Subclass 191 visa

SUBCLASS 191 Visa

Subclass 191 visa is a Permanent visa (Skilled Regional Visa) that will allow Subclass 494 and 491 visa holders to transition to permanent residency. This visa will be open to new applications in November 2022.

Eligibility Criteria for Subclass 191 Visa: 

• You should hold a Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa or a Subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) Visa and you should have lived in a Designated Regional Area of Australia for at least 3 years.
• Applicants and their family members must live, work and study in a designated regional area.
• You should have earned the minimum taxable income for at least three years.
• You should have complied with all the conditions of the regional provisional visas.

Subclass 491 or 494 visas

Subclass 491 or 494 visas are provisional visas initially granted for only 5 Years. Holders of these visas will be subjected to visa condition 8579, requiring the visa holder to live, work and study in regional Australia (All Australia excluding Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane). Visa holders may live in any designated regional area and can move between designated regional areas.

Holders of the provisional Subclass 491 or 494 visas with the condition 8579 cannot apply for other skilled migration visas for at least three years, unless exceptional circumstances exist. The application requirements for Subclass 191 require family members to make a combined application with the primary applicant.

Transitional Arrangements:

Subclass 489 and Subclass 187 visas were closed to new applicants from November 16, 2019. Current Subclass 489 visa holders will continue to have access to the Subclass 887 skilled regional visa. Subclass 187 RSMS applications lodged before 16 November 2019 will not be impacted by this amendment.

Changes to Skilled Migration Visas:

Many changes on Points test for Skilled Migration (189, 190, 489 and 491) have occurred from 16 November 2019. The new requirements are:

• 15points for Subclass 491 nomination by State or Territory government or sponsorship by a family member residing in regional Australia, to live and work in regional Australia. The points for subclass 190 visa nomination State or Territory government will remain as 5 points.
• 10points for a skilled spouse or de facto partner, who has done the skills assessment for an occupation in the specified skilled occupation list
• 5points for a spouse or de facto partner with ‘competent English’
• 10points for particular Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) qualifications
• 10points for people who are single (applicants without a spouse or de facto partner).

Priority Processing Order to get an invitation to apply for Subclass 189 visas:

• First: primary applicants with a skilled spouse or de facto partner
• Equal First: primary applicants without a spouse or de facto partner
• Second: Primary applicants with a spouse or de facto partner who can demonstrate competent English but does not have the skills for skilled partner points (age and skills)
• Third: Primary applicants with a partner who is ineligible for either competent English or Skilled partner points. These applicants will be ranked below all other cohorts, if all other points claims are equal.

Visa Help Australia Pty Ltd and Skilled Migration Consultants Pvt Ltd are specialists in study, skilled, work and family visas. Our qualified Australian registered migration agent can help you with all types of Australian visas.

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