1. Visa Overview
• Visa Name: Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) Visa – Subclass 494
• Type: Provisional visa, valid for up to 5 years. Allows holders to live, work, and study in designated regional areas of Australia.
• Purpose: To address the demand for skilled workers in regional Australia, support regional development, and provide a pathway to permanent residency (PR) for eligible applicants.
2. Visa Streams
a. Employer Sponsored Stream
b. Labour Agreement Stream
c. Sub-sequent Entrant Stream
3. Rights & Obligations
Rights of Subclass 494 visa holders
✓ Live, work, and study in regional Australia
✓ Include partner and dependent children in the visa
✓ Travel in and out of Australia freely during the visa validity
✓ Apply for PR (Subclass 191) after meeting requirements for 3 years
Obligations / Restrictions
• Must continue to live and work in regional Australia
• Must work in the nominated position (unless exemption applies)
• Must notify Immigration of changes (employer, address, etc.)
4. Permanent Residency (Subclass 191)
After 3 years, visa holders may apply for PR if they meet:
✓ Regional residence requirement
✓ Ongoing full-time work requirement
✓ Minimum taxable income requirement for 3 financial years
Further Information
For additional visa information not covered here, please refer to the Department of Home Affairs website: