Three years regional,income on the record,and the permanent visais the cheapest step.
The subclass 191 turns a 491 or 494 into permanent residence. No points test, no new skills assessment, no age limit. You show three years on the provisional visa, compliance with its conditions and taxable income at or above the requirement set by instrument for three of those years. The charge is $630, the smallest in the skilled program.
Government charges, subclass 191
- Visa application charge, main applicantregional provisional stream$630
- Each adult dependant$315
- Each child under 18$160
As at 1 July 2026. No nomination fee, no sponsor charge and no skills assessment. Our professional fee is fixed and quoted in writing.
The permanent visa for 491 and 494 holders who have done their three years.
The subclass 191 Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa is a permanent visa for holders of a subclass 491 or 494 visa who have held it for at least three years, complied with its conditions and earned taxable income at or above the income requirement set by legislative instrument for at least three income years. The main applicant charge is $630 and no points test, nomination or age limit applies.
Verified as at 1 July 2026 against the Department of Home Affairs subclass 191 page and Schedule 2 of the Migration Regulations 1994.
Do I qualify? A 30-second check
Answer the questions to see where you stand.
A guide only, not legal advice. The consultation is where the real answer comes from.
Three years, three tax years, and clean compliance.
The 191 does not re-test your skills, English or points. It tests what you did with the provisional visa.
How our fees and process work
- 01
A 491 or 494 held for three years
You must hold the provisional visa when you apply and have held it for at least three years. Time on a bridging visa before grant does not count.
- 02
Income for three income years
Taxable income at or above the income requirement set by legislative instrument, for at least three income years while holding the visa, shown by Australian Taxation Office notices of assessment.
- 03
Compliance with conditions
For the 491 that means condition 8579, living, working and studying only in designated regional areas, and the 14-day notification rule. For the 494 it means working for the sponsoring employer in the regional area.
- 04
Health and character
Fresh police clearances where the old ones have expired and health checks where required. The bar is the same as any permanent visa.
- 05
Family members
Partner and children who hold the 491 or 494 with you are included. They do not need their own income record; the requirement applies to the main applicant.
The 191 is won in the tax returns, not the application.
Most 191 problems are evidence problems from years one and two. This is how to avoid them.
Year one
Move into a designated regional area and notify the Department within 14 days. Keep payslips, contracts and your lease. Lodge the first tax return on time, even if the year is short.
Year two
Check the taxable income on your notice of assessment against the requirement in force. If a year is falling short, a second job or more hours in that income year is easier than fixing it later.
Year three
Third notice of assessment in hand. Confirm that three income years while holding the visa meet the requirement and that the visa has been held for three full years.
Lodge
Apply from inside or outside Australia with the notices of assessment, residence evidence, health and character. Family members who hold the provisional visa apply with you.
Grant
Permanent residence from the grant date, with no regional condition. You can live anywhere in Australia, and the five-year travel facility starts.
What changes when the 191 is granted.
The two visas test different things. The provisional visa was about your skills; the 191 is about your record.
| Item | 491 or 494 | 191 |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Provisional, five years | Permanent |
| Where you can live | Designated regional areas only | Anywhere in Australia |
| Points test | Yes for the 491 | None |
| Skills assessment | Yes | None |
| Age limit | Under 45 for the 491 | None |
| Nominator or sponsor | State, relative or employer | None |
| Key test | Occupation, points and nomination | Three years held, income requirement, compliance |
| Main applicant charge | $6,140 or $6,140 | $630 |
Charges as at 1 July 2026. There is also a Hong Kong stream of the 191 for Hong Kong and British National (Overseas) passport holders with its own residence rules.
What counts, and what to do if a year falls short.
This is the requirement people misread most. The rule is in a legislative instrument, not on a forum.
- 01
Taxable income, not salary
The Department looks at the taxable income on each notice of assessment. Salary sacrifice, unreported cash and income from before the visa was granted do not help.
- 02
Income years, not visa years
The test is applied to Australian income years ending 30 June. A visa granted in March means the first income year is a short one, which is why timing matters.
- 03
The amount is set by instrument
The Minister sets the requirement by legislative instrument and can change it. We check the instrument in force at the time you apply rather than repeating a number that may be out of date.
- 04
A short year
If one year falls below the requirement, do not lodge on hope. Whether a later year can substitute, or whether any concession applies, depends on the instrument and your history. Get advice first.
What a 191 costs the family.
Government charges only. Police clearances, medicals where required and our fixed professional fee are additional.
As at 1 July 2026. A family of four on the 191 pays less than a single main applicant on the 491.
Subclass 191, answered plainly.
What is the income requirement for the 191 visa?
Taxable income at or above the amount set by legislative instrument, for at least three income years while holding the 491 or 494. The Department reads it from your Australian Taxation Office notices of assessment. The amount can change, so we check the instrument in force before you lodge.
Do I have to stay in the regional area after the 191 is granted?
No. The 191 is a permanent visa with no regional condition. You can live and work anywhere in Australia once it is granted. The regional obligation belongs to the provisional visa and ends with it.
Can I apply for the 191 from overseas?
Yes. The 191 can be lodged from inside or outside Australia, and you can be in either place when it is decided. Most applicants lodge onshore because they are living regionally at the time.
Do I need a new nomination, skills assessment or English test?
No. The 191 has no nomination, no points test, no skills assessment, no English test and no age limit. It relies on the three years you have already completed.
Can I add a new partner or child to the 191?
Family members who hold the 491 or 494 with you are included. A new partner or a child born after grant can often be added, but the rules differ, so ask before lodging.
What if I moved between regional areas or changed jobs?
That is fine for a 491 as long as every address was in a designated regional area and you notified the Department within 14 days. For a 494 the work must have been for the sponsoring employer, so a job change needs its own analysis.
What if I breached condition 8579?
Any period living or working outside a designated regional area is a compliance problem for the 191 and a cancellation risk on the 491. Talk to us before you apply so the history can be dealt with properly.
Where this visa connects.
- 491Open
Skilled Work Regional visa
The five-year provisional visa that leads here.
- 494Open
Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa
The employer-sponsored provisional visa with the same 191 finish.
- RRVOpen
Resident Return visa
Keeping the right to travel once the five-year facility on a permanent visa ends.
Articles on this visa
- A DAMA Is a Deed, Not a Visa: What Regional Employers and Workers Actually Sign
- Occupation, Points, Flexibility: The Three Questions That Pick Your Skilled Visa
- Great South Coast or Goulburn Valley: Which Victorian DAMA Can You Use?
- From the NHS, the Site or the Office: Matching British Careers to the 189, 190 and 491
Three years nearly done?
One consultation checks your income years against the instrument, fixes the evidence and sets the earliest date to lodge. Fixed fee quoted in writing.