (+1,400)5,000 (+1,700)
QLD600 (-300)600 (-50)1,200 (-350)
SA3,000 (+1,900)800 (-400)3,800 (+1,500)
Summary of the State Requirements for the 491 visa

Key summary

  NSW VIC ACT WA NT QLD TAS SA
Residence Reside in NSW Reside in regional Victoria for at least 3 months Reside in Canberra for at least 6 months No Yes Closed Reside in Tasmania Reside in SA
Local Employment Not required No (from 7 July 2021)) Yes – at least 6 months Yes Must show good job prospect Closed Yes if not apply under Graduates category Yes
Offshore invite No No No No No Closed Yes – if have job offer No
Fees (AUD) $300 Nil $300 $200 $300 $200 $220 $330

Victoria – State Nomination criteria – Subclass 491

Basic requirements

  • be committed to living and working in regional Victoria
  • be under 45 years of age at the time of nomination
  • have at least Competent English
  • have a valid Skills Assessment in an occupation on the eligible skilled occupation list
  • have achieved at least 65 points on the Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect
  • submit a Registration of Interest (ROI) and be selected

Supporting Information

Living and working in skilled employment in regional Victoria – Onshore applicants

To be eligible for Victorian nomination for a subclass 491 visa, you must be living and working in skilled employment in regional Victoria:

  • Any earnings you are claiming must be from skilled employment in regional Victoria. Skilled employment includes any role that is at skill levels 1, 2 or 3 in the relevant ANZSCO classification.
  • Your employer must have a physical presence in regional Victoria.
  • You must support all your claims of earnings with documents in your application.
    • You will be required to provide a current employment contract, your most recent four weeks of pay slips, an extract from your superannuation account showing the most recent contribution from your employer, and a position description that describes your role.
    • If you are an independent contractor, you will be required to provide tax invoices, any relevant contracts or service agreements, your most recent notice of assessment, and your most recent tax return.
    • During our assessment of your nomination application, we may require additional supporting information. If so, we will ask for this during our assessment.
    • You can find more information on annual earnings on the Annual Earnings Estimation Guide page.

Living offshore

  • If you are living offshore, you cannot claim annual earnings in your Registration of Interest.
  • We are currently prioritising offshore candidates for 491 visas with skills in healthcare, social services and education.
Skills assessment

Your nominated occupation must be on the eligible skilled occupation list for this visa.

  • Your nominated occupation in your Skills Assessment must match your Expression of Interest (EOI) with the Department of Home Affairs.
  • When you submit your nomination application, we require that your Skills Assessment have at least 12 weeks validity remaining. This ensures we have enough time to assess your nomination application. We cannot nominate you if your Skills Assessment has expired.
Registration of Interest
  • Your Registration of Interest (ROI) must be selected by us before you can apply for skilled visa nomination.
  • If you have submitted a ROI but have not received an email inviting you to apply for Victorian nomination, you cannot apply.
  • There is no guarantee that your ROI will be selected. View our Registration of Interest page for more information on our selection considerations.
  • The information you provide as part of your SkillSelect Expression of Interest (EOI) with the Department of Home Affairs, will be used in the assessment of your ROI. This means we will only be asking a few questions for your ROI. It is important that you keep your SkillSelect EOI up to date, including years of experience in your nominated occupation and where you are currently living.
  • You will be required to ensure you meet the minimum eligibility criteria at the time of application if your ROI is selected.
Live in regional Victoria
  • Onshore applicants must be living in regional Victoria at the time of nomination.
    • Geelong, and parts of the outer Melbourne e.g., Mornington Peninsula and Pakenham, are designated regional areas of Victoria.
    • The conditions of the visa may require you and any secondary visa holders to live, work and study in a designated regional area of Victoriaas a requirement of the visa.
  • You may be required to show evidence of a lease, bond receipt, utilities or other documents that prove you are living in regional Victoria at the time of nomination.
    • We may ask for further evidence during assessment of your nomination application.
  • If you live in a border community, you may be eligible if you can clearly demonstrate that you either live or work in regional Victoria.
Age

You must be under 45 years of age at the time of nomination.

English language
  • You must have at least Competent English.
  • When you submit your nomination application, we require that your English test have at least 12 weeks validity remaining. This ensures we have enough time to assess your nomination application. We cannot nominate you if your English test has expired.
Points
  • You must have at least 65 points on the Australian Government’s points test, including the 15 points for state and territory nomination.
Commitment to Victoria
  • You must be committed to living in a designated regional area of Victoria.
  • State nomination cannot be transferred from one state to another.
  • We will not be nominating onshore applicants living in Australian states and territories other than Victoria.
Declaration form

If you are nominated, you must meet the nomination obligations that you digitally signed in the Declaration Form.

Commitment to Victoria

You must be committed to living and working in regional Victoria. State nomination cannot be transferred from one state to another. You will be required to demonstrate that you are committed to living and working in regional Victoria through your employment and residence.

Surveys

If you are nominated, we will contact you at various times to complete surveys. These surveys provide us important feedback on our client services and policy settings.

Department of Home Affairs and SkillSelect

The Department of Home Affairs is responsible for all visa matters. This includes granting visas once you have been nominated by the Victorian Government and have submitted your visa application. Please check the subclass 491 visa processing times published by the Department of Home Affairs.

All SkillSelect and EOI issues should also be directed to the Department of Home Affairs.

Respond within 2 weeks

We may ask you for more information by email.

  • You will have 2 weeks to provide the requested information.
  • If you do not respond within 2 weeks, we may refuse your application. Please check your junk mail and ensure the email address [email protected] is added to your list of valid email addresses.
Incomplete applications

You must submit a complete application, including all relevant evidence to support your eligibility claims.

Do not ask for updates on your application

Please do not ask for an update on your application. We assess all applications in order of when they were submitted.

The assessment team is also responsible for responding to enquiries and we prioritise assessment of applications. Unnecessary enquiries slow down application processing times.

Submit your application via the portal

You must submit your application and all documents via the Live in Melbourne portal. We will not accept any applications or documents via email.

Withdrawal

You can withdraw your subclass 491 nomination application at any stage before we finalise the nomination application.

For Registrations of Interest (ROI), you must withdraw your ROI using the Live in Melbourne portal only.

Nomination application fees

The Victorian Government does not charge any application fees for nomination.

Changes to eligibility requirements

All visa nomination eligibility requirements and priorities are subject to change throughout the year without notice.

Any changes made are effective immediately, regardless of when your EOI in SkillSelect was submitted (or amended). We strongly discourage changing your circumstances to meet the visa nomination criteria.

The Victorian Government endeavours to ensure all information on the Live in Melbourne website reflects the current eligibility requirements. The Live in Melbourne website is the authoritative source for information about our program.

False and misleading information

If you provide false or misleading information as part of your nomination application, you will be refused. We may also report it to the Department of Home Affairs who can conduct their own investigation.

We encourage you to submit all documents unaltered, including all PDF documents in their original form and not combined into one document.

We conduct verification checks on many of the documents provided and check that your employment matches the skill level of your nominated occupation that you outline in your EOI. This includes contacting employers and institutions directly to confirm whether the documents are genuine.

If you are aware of instances, or you are pressured to submit an application with false and misleading information, we encourage you to report this to the Department of Home Affairs.

Nomination refusals

Your nomination application may be refused for the following reasons:

  • You do not meet the minimum eligibility requirements.
  • You cannot provide sufficient evidence for the claims made in your Registration of Interest, including estimated annual earnings, partner points, years of experience, or residence in Victoria.
  • You provide false or misleading information.
  • You do not respond to our requests for further information in a timely manner.

If your application is refused, you will not be able to submit a new application for 6 months. This is to prevent repeat and low-quality applications.

Review of nomination decision

If you have been refused as you did not meet the eligibility requirements, you cannot request a review of your application.

If you believe that an error was made in assessing your nomination application, you can submit a request to review the application.

Renomination

We do not provide renomination in the following instances:

  • You do not submit your visa application within 60 days.
  • Your EOI was incorrect when we nominated you, including points claimed by you or your agent.

If an applicant has been nominated for any skilled subclass (either 190 or 491), they cannot be nominated again in the same program year.

Further eligibility requirements

  • Your Registration of Interest (ROI) must be selected by us before you can apply for skilled visa nomination.
  • If you have submitted a ROI but have not received an email inviting you to apply for Victorian nomination, you cannot apply.
  • There is no guarantee that your ROI will be selected. View our Registration of Interest page for more information on our selection considerations.
  • The information you provide as part of your SkillSelect Expression of Interest (EOI) with the Department of Home Affairs, will be used in the assessment of your ROI. This means we will only be asking a few questions for your ROI. It is important that you keep your SkillSelect EOI up to date, including years of experience in your nominated occupation and where you are currently living.
  • You will be required to ensure you meet the minimum eligibility criteria at the time of application if your ROI is selected.

Onshore applicants must be living in regional Victoria at the time of nomination.

  • Geelong, and parts of the outer Melbourne e.g., Mornington Peninsula and Pakenham, are designated regional areas of Victoria.
  • The conditions of the visa may require you and any secondary visa holders to live, work and study in a designated regional area of Victoriaas a requirement of the visa.

You may be required to show evidence of a lease, bond receipt, utilities or other documents that prove you are living in regional Victoria at the time of nomination.

  • We may ask for further evidence during assessment of your nomination application.

If you live in a border community, you may be eligible if you can clearly demonstrate that you either live or work in regional Victoria.

You must be under 45 years of age at the time of nomination.

  • You must have at least Competent English.
  • When you submit your nomination application, we require that your English test have at least 12 weeks validity remaining. This ensures we have enough time to assess your nomination application. We cannot nominate you if your English test has expired.

Application process

Diagram of visa nomination process

The visa process consists of four steps:

  1. Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI)
  2. Using the EOI number received from SkillSelect, you will submit a Registration of Interest (ROI) for Victorian nomination
  3. If you are invited, you will submit a nomination application in the Live in Melbourne portal.
  4. If your nomination application is successful, you will submit a visa application for your selected visa.
Onshore applicants
  • You must be currently living and working in regional Victoria.
  • You can claim annual earnings in your Registration of Interest from your skilled employment in regional Victoria.
  • If you are not working, or working in non-skilled employment, you are not eligible to apply for nomination.
Offshore applicants
  • You must be committed to living in regional Victoria.
  • You will need to have a valid Skills Assessment and meet the requirements listed below.
  • We are currently prioritising offshore candidates for 491 visas with skills in healthcare, social services and education.

Australian Capital TerritoryState Nomination criteria – Subclass 491

Basic requirements

  • be under 45 years of age at the time of nomination
  • have at least Competent English
  • have a valid Skills Assessment in an occupation on the MLTSSL occupation list or STSOL occupation list
  • submit a Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect and achieved at least 65 points
  • submit a Canberra Matrix and be selected
Step 1 – Meet the ACT nomination eligibility criteria

Canberra residents – 491 nomination


ACT Resident Pathway:

You must meet one of the following:

  • Your nominated occupation is on the latest ACT Critical Skills List;
  • You are the primary holder of a subclass 457/482 visa sponsored by an ACT employer. You worked in Canberra in your nominated occupation for the sponsoring ACT employer for the last six months. Your nominated occupation does not have to be on the ACT Critical Skills List if it is on the relevant Department of Home Affairs Skilled Occupation List.
  • You are the majority owner of an eligible registered business located in the ACT and you are claiming Matrix points in the Small Business Owner category. Your nominated occupation does not have to be on the ACT Critical Skills List if it is on the relevant Department of Home Affairs Skilled Occupation List.
    • The following business types are not eligible: sub tenancy, ride-share, taxi, delivery, courier services, or an on-sold business previously used to qualify for ACT nomination.
Residence in Canberra: 

You lived in Canberra for at least three months at date of Canberra Matrix submission and continue to do so until the date of invitation. Your bank statements / transaction history must record ACT banking activity for this period. You may also live within a 30-minute commuting distance in NSW e.g., Queanbeyan, Jerrabomberra, and Googong.

Employment in Canberra:

You worked in Canberra for at least 13 weeks. You can work for more than one employer, be self-employed, and/or be a Small Business Owner. Employment types can be combined, provided you meet the criteria for each and that you meet the overall hourly or earnings requirements as expressed below.

  • Employee
  1. You worked a minimum of 15 hours per week in at least 13 out of the 15 weeks before Canberra Matrix submission. Your payslips and bank statements / transaction history must record the income / salary payments (weekly, fortnightly, or monthly) for the claimed period of employment.
  2. You work in a genuine position in accordance with Australian terms and conditions of employment. Your weekly income is no less than the relevant award or market salary rate. Unpaid employment such as internships, stipends, scholarships, and volunteer positions, are not eligible.
  3. Employer statutory declaration : your employer MUST declare that you are employed in a genuine position in accordance with Australian legislation. If you are working for a large organisation, the statutory declaration may be signed by your manager or direct supervisor.
  4. If you are working in Canberra for an interstate employer, there must be a genuine reason for why you are based in Canberra. You cannot be working online, or from a home office.
  • Self-employed and you are not claiming Matrix points as a Small Business Owner:
  1. Your total (taxable) income is at least $520 pw in at least 13 out of the 15 weeks before Canberra Matrix submission.
  2. You have at least 12 months ACT business activity on your ABN.
  3. You MUST sign a statutory declaration confirming your ABN, location of ACT business, start date of ACT business activity, duties, and annual income.
  • Small Business Owner:
  1. You are eligible to claim Canberra Matrix points in the Small Business Owner Category.
  2. You MUST sign a statutory declaration confirming the details of your business activity, including your ABN, how many people you employ (and for how long), location of ACT business, start date of ACT business activity, duties and annual income.
English: 

You meet the Department of Home Affairs requirement for ‘competent‘ English unless a higher level is required by your assessing authority.

Commitment to Canberra: 

You must sign a declaration committing to living and working in Canberra while your visa is processed and for at least two years from date of visa grant.

If you have a Spouse / Partner, they must be a resident in Canberra for at least three months or living overseas.

  • To claim any Matrix points for your spouse or partner you must have proof of the relationship: either a marriage certificate, civil partnership/union certificate, or VEVO (Visa Entitlement Verification Online) secondary applicant status for yourself or spouse/partner. The document must be dated before the Matrix is submitted. We do not accept a de facto relationship without a relationship certificate.
  • When claiming Matrix points in the spouse / partner employment category, they must meet the Department of Home Affairs requirement for ‘competent’ English; or hold an Australian passport.
Service fee: $300

Your supporting documentation must evidence your eligibility to apply for ACT nomination and any Matrix score claimed.

Overseas applicant – 491 nomination

Nominated occupation:

Your nominated occupation is on the latest ACT Critical Skills List.

Relevant overseas work experience:

You have at least one year full time, post graduate work experience in your nominated occupation in the last five years. The work experience must be assessed as relevant by the assessing body in your points tested skill assessment (if the points advice service is provided by the assessing body).

  • Your skills and experience in the nominated occupation are relevant to the ACT economy.
  • If required, you hold the relevant Australian registration or licence for your nominated occupation.
English: 

You meet the Department of Home Affairs requirement for ‘competent’ English unless a higher level is required by your assessing authority.

ACT employability: 

You have researched the ACT labour market and you are satisfied that you are employable in Canberra and that your background is relevant to the ACT economy. Please note, you may not be eligible to apply for positions within the Australian Government due to citizenship / security clearance requirements.

  • You must attach an employment statement explaining the research undertaken and confirming that you are employable in Canberra. The statement should include recent job vacancies you are eligible for.
Commitment to Canberra:

You have researched Canberra and you are committed to living in the ACT.

  • You must attach a commitment statement to the application, explaining in your own words why you want to live in Canberra.
  • You must sign a declaration committing to living and working in Canberra for at least two years from the date of arrival in Australia.
Residency: 

You and any migrating dependents (except children enrolled at school in the ACT):

  • are living overseas.
  • have not lived in Australia for the last 12 months.
  • do not hold a current Australian visa (or bridging visa) with the exception of an Australian visitor visa.
Settlement funds:

You have access to sufficient money to fund your migration and settlement in Canberra.

If you have a Spouse / Partner and you wish to claim Canberra Matrix points in a spouse or partner category:

  • You must have proof of the relationship: either a marriage certificate or civil partnership/union certificate. For ACT nomination purposes, we do not accept a de facto relationship without a relationship certificate unless you cannot legally obtain a relationship certificate in your country of residence.
  • When claiming Matrix points in the spouse / partner employment category, they must meet the Department of Home Affairs requirement for ‘competent’ English; or hold an Australian passport.
Service fee: $300

Your supporting documentation must evidence your eligibility to apply for ACT nomination and any Matrix score claimed.

WA State nomination under 491 visa

WA state nomination for 491 visa is currently open.

Migration WA has made significant temporary changes to its skilled state nomination program criteria, including:

  • new occupations added to the eligible lists
  • waiving the $200 application fee
  • halving the requirement to have an employment contract from 12 months to six months
  • reducing requirements for applicants to demonstrate sufficient funds
  • removing additional English requirements for professional and manager
  • occupations, and
  • reducing work experience requirements for the 2022-23 program year to 6 months

The 2022-23 WA state nomination requirements have now been released. The WA migration program has expanded the graduate occupation list for the graduate stream with now over 300 occupations.

There are two streams under which WA state nominations are issues: General Stream and Graduate Stream. Depending on which lists your occupation falls into, you must apply under the suitable stream.

General Stream Eligibility

  • Occupation must be in the General Stream occupational list.
  • Must be residing in Australia;
  • Meet language requirement. This requirement depends on of occupation group.
    • ANZSCO Group 1 and 2: Proficient – IELTS Level 7
    • All other eligible occupations: Competent – IELTS Level 6
  • Must have at least one year of Australian work experience in the nominated (or closely related) occupation over the last 10 years or at least three years of overseas work experience in the nominated (or closely related) occupation over the last 10 years.
  • Must have a genuine full-time job offer in Western Australia in your nominated occupation for at least 12 months.
  • Have sufficient settlement funds if you are not residing in Western Australia.

Graduate Stream Eligibility

  • Occupation must be in the Graduate Stream occupational list.
  • Must be residing in Australia;
  • Meet language requirement. This requirement depends on of occupation group.
    • ANZSCO Group 1 and 2: Proficient – IELTS Level 7
    • All other eligible occupations: Competent – IELTS Level 6
  • At least two years study in Western Australia.
  • Must have at least 6 months works experience in the nominated occupation or have a six month contract of employment in your nominated (or closely related) occupation in Western Australia.
  • Have sufficient settlement funds if you are not residing in Western Australia.

Occupations marked as ‘regional Western Australia only’

  • Candidates nominating a regional occupation must provide evidence of a job offer/contract of employment in a location defined by the Commonwealth as Regional Centres and Other Regional Areas
  • Regional Postcodes
    • 6041 to 6044, 6084, 6207, 6213, 6215 to 6537, and 6560 to 6770

Related:

NT 491 nomination criteria

Onshore applications for Northern Territory nomination under the General Skilled Migration program can now be lodged through the online application system. Offshore applications remain closed while the national border restrictions stay in place.

Related:

QLD 491 nomination criteria

Migration Queensland has opened its state nominated skilled migration program for 2023-24.  As with all states and territories Queensland had received a significantly reduced allocation of places for this program year.

Queensland will begin inviting selected applicants from the end of this month and hold invitation rounds at the end of each month – ensuring an evenly spread workload throughout the program year.

Related:

NSW 491 nomination criteria

Stream 1 — I am living and working in Regional NSW

  • hold a valid skills assessment for an occupation that appears on the Stream 1 Combined Occupation List.
  • have been living in a designated regional area of NSW for at least the previous twelve months; and
  • have been working in your nominated occupation, or a closely related occupation, in a designated regional area of NSW, for at least the previous twelve months

Stream 2 — I have recently completed study in Regional NSW

  • hold a valid skills assessment for an occupation that appears on your nominated region’s occupation list
  • have completed study or education with an education provider, where:
    • the study was completed within the previous 24 months
    • the education provider is in a designated regional area in NSW
    • the study meets the Australian study requirement (as determined by Home Affairs); and
    • the qualification obtained from this study was assessed as closely related to your nominated occupation by the relevant assessing authority; and
  • have lived in a designated regional area of NSW while completing your study

Stream 3 — I am skilled in an occupation required in Regional NSW

  • hold a valid skills assessment for an occupation that appears on your nominated region’s occupation list
  • Be currently residing in an Australian state or territory
  • Offshore candidates are now eligible to submit an ROI under Stream 3. Note: the likelihood of being invited to apply is very low. We strongly recommend all prospective offshore candidates explore all other migration pathways available. Please book an appointment to discuss your options and pathways.

Related:

491 NSW Pathways

TAS 491 nomination criteria

State nomination program appears to remain open.

Tasmania has now received its full nomination quota for the 2020 – 21 program year. The full allocation is made up of:

  • Subclass 491 – 1400 places
  • Subclass 190 – 1000 places
  • Business migration – 45 places

Approximately 25% of skilled visa nomination places have been used.

This includes:

  • individual providing critical or specialist medical services, or
  • individual with critical skills required to maintain the supply of essential goods and services, or
  • individual who are involved in delivering services in sectors critical to Australia’s economic recovery.

International graduates who do not work in the critical area would be unlikely to receive a nomination at this stage.

Related:

SA 491 nomination criteria

  • GSM (ROI, 491 and 190 and BIIP) programs closed to new applications as of 8 June 2023. Any applications that have commenced by not lodged before 8 June 2023 will be deleted from the system.
  • Existing applications that have been lodged before 8 June 2023 will continue to be assessed.
  • Pending an allocation of 190 nominations from the Commonwealth Government for the 2023-24 program year, applicants who are assessed as eligible for 190 state nominations will receive a nomination in the upcoming program year.

South Australia will open its skilled migration program on 20 July 2021 for this financial year. With a total of 5,200 places allocated for both 190 and 491 nominations, South Australia has announce its changes to the migration program with the following key points:

  • Applicants residing in Australia but not in South Australia now are eligible for the South Australia under Talent and Innovator Employment Stream
  • Offshore applicants are eligible for South Australia state nomination, depending on their nominated occupations.
  • There are 3 main streams: Talent and Innovators Program, Currently living and working in South Australia, and International Graduates stream.
  • For some instances, applicants do not need to work in their nominated occupation to apply for the state nomination.

The South Australian program is focused on:

  1. Talent and Innovators Program

This program is intended for skilled migrants who can contribute to South Australia’s priority sectors. It is divided into four streams:

  • Employment stream
  • Start-up and small business stream
  • Independent talent stream
  1. Currently working in South Australia

This program is accessible for applicants who are:

  • Currently living and working in South Australia
  • Living and working in regional South Australia
  • Living and working in South Australia as a long-term resident
  1. International Graduate of South Australia

Students who complete their studies in South Australia can access additional waivers and concessions. There are various requirements to meet before the applicant can apply for this stream. Some of the requirements include:

  • The course must be CRICOS registered with a minimum of 46 weeks.
  • A minimum of 50 % of the qualification must be completed in South Australia.
  • The applicant must reside in South Australia for at least one year during his/her studies.
  • The applicant must continue to reside in South Australia post-study.
  • For subclass 190 or 491 nominations, the applicant must be working in South Australia in his/her nominated occupation.

Related:

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