494 Visa

Applying for Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494)

1.The employer must be an approved standard business sponsor and nominates the position from the skilled occupation list.

2.The employer nominates a suitable candidate for an eligible occupation, showing their business is:

unable to find an Australian worker,

will pay the annual market salary rate,

and engage the nominated skilled worker under a written employment contract.

And that work conditions are equivalent to those for Australian workers

3.The Department of Immigration approves the nomination.

4.The candidate applies for the visa. For a candidate to qualify for this visa, they must:

show that they are qualified in the nominated occupation by presenting recognized qualifications and experience; and have their trade skills assessed by the relevant assessment authority.

demonstrate they have competent English language skills. For the Subclass 494, this must be the equivalent to an IELTS score of 6. This is not required if the candidate holds a passport issued by the UK, Ireland, Canada, New Zealand or the United States.

pass character and health checks.

Visa application processing can be expedited if all the required supporting documents are appropriately prepared at the time of lodgement.

We guide businesses and visa applicants through these steps so that both nominations and visa applications are well-placed for success.