Latest states updates for visa subclass 491
Victoria
The Victorian Government will accept applications for state nomination for the 491 visa from 9am on Monday 18 November 2019. There is no fee to apply for nomination, and they can use any occupation on the Immigration skilled occupation lists.
However, all applicants for the 491 visa are required to provide evidence of a current job offer in their nominated occupation, located in regional Victoria. Evidence of the employment offer, business operations, recruitment efforts, and genuine need must be provided with the application for state nomination.
Queensland
The state nomination program for General Skilled Migration remains closed, with advice that this will reopen ‘in the coming weeks’. A number of occupations have been removed from the QSOL, including:
Onshore and Offshore – IT
- ICT Business Analyst ANZSCO 261111
- Systems Analyst ANZSCO 261112
- Developer Programmer ANZSCO 261312
- Software Engineer ANZSCO 261313
- Software and Applications Programmers nec ANZSCO 261399
- ICT Security Specialist ANZSCO 262112
- Computer Network and Systems Engineer ANZSCO 263111
- Analyst Programmer ANZSCO 261311
Onshore – Accounting
- Accountant (General) ANZSCO 221111
- Management Accountant ANZSCO 221112
- Taxation Accountant ANZSCO 221113
- External Auditor ANZSCO 221213
- Internal Auditor ANZSCO 221214
Offshore – Engineering
- Civil Engineer ANZSCO 233211
- Mechanical Engineer ANZSCO 233512
- Electrical Engineer ANZSCO 233311
- Engineering Technologist ANZSCO 233914
Tasmania
The requirements for state nomination for the 491 visa are not yet available, but should appear shortly after 16 November.
From this date, applicants for both the 491 and 190 visa will be required to pay a $220 (incl. GST) application fee for nomination applications. This must be made via credit card (Visa or Mastercard) and is not refundable regardless of application outcome.
South Australia
Migrate SA closed their state nomination system for 190 visas from 11am on 15 November 2019, in order to make changes for the 491 visa. The system will reopen in the first week of December (exact date to be determined). Applicants for the 491 visa will open at the same time.
Further information will be published in late November.
New South Wales
The NSW Government states that it will ‘shortly advise’ when they will open for 491 nominations, however, Regional Development Australia Northern Inland NSW, one of the regional bodies of the NSW State Government announced in a recent newsletter that a start date for 491 nominations ‘will not begin until early 2020, hopefully January’.
Specific details regarding eligible occupations and postcodes designated as regional areas will be also released in due course.
Northern Territory
The Territory page states that the 491 nomination system will be available from 16 November 2019, however, no further information on this process is available at the time of publishing.
Western Australia
The WA government has advised that EOIs for the 491 visa can be submitted from 16 November, however, the invitation process will not commence until 21 November 2019.
Australian Capital Territory
The ACT has advised that applications for nomination can only be submitted from 1 January 2020. This is following a release of new eligibility criteria for both the 491 and 190 visas, due on or before 28 November 2019.
Regional Postcodes
| State or Territory | Category | Postcodes |
|---|
| New South Wales | Cities and major regional centres | 2259, 2264 to 2308, 2500 to 2526, 2528 to 2535 and 2574 |
| New South Wales | Regional centres and other regional areas | 2250 to 2258, 2260 to 2263, 2311 to 2490, 2527, 2536 to 2551, 2575 to 2739, 2753 to 2754, 2756 to 2758 and 2773 to 2898 |
| Victoria | Cities and major regional centres | 3211 to 3232, 3235, 3240, 3328, 3330 to 3333, 3340 and 3342 |
| Victoria | Regional centres and other regional areas | 3097 to 3099, 3139, 3233 to 3234, 3236 to 3239, 3241 to 3325, 3329, 3334, 3341, 3345 to 3424, 3430 to 3799, 3809 to 3909, 3912 to 3971 and 3978 to 3996 |
| Queensland | Cities and major regional centres | 4207 to 4275, 4517 to 4519, 4550 to 4551, 4553 to 4562, 4564 to 4569 and 4571 to 4575 |
| Queensland | Regional centres and other regional areas | 4124 to 4125, 4133, 4183 to 4184, 4280 to 4287, 4306 to 4498, 4507, 4552, 4563, 4570 and 4580 to 4895 |
| Western Australia | Cities and major regional centres | 6000 to 6038, 6050 to 6083, 6090 to 6182, 6208 to 6211, 6214 and 6556 to 6558 |
| Western Australia | Regional centres and other regional areas | All postcodes in Western Australia not mentioned above |
| South Australia | Cities and major regional centres | 5000 to 5171, 5173 to 5174, 5231 to 5235, 5240 to 5252, 5351 and 5950 to 5960 |
| South Australia | Regional centres and other regional areas | All postcodes in South Australia not mentioned above |
| Tasmania | Cities and major regional centres | 7000, 7004 to 7026, 7030 to 7109, 7140 to 7151 and 7170 to 7177 |
| Tasmania | Regional centres and other regional areas | All postcodes in Tasmania not mentioned above |
| Australian Capital Territory | Cities and major regional centres | All postcodes in the ACT |
| Australian Capital Territory | Regional centres and other regional areas | None |
| Northern Territory | Cities and major regional centres | None |
| Northern Territory | Regional centres and other regional areas | All postcodes in the NT |
| Norfolk Island | Cities and major regional centres | None |
| Norfolk Island | Regional centres and other regional areas | All postcodes in Norfolk Island |
| Other Territories | Cities and major regional centres | None |
| Other Territories | Regional centres and other regional areas | All postcodes in a Territory other than the ACT, NT, or Norfolk Island |
485 Graduate Visa Changes
Our understanding is that from 16 November, International Students who complete their studies in the ‘Cities and major regional centres’ listed above will be able to obtain an additional one year on their Graduate visa.
Students who complete their studies in the ‘Regional centres and other regional areas’ could obtain an additional two years on their Graduate visa.
Which visas does this apply to?
The new definition of ‘regional Australia’ also applies to the following visa types, for applications made on or after 16 November 2019:
- Subclass 189 Skilled Independent visa (points for regional study)
- Subclass 190 Skilled Nominated visa (points for regional study)
- Subclass 482 Temporary Skills Shortage visa
- Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa
- Subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa
- Subclass 888 Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa
- Subclass 892 State/Territory Sponsored Business Owner visa
