Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa - Main applicant

This is a provisional visa. It is for skilled workers who want to live and work in regional Australia

With this visa you can

• stay in Australia for 5 years from the date we grant you the visa

• live, work and study in a designated region of Australia

• attend free English language classes through the Adult Migrant English Program, if eligible

• travel to and from Australia as many times as you want, while the visa is valid

• apply for permanent residency, if eligible, through the Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (subclass 191). You cannot apply for other permanent visas until you have held your subclass 491 visa for 3 years.

Designated regional area

• You and all members of your family unit who are also holders of the visa, will need to live work and study in a designated regional area of Australia. Your nomination must not be withdrawn, or you will not be granted the visa.

Pathways to Permanent Residence

• If eligible, you will be able to apply for permanent residence through the Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (subclass 191) – which starts on 16 November 2022.

• Unless you have held your subclass 491 visa for 3 years, holders of the subclass 491 visa cannot:

  • Make a valid application for a subclass 820 (Partner) visa

  • Be granted any of the following visas:

    • Subclass 132 (Business Talent)

    • Subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme)

    • Subclass 188 (Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional))

    • Subclass 189 (Skilled (Independent))

    • Subclass 190 (Skilled (Nominated))

    • Subclass 858 (Global Talent)

How long you can stay

This is a temporary visa. You can stay in Australia for 5 years from the date we grant your visa.Stay longer

You can't stay in Australia longer by extending this visa.

Include family

You can include members of the family unit in your application. You can:

• include them when you submit your visa application

• add a dependent child after you submit but before we decide on your visa application.

Family members who apply for the visa must meet our health and character requirements.

Family members not accompanying you to Australia might also need to meet our health and character requirements.

If your partner or dependent children are not included in this application, tell us the reason why (for example, they already hold Australian citizenship or are a permanent resident).

Cost concession for eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste visa applicants

From 1 July 2026, a lower visa cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid visa application.

We will charge eligible applicants the lower visa application cost during the application process in ImmiAccount. We will recognise eligible applicants by the valid passport from the specified countries used in the application when they apply.

Family members are also eligible for the lower visa cost. We base this on the passport of the primary applicant (or visa holder who satisfies the primary visa criteria).

The primary applicant must hold a valid passport issued by one of the following countries:

• Federated States of Micronesia

• Fiji

• Kiribati

• Nauru

• Palau

• Papua New Guinea

• Republic of the Marshall Islands

• Samoa

• Solomon Islands

• Timor-Leste

• Tonga

• Tuvalu

• Vanuatu

Apply from

You can be in or outside Australia, but not in immigration clearance when you apply for the visa and when we decide on your application.

If you apply in Australia, you must hold a substantive visa or a subclass 010 Bridging A visa, a subclass 020 Bridging B visa or a subclass 030 Bridging C visa, otherwise your application will not be valid.

Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa – Subsequent entrant

This visa is for a member of the family unit of someone who holds a Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491)

With this visa, you can

• stay in Australia while the visa is valid 

• live, work and study in a designated region of Australia

• travel to and from Australia as many times as you want, while the visa is valid

• apply for permanent residency, if eligible, through the Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (subclass 191).

Designated regional area

You will need to live, work and study only in a designated area.

How long you can stay

This is a temporary visa. You can stay until the visa that your family member holds ends.

Stay longer

You can't stay in Australia longer by extending this visa. 

If you want to stay in Australia permanently, you might be eligible for a Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (subclass 191).

Include family

You can include members of the family unit in your application. You can:

• include them when you lodge your visa application

• add a dependent child after you lodge but before we decide on your application.

Family members who apply for the visa must meet our health and character requirements.

Family members not accompanying you to Australia might also need to meet our health and character requirements.

If your partner or dependent children are not included in this application, tell us the reason why (for example, they already hold Australian citizenship or are a permanent resident).