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494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) Vissa

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Subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa 

Employer-Sponsored stream 

This visa enables regional employers to address identified labour shortages within their region by sponsoring skilled workers where employers can’t source an appropriately skilled Australian worker. 

Applicant must have: 

• be nominated to work in an occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list 
• have at least 3 years relevant work experience in your nominated occupation 
• have a relevant skills assessment, unless an exemption applies 
• work only for your sponsor or associated entity, unless an exemption applies 
• be under 45 years of age, unless an exemption applies 
• meet minimum standards of English language proficiency 

Eligibility 

1. Be this age: 

You must be under 45 years of age when you apply for the visa. 

You are exempt from this criteria if any of the following applies to you: 

• you are nominated as an academic (university lecturer or faculty head at Academic Level B, C D or E) by a university in Australia 
• you are nominated as a medical practitioner and have been employed in that occupation for 3 years immediately before you apply as the holder of a Temporary Work (Skilled) visa (subclass 457) or Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa (subclass 482) visa, with at least 2 years of this time employed in regional Australia 
• you are nominated as a scientist, researcher or technical (scientific) specialist at ANZSCO skill level 1 or 2 by an Australian scientific government agency or Australian university 
• you have held a Special Category visa (subclass 444) or New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship visa (subclass 461) visa for the last 3 years immediately before you apply and have worked for the employer who nominated you, in the nominated occupation, for at least 2 years during that time you 
• you have held a subclass 457 visa or TSS visa for the last 3 years immediately before you apply 
• you have worked in your nominated occupation for the employer who nominated you at all time during those 3 years 
• you had annual earnings for each of those 3 years, that were equal to or greater than the Fair Work High Income Threshold that applied at the end of the relevant year. 

2.Be nominated by an approved sponsor:  

You must be nominated by an employer whose business is lawfully operating in Australia. 

You must be employed to work in the nominated occupation and in a position within the sponsoring business or an associated entity of that business, located in a designated regional area of Australia. 

Before you can apply for the visa, your employer will need to lodge a nomination application for you. They will only be able to do this if they are an approved work sponsor or have at least lodged an application to become a standard business sponsor. 

3. Have relevant skills, qualifications, and work experience 

If you are the primary visa applicant, you must demonstrate that you have the skills, qualifications, and work experience necessary to perform the nominated occupation. 

You must undertake a skills assessment to demonstrate this – see Have a positive skills assessment below. 

If it is not mandatory for you to undertake a skills assessment, you are still required to provide other evidence to demonstrate that you meet this requirement – see ‘Skills and qualifications documents’ under the Step by step tab. 

You must have been employed in the nominated occupation for at least 3 years on a full-time basis and at the skill level required for the nominated occupation. 

Generally, you should have gained your experience within the last 5 years. The period does not need to be continuous. We might consider equivalent part-time work. We do not consider casual work. 

4. Have a positive skills assessment:  

You must have your skills assessed as suitable for the nominated occupation by the relevant assessing authority. The assessment will show us you have the skills to work in the nominated occupation. 

The skills assessment must be undertaken before your application is lodged. A skills assessment obtained for a Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) is not a valid assessment for this visa. 

You do not need to complete a skills assessment if at the time of application you held a Temporary Work (Skilled) visa (subclass 457) or Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482) for the nominated occupation and in order to be granted that visa, you were required to demonstrate your skills by providing a suitable skills assessment. 

You are exempt from this criteria if any of the following applies to you: 

• you are nominated as an academic (University Lecturer or Faculty Head at academic Level A, B, C, D or E) by an Australian university 
• you have held a Special Category visa (subclass 444) or New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship visa (subclass 461) visa for the last 3 years immediately before you apply and have worked for the employer who nominated you, in the nominated occupation, for at least 2 years during that time 

5. Have this level of English language 

You must have at least Competent English to be granted this visa. 

Meet other requirements: 

• Meet our health requirement 
• Meet our character requirement 
• Sign the Australian values statement 
• Have no debt to the Australian Government 
• Not have had a visa cancelled or a previous application refused 

 

Application Cost 

 The visa costs AUD4,045 for the main applicant.  

There is also a charge for each family member who applies for the visa with you: 

The second instalment charges are: 

• AUD2,025 for each dependent 18 years and over 
• AUD1,010 for each dependent under 18 years 

The second instalment:  

additional AUD4,890 if any dependent applicants who are 18 years and over do not have functional English 

 

Labour Agreement stream 

This stream is for skilled workers nominated by employers who have a labour agreement. Labour agreements are developed between the Australian Government (represented by the Department) and employers. 

Applicant must have: 

• be nominated to work in a specified occupation under the terms of a labour agreement 
• have at least 3 years relevant work experience in your nominated occupation 
• have a relevant skills assessment, if this is specified in the labour agreement 
• work only for your sponsor 
• be under 45 years of age, unless the labour agreement states otherwise 
• meet minimum standards of English language proficiency 

 

Eligibility 

1. Be working under a labour agreement:  

The nominated occupation must be the subject of a labour agreement between the Commonwealth and the nominator. 

See the labour agreement under which you will be working. 

2. Be this age: 

Unless the labour agreement provides otherwise, you must be aged under 45 years when you apply. 

3. Have relevant skills, qualifications and work experience: 

You must demonstrate that you have the skills, qualifications and work experience necessary to perform the nominated occupation. 

You must undertake a skills assessment to demonstrate this if having a skills assessment is specified in the labour agreement – see Have a positive skills assessment section below. 

If it is not mandatory for you to undertake a skills assessment, you are still required to provide other evidence to demonstrate that you meet this requirement – see ‘Skills and qualifications documents’ under the Step by step tab. 

You must have been employed in the nominated occupation for at least 3 years on a full-time basis and at the skill level required for the nominated occupation. 

Generally, you should have gained your experience within the last 5 years. The period does not need to be continuous. We might consider equivalent part-time work. We do not consider casual work. 

4. Have a positive skills assessment 

If having s skills assessment is specified in the labour agreement, you must have your skills assessed as suitable for the nominated occupation by the relevant assessing authority. The assessment will show us you have the skills to work in the nominated occupation. 

Learn more about skills assessments. 

5. Have level of English language 

You must have the level of English as specified in the labour agreement to be granted this visa. Learn more about English language. 

Meet other requirements: 

• Meet our health requirement 
• Meet our character requirement 
• Sign the Australian values statement 
• Have no debt to the Australian Government 
• Not have had a visa cancelled or a previous application refused 

 

Application Cost 

The visa costs AUD4,045 for the main applicant.  

There is also a charge for each family member who applies for the visa with you: 

The second instalment charges are: 

• AUD2,025 for each dependent 18 years and over
• AUD1,010 for each dependent under 18 years

The second instalment:  

additional AUD4,890 if any dependent applicants who are 18 years and over do not have functional English 

Subsequent entrant 

This visa is for members of the family unit of a Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (SESR) (Provisional) visa (subclass 494) holder who are applying separately for their SESR visa and wish to join the primary SESR visa holder in Australia. 

Applicant must have: 

• be a member of the family unit of a primary SESR visa holder 

 

Eligibility 

1. Be this age: 

You must be under 45 years of age when you apply for the visa. 

2. Have a family member who is a primary SESR visa holder: 

You must have a family member who is a primary SESR visa holder, or main applicant for a SESR visa, to be able to lodge a subsequent entrant visa application. 

3. Be nominated by the primary SESR visa holder’s work sponsor 

The work sponsor (employer) with the most recent approved nomination in relation to the primary SESR visa holder, or main applicant for a SESR visa, must agree (or have agreed) in writing to include you as a family member in the nomination. 

4. Have this level of English language 

You must show that you have Functional English. If you can’t show that you have Functional English, you will need to pay the second instalment. 

Meet other requirements: 

• Meet our health requirement 
• Meet our character requirement 
• Sign the Australian values statement 
• Have no debt to the Australian Government 
• Not have had a visa cancelled or a previous application refused 

 

Application Cost 

The visa costs AUD4,045 for the main applicant.  

There is also a charge for each family member who applies for the visa with you: 

The second instalment charges are: 

• family members: AUD4890 if the subsequent entrant is 18 years and over and does not have functional English