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Subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) Visa

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What is the 494 skilled employer sponsored visa?

On November 16th, 2019, the 494 skilled employer sponsored visa has replaced the 187 (RSMS) visa. 

The 494 visa program will receive 9,000 allocated places every year. This is a 187 visa news interested candidates should know about. This 494 visa is not for gaining permanent residency instantly like the case was for the 187 RSMS visa. The holder of a 494 visa may prove his or her eligibility to acquire a 191 skilled regional permanent residency visa after some time.

Can my employer nominate me for a 494 visa?

These are the eligibility criteria associated with this regional sponsored visa:

  • Your employer has to be running operations from one of the designated regional areas in Australia. This generally doesn’t include employers who are located in Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne. 

  • The areas of Wollongong, NSW Central Coast and Wollongong have become the designated areas. Along with that, the included regional areas are Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Gold Coast, Geelong and Sunshine Coast. 

  • Your position of a job has to be on the list of relevant occupations, which includes more than 700 occupations. 

  • Your employer has to gain approval via the RCB or Regional Certifying Body of the chosen area. 

  • The job position has to be genuine, full-time and more likely to last for at least 5 years. 

  • The employer must be paying you a salary as per the market rate.

How can I fulfill all the 494 visa requirements?

The new regional visa Australia requires you to fulfill these requirements:

  • You need to take and pass a suitable assessment of skills.

  • You need to hold relevant and full-time experience of working in the chosen skill for a minimum of 3 years. 

  • Your age must be below 45 years.

  • Your English proficiency has to be up to the desired standards.

Can 494 visa help to acquire permanent residency?

This visa is provided for 5 years. You can link this visa to the permanent residence via the Subclass 191 (Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional)) Visa by fulfilling these criteria:

1. You have spent a minimum of 3 years working in the selected designated regional location on your 494 visa.

2. You are able to present the proof of having a minimum annual salary of $53,900 for 3 years. If your 494 application includes your partner, only one person has to showcase the annual salary via tax returns for the last 3 years, which should be $53,900 or more than that. You can ask your partner to submit the 191 visa application as the primary applicant if he or she is able to demonstrate all the required eligibility criteria. 

There is NO need to get an employer nomination in order to submit your 191 visa application. This is what makes this approach majorly favorable than the RSMS 187 visa. 

What about the 187 applications that were on hold till and beyond November 16th, 2019?

All 187 nominations as well as visa submitted before November 16th, 2019 are subject to old arrangements and not the new arrangements of visa.

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