If you’ve been wondering whether it’s time to buy into the Australian dream, it might just be time to look into investing in a 491 visa. Last November 2019 Australia has launched a 491 visa a 5-year visa which is custom designed to attract special skills and talent needed to grow and develop the Australian regional areas.
The 491 Visa
In November 2019, Australia introduced a new visa: the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) subclass 491 visa. It is one of the easiest ways for qualified applicants to immigrate to Australia.
The 491 visa gives you the opportunity to move to Australia and live and work in a less populous area identified by the Australian government as a future growth zone for 5 years.
Regional Australia encompasses all areas except for the large metropolitan areas such as Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Melbourne.
Pathway to permanent residency in Australia
This visa allows the holder to live and work in a regional area of Australia for five years. After only three years of living and working in a regional area, and maintaining an annual salary of $53,900, the holder can apply for permanent residency through the 191 visa. This will allow him or her to live and work anywhere in Australia and access Medicare, state-funded education and other social benefits.
What this visa allows you to do
Obtaining a 491 visa means that the main applicant and their direct relatives can live, work, and study in designated regional areas for up to five years. After three years in Australia, applicants can apply for permanent residency through the 191 visa.
Qualifying for the visa
To apply for this, you must be nominated by either an Australian state or territory government agency for state nomination and your occupation must be listed on that state’s skilled occupations list for state sponsorship. To apply for family sponsorship, your family member must have permanently lived in a regional area for 2 years, and you must have your occupation on Australia’s MLTSSL list.
To maximize your chances of success, it is important to consult an immigration professional about this process.
AABD Recruitment, one of our sister companies, has been helping people from overseas find jobs in regional areas for the past decade. Many of these candidates have gone on to get sponsored work visas and permanent residency. To find out more about these services, please speak to one of our friendly consultants now.
