Subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) and Subclass 191 Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visas can be best described as a package visa programme that allows foreign workers to work in regional area of Australia and would lead to permanent residence. The programme to assist business operating in designated regional Australia to sponsor foreign skilled workers to fulfil genuine position that is need for at least 5 years and cannot be fulfilled locally due to labour shortage is region to which the business operates in.

There is a wide ranging of skilled occupations that are eligible to be nominated by employer under this skilled regional visa programme. In addition to the skilled occupation listed in the Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL) and Medium and Long–term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL), there is also the Regional Occupations List (ROL). Alternatively, employer may seek to negotiate to sponsor foreign workers under this program through a Labour Agreement if there is a need for concession to certain requirements and/or that a certain occupation related to a genuinely needed position is not on any skilled occupations list.

Before a business can lodge a nomination application, the proposed position must also seek the advice of a relevant Regional Certifying Body for their opinion on the labour market condition in the regional for the position and annual market salary rate (AMSR).

Except for some limited exemptions, an applicant must be under 45 years of age, have at least 3 years work experience in the nominated occupation, have competent English and a positive skills assessment for the nominated occupation.

A subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa when granted will be valid for a period of 5 years.

Sponsored foreign workers may transition to, by applying for, the subclass 191 Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa after they have held the provisional subclass 494 visa for at least 3 years. The core requirements to be satisfied for grant of the permanent residence visa includes:

• (a) must have only worked, studied and lived in a designated regional Australia while holding the provisional subclass 494 visa;
• (b) substantially complied with all other visa conditions including only working for the sponsorship employer in the nominated position; and
• (c) meeting the minimum income threshold requirement for at least 3 income years based on Individual Income Tax Assessment Notice.