Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (SESR) (Provisional) visa subclass 494 was introduced in November 2019 to replace the previous Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) subclass 187 visa.  This visa category is specially designed for employers who are located in regional areas of Australia to nominate and sponsor skilled workers from foreign countries.

Subclass 494 visa is a provisional visa only and applicants may become eligible for a permanent visa subclass 192 after they work for the same nominating employer for 3 years from the time when their visa is granted.

This visa will grant you 5 years of visa validity to allow you stay and work in Australia.

Eligibility for 494 Visa

• You must be nominated by an employer with a 5 years of employment terms;
• Your nominated position must be on the 494 Visa Occupation List;
• Applicants must have , at minimum, 3 years of work experience in that occupation or relevant occupation;
• Applicants must have a positive skill assessment result for their nominated position;
• Applicants must meet the Competent English language requirements: IELTS overall score 6.0 (with at least 6 for each of the 4 components ) or PTE 50 (with at least 50 for each of the 4 component);
• Be less than 45 years of age, unless an exemption applies; 

What are regional areas?

Except the major capital cities of Australia such as Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, all other cities and areas are defined as “regional area” in order to attract overseas students and migrants. This includes: Perth, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Lake Macquarie, Illawarra, Geelong, Newcastle, Wollongong, Adelaide, Hobart and Canberra.

Please note Perth and the whole Western Australia are classified as regional areas, where both the employer and applicants can benefit from this policy. 

What other things you should know about 494 visa?

• Once this subclass 494 is granted with 5 years validity, applicants must work for the nominating employer for at least 3 years before they are eligible for a permanent visa;
• The permanent visa option is Permanent Residence Skilled Regional subclass 191; There will be no nomiantion when applying for subclass 191 after 3 years;
• During the 3 years of the employment with the employer, there is no minimum salary requirements for the nominated person. But they must work or live in the designated regional area for 3 years;
• With subclass 494 granted, applicants may be eligible for government entitlement, such as Medicare. This means that applicants may enjoy the same medical service as local Australians;

If you have more queries about this visa and your eligibility, please check with Korrylink for help.