A regional employer,a five-year visa,and permanent residencethree years in.
The subclass 494 lets a business in regional Australia sponsor a skilled worker for five years. Hold it for three years on a qualifying income and the subclass 191 permanent visa follows. The employer becomes a standard business sponsor, a Regional Certifying Body checks the nomination, and the Skilling Australians Fund levy applies. Main applicant charge: $6,140.
Government charges, subclass 494
- Visa application charge, main applicantboth streams$6,140
- Each adult dependant$3,070
- Each child under 18$1,535
- Standard business sponsorshipemployer, once, valid five years$420
- SAF levy, smaller businessesemployer, once per nomination, same as the 186$3,000
- SAF levy, larger businessesemployer, once per nomination, same as the 186$5,000
- Subclass 191 at the permanent stageafter three years on the 494$630
As at 1 July 2026. A nomination charge also applies. The employer must pay the sponsorship, nomination and SAF levy and cannot recover them from the worker. Our professional fee is fixed and quoted in writing.
A five-year regional employer visa with permanent residence built in.
The subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa lets an employer in regional Australia sponsor a skilled worker for five years, with permanent residence through the subclass 191 after three years on a qualifying income. The main applicant charge is $6,140, the occupation must be on the regional occupation list, and the applicant needs a skills assessment, three years of relevant experience, competent English and to be under 45 when they apply.
Verified as at 1 July 2026 against the Department of Home Affairs subclass 494 and 191 pages 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.
Six requirements, checked in this order.
The 494 is stricter than the 482 at the front end because it is a permanent pathway. Each requirement has to be met at the date the visa is lodged.
Compare the 482 Skills in Demand visa
- 01
Occupation on the regional list
The nominated occupation must be on the list that applies to the 494, which is broader than the lists for the 482 and the 186. The occupation must match the duties of the actual position.
- 02
Skills assessment
A positive skills assessment in the nominated occupation from the relevant assessing authority, no more than three years old at lodgement. Some occupations allow limited exemptions; most do not.
- 03
Three years of experience
At least three years of full-time work in the nominated occupation, or a closely related one, at the required skill level. Part-time counts on a pro rata basis. Experience gained during study rarely counts.
- 04
Under 45
You must be under 45 when the application is lodged. Exemptions are narrow and mostly cover academics and researchers, certain medical practitioners and some transitional cases.
- 05
Competent English
An accepted English test at the competent level, or a passport from the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, Canada or New Zealand. Partners have their own, lower, English requirement or pay a second instalment.
- 06
Health and character
Health examinations for the whole family and police clearances for every country lived in for twelve months or more since turning sixteen. Start these early; they are the slowest documents to obtain.
Sponsor, test the market, certify, nominate, then the visa.
Five steps, and the Regional Certifying Body step is the one that does not exist for the 482 or the 186. Allow time for it.
Standard business sponsorship
The employer applies to become a standard business sponsor for $420. Lawfully operating, actively trading, no adverse information. Approval lasts five years and covers 482 nominations too.
Labour market testing
The position must be advertised for at least 28 days within the 4 months before the nomination, in the form the regulations require. The evidence goes into the nomination.
Regional Certifying Body advice
The employer requests certification from the Regional Certifying Body for its area. The RCB checks the position is genuine, in a regional area and paid at the market rate. Its advice is attached to the nomination.
Nomination and SAF levy
The nomination sets out the occupation, the position, the annual market salary rate and the salary offered, which must be at or above $79,423. The employer pays the nomination charge and the SAF levy, $3,000 or $5,000 depending on turnover.
Visa application
Lodged with the skills assessment, experience evidence, English result, health and character. Family members are included at $3,070 per adult and $1,535 per child. Processing times vary and are published monthly.
Five sponsored and regional visas, side by side.
Employers and workers choose between the 494, the 482 and the 186 more often than any other decision we see. The region and the timeline decide it.
| Visa | Who sponsors | Term and path | Main charge |
|---|---|---|---|
| 494 Regional (Provisional) | Employer in a regional area | Five years, then the 191 after three years on a qualifying income | $6,140 |
| 482 Skills in Demand | Any approved employer | Up to four years, then the 186 after 2 years with the sponsor | $4,015 |
| 186 Employer Nomination | Any approved employer | Permanent on grant, 45 age limit, skills assessment in the direct entry stream | $6,140 |
| 491 Skilled Work Regional | A state, territory or eligible relative, no employer | Five years, then the 191 after three years on a qualifying income | $6,140 |
| 191 Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) | No sponsor | Permanent, for 494 and 491 holders who meet the income and residence rules | $630 |
Charges as at 1 July 2026. Regional employers with an ongoing need often run the 494 and the 482 side by side depending on each worker's occupation and age.
What a 494 costs the worker and the employer.
Government charges only. Skills assessment, English test, health checks, police clearances and our fixed professional fee are additional. Tick one SAF line only.
As at 1 July 2026. The SAF levy for the 494 is the same amount as for the 186, paid once per nomination by the employer. A nomination charge also applies and is not shown here. Employers cannot pass sponsorship, nomination or SAF costs to the worker.
The conditions that decide whether the 191 follows.
The 494 is provisional. Permanent residence depends on what happens in the three years after grant, and the conditions are enforced.
Permanent residence through the 191- 01
Live, work and study in regional Australia
You and your family must live, work and study in a designated regional area for the life of the visa. Moving to Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane breaches the condition and ends the pathway.
- 02
Work only for the sponsor in the nominated occupation
If the job ends, you have a limited period to find another regional employer willing to nominate you, or to leave. Changing employers means a new nomination, RCB advice and SAF levy.
- 03
The income requirement
To move to the 191 you must show taxable income at or above the minimum set by the regulations for at least three years, proved by tax notices of assessment. Gaps in employment or cash work can break this.
- 04
No other skilled visas for three years
A 494 holder generally cannot be granted most other skilled permanent visas until three years have passed. Plan on the 191 as the route to permanence, not a switch to the 186 or 189.
- 05
The 191
After three years, apply for the 191 for $630. No new skills assessment, no new nomination, no employer involvement. Family included on the 494 come across on the same application.
Subclass 494, answered plainly.
Where counts as regional for the 494?
Everywhere in Australia except metropolitan Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart, Darwin, the Gold Coast, Geelong, Newcastle and Wollongong are all designated regional areas. The test is the postcode of the workplace and where you live.
How do I get from the 494 to permanent residence?
Hold the 494 for three years, comply with its conditions, and show taxable income at or above the required minimum for at least three of those years. Then apply for the 191 for $630. No new nomination or skills assessment is needed.
Can I change employers on a 494?
Yes, to another employer in a designated regional area who obtains RCB advice and lodges a new nomination for you. You have a limited period after your job ends to arrange this, and the new employer pays a new SAF levy.
Does the SAF levy apply to the 494?
Yes. The employer pays $3,000 if the business turnover is below the threshold or $5,000 if it is above, once per nomination. These are the same amounts as the 186. The levy cannot be recovered from the worker.
Is there an age exemption for the 494?
Exemptions are narrow. They mainly cover academics and researchers nominated by universities and research agencies, certain medical practitioners, and some transitional cases. Most applicants must be under 45 at lodgement.
Do I need a skills assessment for the 494?
Yes, for the employer sponsored stream. It must be in the nominated occupation, from the relevant assessing authority, and no more than three years old when you lodge. The labour agreement stream follows the terms of the agreement.
Can my family come on a 494?
Yes. A partner and children are included at $3,070 per adult and $1,535 per child. They can work and study, but they must also live in a designated regional area. They move to the 191 with you.
Where this visa connects.
- 482Open
Skills in Demand visa
Sponsored employment anywhere in Australia, path to the 186.
- 186Open
Employer Nomination Scheme
Permanent residence through an employer, direct entry or after the 482.
- 491Open
Skilled Work Regional visa
Regional pathway through a state or family sponsor, no employer needed.
- 191Open
Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional)
The permanent stage for 494 and 491 holders.
Articles on this visa
- Endorsement First: The Cairns Employer’s Order of Operations Under the FNQ DAMA
- Great South Coast DAMA: Your Endorsement Runs Five Years, Your Worker Numbers Run One
- Great South Coast or Goulburn Valley: Which Victorian DAMA Can You Use?
- Labour agreements in 2026-27: when the standard sponsorship rules do not fit
A regional employer with a worker to keep?
One consultation confirms the region, the occupation and the RCB steps, and gives you a fixed fee for sponsorship, nomination and visa through to the 191.