The 494 visa allows skilled workers to live and work in designated regional areas of Australia for up to 5 years, with employer sponsorship. It provides a pathway to permanent residency after 3 years, subject to meeting eligibility criteria.
*All Fields marked with asterisk are required
You can include your partner and children on your application. At the time of the decision, your children cannot be older than 23 unless they financially rely on you because they are incapacitated for work due to the total or partial loss of their bodily or mental functions.
This is a temporary visa. Once it is granted it allows you:
You can be in or outside Australia when you apply for this visa. If you are in Australia at the time of application you have to hold a substantive visa or bridging visa A, B or C.
There are 3 steps which are as follows:
Step 1: The employer has to apply to become an approved business sponsor or to be a party to a work agreement.
Step 2: The employer must nominate an occupation in their business to be approved from the 494 List of Occupations and identify in the application who the visa applicant will be.
Step 3: The visa applicant must meet certain requirements for the approval of the visa, such as English fluency, work experience, skills, health and character to meet the requirements of the nominated occupation.
Employer Sponsored stream
The employer needs to apply for approval as a Standard Business Sponsor. This involves presenting documents to demonstrate that they are an operating business, such as financial statements, marketing material, company registration, organizational chart and other identifying details about the company.
Business sponsorship is valid for five years and the business can nominate as many people as it wants to sponsor during this period. A business that is operating for less than 12 months or an overseas business can also be approved for five years.
Companies have certain obligations when sponsoring overseas employees and they can be monitored by the Department of Home Affairs at any time to ensure that they are meeting their sponsorship obligations.
Overseas Business Sponsors are prevented from using the Employer Sponsored stream.
Labour Agreement stream
Your sponsoring employer is a party to a work agreement that allows employing a person who is intended to be employed as a holder of a subclass 494 visa.
For the Employer Sponsored stream, the position that the company requires you to work in has to be selected from the relevant skilled occupation list (Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List or Regional Occupation List). For the Labour Agreement stream, the nominated occupation has to be specified in the work agreement.
In the Employer Sponsored stream all 494 nominations will need advice from an RCB. Also, to satisfy the Department of Home Affairs that there are no local Australians available with the required skills who want to work in this position, the employer must undertake labour market testing (advertising the role) for all occupations.
The nominated occupation has to be located in a part of Australia that at the time of application lodgement is considered to be a designated regional area.
Employers must pay the Australian market salary rate and meet the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold requirements. A Government Gazette notice states the minimum salary payable under this visa category, which at present is AUD$53,900 plus 9.5% superannuation. The market rate is at least as much as an Australian citizen or permanent resident employed in the same position in the same location is being paid;
The employer also needs to demonstrate that there is a genuine need for that occupation in their business. The nominated position has to be full-time and for at least 5 years.
Employers nominating a worker for a subclass 494 visa are required to pay a contribution to the Skilling Australians Fund (SAF). The contribution is payable at the time the worker is nominated. The amounts are as follows:
$3,000 for ‘small’ businesses (those with an annual turnover of less than $10 million) or
$5,000 for other businesses whose turnover is greater than $10 million.
Employer Sponsored stream
At the time of application:
At the time of decision:
All dependents who are 18 or older have to have at least functional English. Alternatively, $4,890 per person who does not have functional English will have to be paid.
Labour Agreement stream
At the time of application:
Currently, the following postcodes are considered to be a designated regional area:
| NSW | 2259, 2264 to 2308, 2500 to 2526, 2528 to 2535 and 2574
2250 to 2258, 2260 to 2263, 2311 to 2490, 2527, 2536 to 2551, 2575 to 2739, 2753 to 2754, 2756 to 2758 and 2773 to 2898 |
| VIC | 3211 to 3232, 3235, 3240, 3328, 3330 to 3333, 3340 and 3342
3097 to 3099, 3139, 3233 to 3234, 3236 to 3239, 3241 to 3325, 3329, 3334, 3341, 3345 to 3424, 3430 to 3799, 3809 to 3909, 3912 to 3971 and 3978 to 3996 |
| QLD | 4207 to 4275, 4517 to 4519, 4550 to 4551, 4553 to 4562, 4564 to 4569 and 4571 to 4575
4124 to 4125, 4133, 4183 to 4184, 4280 to 4287, 4306 to 4498, 4507, 4552, 4563, 4570 and 4580 to 4895 |
| WA | 6000 to 6038, 6050 to 6083, 6090 to 6182, 6208 to 6211, 6214 and 6556 to 6558
All postcodes in WA not mentioned above |
| SA | 5000 to 5171, 5173 to 5174, 5231 to 5235, 5240 to 5252, 5351 and 5950 to 5960
All postcodes in SA not mentioned above |
| TAS | 7000, 7004 to 7026, 7030 to 7109, 7140 to 7151 and 7170 to 7177
All postcodes in TAS not mentioned above |
| NT | All postcodes |
| ACT | All postcodes |
We guide individuals, families, and businesses through
Australia's immigration process with a successful track record.
"AustraliaMigrate Pty Ltd has been helping people around the world successfully apply for Australian visas for over 25 years.
Our professional specialists are highly experienced in the migration environment.”
We guide individuals and businesses through the complex migration process to Australia. With long years of industry experience, our immigration specialists have built a reputation of providing accessible, accurate and genuine advice to our esteemed clients.
Our specialists assist in preparing and reviewing your documents and forms before submitting for successful approval. We strive to make the whole immigration process hassle-free for you.
We have a very high success rate of visa approval and a solid reputation resulting in a large amount of repeat business. We provide immigration services to individuals, families and companies, whether they are small or public companies and in any industry. Immigration is the only thing we do so we are highly specialized in it.
Immigration is the only thing we do so we are highly specialized in it.
Sandeep Sharma applied for his Permanent Residence visa under subclass 186 Employer Nominated Sponsorship, after two years of being sponsored under a 457 Employer Sponsorship visa. His Permanent Visa was granted on August 2014.
I have been in Sydney, Australia for the last 6 years. I was referred to AustraliaMigrate by a friend of mine.
In the beginning, I was sponsored by my company under a 457 visa. As I would like to stay on in Australia, I applied for the visa Permanent Residence Visa (186).
The visa application process was complex and very challenging. AustraliaMigrate helped me to prepare and lodge my application in a limited time. My application was approved just within one week and my 457 long stay business visa was granted.
SANDEEP & ASHU SHARMA
Thank you Ian. Fabulous news. Thanks to you and your team’s effort and work. Great service.
Thank you SO so much for all of your patience and work on this. Still hasn’t sunk in yet that I’m actually free! Once again, massive thanks to both you and Mariola!!
Thanks so much for this excellent news. I’m impressed how fast and smooth it all went, which is a result of excellence in services. Thanks so much for all the attention.
Thank you Ian ,I highly appreciate your kind efforts. Its a big day for me and my family and you make it possible. May you live long with health, wealth and peace.
Great news – we’re very pleased with this result. Many thanks to AustraliaMigrate for all your hard work in getting this over the line. Have a lovely weekend!
That’s the best news I’ve had in a long time. Thanks so much for all your help and patience. You’ve been awesome! 🙂
This is fantastic news! You have been so helpful throughout this process and a pleasure to work with.
Thanks again Ian ; as always you never fail to deliver 😉
Thank you for your working. It is Fantastic news !! I am very happy~. Thank you very much.
Fantastic news!!! Thank you very much for your help with this one. Great start of the week indeed. Thank you Ian.
Thanks again Ian, you and your team have been a great help.
Great news – we’re very pleased with this result. Many thanks to AustraliaMigrate for all your hard work in getting this over the line. Have a lovely weekend!
Wow that was fast. Thank you very much Mariola and Ian. Great job.
This is brilliant news we thank you and Ian for helping us out gaining our permanent residency.
Thank you Ian and your team for making it possible for Sebastian to stay with us.
I am so happy that my visa application is being accepted, thank you for your help and availability, have a good weekend, and thanks again.
Hi Ian, A big thanks to you and Lynn for all your help.
Hi Ian, Thank you so much for your time and hard work. Marilia and myself are both thrilled.
Thank you so much for all your help and assistance with the application.I am very happy!
Hi Ian, Thanks foor making my day, week, month and year! This is truly amazing news! Please thank the extended team that worked on our application.
That’s fantastic, big thanks to all for your kind support and assistance.Many thanks.
Dear Ian, Izzy and I would like to thank you and your staff so much for all the hard work in helping us to obtain Nazma’s visa in Australia. We know that it could not have happened without you. Many thanks again Ian and will keep in touch. All the best to you and your team for all their assistance.
Hi Ian, First of all THANK YOU and your team! Thank you for working with us on this application till the very end, thank you for the magnificent news! Although the process was stressful, the result is the only thing that matters and we couldn’t be happier! And the date couldn’t be better! We will always have fireworks on our PR day! And Thank you for your kind wishes! Wish you all the best!
Thanks so much for your kind efforts to help Sumit and his wife to grant 457 visa.Actually I was overseas and came back yesterday. I am extermely happy for their decision. they both are coming on 12th of March.
Hi Ian, Amazing news 🙂 Thank you so much to you and your team for all your help. Warren and I are very grateful. We will definitely keep recommend you to friencts and people we know.: )
Hi Ian and Mariola, Thanks so much for all your help, that’s great news!!
That’s awesome guys! Thank you guys for all!
Hi Ian. I just drove through to Neil’s work to tell him and he’s over the moon. It has been such a journey to get here and we have been through SO much to make it all happen – but we would never have done it without you and your amazing team. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Have a great evening.
Hello Lynn and Ian, How are you? I just wanted to let you know that my Visa has been granted. I have my Permanent Residency! Thank you for everything, Lynn has been so helpful during the all process. I could never have done it without you. I hope everything is going all right for you guys. Take care.
Thanks Ian for pushing these through in time.
Dear Ms Lynn, Thank you for the information, appreciated your time and effort for lodging our visa. Looking forward to seeing you for the future visa. Thank you.
Hi Kathy & Ian, Thank you so much for this. It’s great news. Thank you once again.
Hello IAN,Thank you again. It was a wonderful experience working with you.
Dear Ian and Kathy, I can’t believe it, such good news! Thank you so so much for all your help and effort!!! Richard and I really appreciate it. I can’t find the right words to describe how grateful we are. Thank you! May both of you have a wonderful weekend.
WOW! This is amazing. Ian, Mariola and team, I cannot express my gratitude enough for all the effort and hard work you put in to making this happen. Thanks you so so much!!!
Ian and Lynn, Pete and I would like to thank you both for all your direction and hard work to make this happen. We really appreciate it. We’re elated that the Partnership Visa has finally been granted! We will be eternally grateful to both of you for making this tedious process easier for us. We couldn’t have done it without your expertise and guidance. Thank you, thank you, thank you… Have a wonderful day,
Thank you so much this has made my day 😍😍😍😍😅
I can’t believe it after all these years
Thanks again JUST BRILLIANT NEWS!!
Thank you so so so much for your hard work and support!!! We are very happy and emotional!! Today is actually our wedding anniversary, and this email made today even special.
I truly appreciate your support all the way.
Thank you very much for this great news. I am very glad that the wait is over and that I can finally start working
Thank you for the excellent news 🙂 and thank you for all your help. I really appreciate it!
You will be hearing from me in the near future.
Wishing you both all the best, especially in these unpredictable times.
Thank you so much for all of your help with this application. I have no doubt we would not have looked to so good without your expertise and support.
You guys have a done a great job and Mariola your professionalism is brilliant.
Thank you both again.
OMG
That is the best news EVER!
Thank you so so much for all your help to you and Ian! I am so glad I chose you to help me with all my visas all these years!
Will highly recommend Australia Migrate if I heard anyone looking for an agent 🙂
Thanks again!
Hi Ian & Lynn,
Thanks for your email! We are really thrilled to hear the news!
Jessica and I really appreciate your support during this time. Without your help, the application process won’t be so smooth.
Thank you so much.
WOW WOW WOW!!
That is amazing!! So super stoked and happy!
Again, thank you so much for all your effort and work put into this process!!
My Family & I thanks you from the bottom of their hearts!
Thank you so much for all your help. We really appreciate it and we are soooo happy – I can’t even described 😊🙏🏻🤗
Thank you again!
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An EOI is not a visa application, it is an application that you would like to be invited to apply for a skilled visa. It’s an online form, with no fee which asks you a series of questions about how you intend to score your points for a subclass 189, 190 or 491 visa application. It is imperative that your points are calculated accurately so that when a visa application is lodged after being granted an invitation, the points in the visa application are the same as the points claimed in the EOI. An EOI does not result in a bridging visa.
An EOI is not a visa application, it is an application that you would like to be invited to apply for a skilled visa. It’s an online form, with no fee which asks you a series of questions about how you intend to score your points for a subclass 189, 190 or 491 visa application. It is imperative that your points are calculated accurately so that when a visa application is lodged after being granted an invitation, the points in the visa application are the same as the points claimed in the EOI. An EOI does not result in a bridging visa.
No, not necessarily. You must obtain a minimum of 65 points to lodge an Expression of Interest. The higher the points, the more likely it is that you will receive an invitation to lodge a visa application.
However, depending on the volume of applications with the same occupation received by the Department of Home Affairs, a higher score than 65 is usually required to be granted an invitation to lodge a visa application. As an example, accountants may require 90 points or more to be granted an invitation whereas high school teachers may only require 80 points. The way the Department of Home Affairs will issue an invitation depends on a lot of factors, which could be what occupations are in most need at that point in time, such as medical occupations in the covid – 19 era receive the most invitations.
As a visa holder, you can use VEVO to check your current visa details and conditions. VEVO stands for Visa Entitlement Verification Online. This is a link on the website of the Department of Home Affairs. You will need to have your passport details with you when you apply for a VEVO check.
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