Benefits of Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Subclass 494)

Some of the benefits are:

• The visa holder will be able to stay in Australia for 5 years and will have access to multiple entries in the country.
• The holder can access the medical facilities in the country and get the benefits from Medicare.
• You will be able to study as well as work in the country. You can work in the designated regional postcodes of Australia.
• You can include your family members/partner in your visa application. Your children can also be included in your visa application.
• If you have this visa for three years then you can apply for a PR in Australia.

However, there are some limitations that come along with it. Some of these are:

• Complex visa process
• Cost of sponsoring
• Legal obligations
• Adhering to the Regional Occupation List.
   

Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Subclass 494) Requirements

• The employer has to identify that a position is vacant in the regional postcode and find an eligible worker for this position.
• Most importantly employers have to prove that there is a genuine position that they can fill by a worker from outside the country. This is because they cannot fill it locally.
• The employer should be an approved sponsor.
• The applications age should be 18 to 44 years and should present health and character certificate as well.
• Your occupation must be present on the Regional Occupations List(ROL) of MLTSSL (Medium and Long Term Strategic Skills List).
• There should be no visa refusals or cancellations on your previous applications.
• You should meet the health requirements and there should be no criminal records in your name.
• You will need to have a full skill assessment done before applying.
• Applicant should have a 3 year full time experience and also should be competent in English before applying. They will also need the skill assessment result to be positive.
• Secondary applicants or family members above 18 years of age have to show that they are fluent in functional English.
• You will work only for your sponsor employer. Along with this, you could work for the sister organisations of your employer.
• You can apply for a 494 visa from within the country or overseas.

Additional Details

The employer or the business must be located in a designated regional postcode. A Regional area is any area in Australia that excludes Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Perth and gold Coast are also identified as regional areas in the country. Some others are Adelaide, Canberra etc.
To begin with, the employer has to identify that a position is vacant in the regional postcode and find an eligible worker for this position. Most importantly employer has to prove that this is a genuine position in the business which he cannot fill locally. Once you are granted a 494 visa, you will have to start working within 90 days. You must work only for the employer who has nominated you.

494 Visa Australia Occupation List

The applicants of a 494 visa must have a 3 year full time work experience in the nominated occupation. There is a long list of occupations that are eligible under a 494 visa. Some of these are below:

• Beef cattle farmer
• Mixed crop farmer
• Nut and seed grower
• Dairy cattle farmer
• Deer farmer
• Advertising manager
• Corporate service manager
• Human resource manager
• Importer/ exporter
• Manufacturer
• Supply and distribution manager
• Medical administrator
• School principal
• Education manager
• Quality assurance manager.
• Retirement village manager
• Café/restaurant manager
• Retail manager
• Music professionals
• Post office manager
• Sculptor
• Media producer
• Television presenter
• Stage manager
• Electorate officer
• Librarian
• Food technologist
• Biochemist
• Botanist
• Physicist
   

Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Subclass 494) Processing Time

Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Subclass 494) Application Process

Visa 494 is a provisional visa it gives the applicant of an opportunity to apply for a PR after 3 years through subclass 191 visa. It is a replacement of 187 visa (RSMS). Sponsoring Employer should be located in the regional postcode location. MLTSSL applicant has to nominate occupations from the MLTSSL or ROL. The applicants must get a skill assessment done. Also, they should have a full time work experience of 3 years. Sponsoring employer has to sponsor the applicant.

Step 1 Sponsorship

To be able to sponsor a worker you need not have an employee ready to work for you. Employer has to prove that is business is legally operating in Australia and has the financial capacity to fulfil sponsorship obligations. You will need the finance documents and registration documents of the business . The business will need to have an approved sponsorship to be able to nominate an employee.

Step 2 Nomination

The employer has to identify that a position is vacant in the regional postcode and find an eligible worker for this position. Most importantly employer has to prove that this is a genuine position in the business. Also, the employers have to prove that they cannot fill the position by an Australian locally. To meet nomination requirements employer must show that the nominated occupation is on the subclass 494 MLTSSL or ROL. Employee has to undertake the labour marketing testing and no exemptions are available in this. Nowadays, the labour market testing requirements have changed. Apart from advertisements, the employers have to now advertise their jobs on the government website as well. Nominee is paid an annual market salary rate which is not less than the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT). This is an amount of $53,900.
RCB for the area has to certify the market we rate for the occupation. The visa is granted for 5 years; hence, the job role should also be for a period of 5 years. Employer has to pay SAF levy which is a one-off payment for each nominee.

Step 3 Visa Applications

After getting the nomination and sponsorship, you can file the visa application. The visa applicant has to nominate for the same occupation that employer has identified in the nomination stage. Applicant should have a 3 year full time experience, full skill assessment, and should be competent in English done before applying. Secondary applicants or family members above 18 years of age have to show that they are well versed in functional English. The applications age should be 18 to 44 years and should present health and character certificate as well. Visa 494 is granted for a period of 5 years after the application is successful.

Pathway to Permanent Residency (Subclass 191 Visa)

A subclass 191 Visa in Australia acts as a pathway for getting a permanent residency (PR). You do not need an employer nomination to apply for this visa.

• Visa 494 Australia is granted for a period of 5 years. You will have to remain in your regional postcode for at least three years and then you can apply for a PR in Australia. You will need to fulfill the income requirements and the residency requirements in the regional postcode where you are staying.
• Main applicant can work only for the nominating employer and for the nominated occupation. If the employee wants to work for a different employer then the authorities will need to be informed regarding the same. The employee will have 90 days to find a new nominator.
• All additional applicants alongside the main applicant must live, work and study in the regional area. You, along with your dependents will not need to get a private health insurance. You can utilize the benefits of Medicare. Once granted a Visa Subclass 494, you are restricted to apply for certain visa categories. Some of these are subclass 189, 190, 491 and subclass 820(partner visa) for the next 3 years.
   

Frequently Asked Questions