Subclass 491
Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa
Five-year provisional visa with fifteen bonus points. Live and work in a designated regional area for three years and qualify for permanent residence through the 191. The widest occupation list of any skilled visa.
The Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa is the regional pathway within Australia's General Skilled Migration program. It is provisional rather than permanent, but it offers the largest points bonus (fifteen points), the widest occupation list (MLTSSL, STSOL, and ROL), and a clear three-year pathway to permanent residence through the Subclass 191.
For applicants whose 189 prospects are weak and whose state nomination prospects under the 190 are competitive, the 491 frequently presents the most realistic pathway to Australian permanent residence. The trade-off is the requirement to live, work, and study only in a designated regional area for the duration of the provisional visa, enforced by condition 8579.
For 2025-26, the Department of Home Affairs confirmed a national allocation of 7,500 places. NSW received the largest allocation at 1,500 places, followed by Western Australia at 1,400 places.
Two streams
State or territory nominated
Nomination by an Australian state or territory government. Each program operates its own occupation list, selection mechanism, residency requirement, and priority sectors. Most 491 applicants enter through this stream.
Family-sponsored regional
Sponsorship by an eligible relative who is at least 18, is an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen, and is usually resident in a designated regional area. Eligible relatives include parents, children, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews.
The eight state and territory programs
Every Australian state and territory operates a 491 nomination program. Select a state or territory for the eligibility criteria, occupation list, and priority sectors specific to that program.
Australian Capital Territory
800 placesWhole ACT is a designated regional area (Category 2). Canberra Matrix selection.
New South Wales
1,500 placesAll of NSW outside Sydney. Newcastle/Lake Macquarie and Wollongong/Illawarra are Category 2.
Northern Territory
800 placesWhole NT including Darwin is regional. MigrationNT.
Queensland
750 placesAll Queensland outside Brisbane. Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast are Category 2.
South Australia
900 placesEntire state including Adelaide is regional. Migration SA.
Tasmania
650 placesWhole Tasmania including Hobart is regional. Migration Tasmania.
Victoria
700 placesAll Victoria outside Melbourne. Geelong is Category 2.
Western Australia
1,400 placesAll Western Australia. Perth is Category 2 and qualifies.
Designated regional area
The 491 visa requires you to live, work, and study only in a designated regional area. The Department of Home Affairs classifies Australian postcodes into three categories.
Category 1: Major cities (NOT regional)
Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane only. The 491 cannot be held by a person living, working, or studying in these cities.
Category 2: Cities and Major Regional Centres
Perth, Adelaide, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, the entire ACT including Canberra, Newcastle and Lake Macquarie, Wollongong and the Illawarra, Geelong, and Hobart. These are designated regional areas for the 491.
Category 3: Regional Centres and Other Regional Areas
All other postcodes in Australia, including the entire Northern Territory (Darwin and elsewhere), the rest of Tasmania, the rest of South Australia, the rest of Western Australia, the rest of Queensland outside Brisbane and the Gold Coast, the rest of Victoria outside Melbourne and Geelong, and the rest of New South Wales.
Speak with an immigration lawyer about your 491 strategy
We assess your profile against all eight state and territory 491 programs and against the family-sponsored stream. We advise on the program most likely to nominate you and on the conditions you will hold for three years.
Book a consultationVisa conditions and the 191 pathway
The 491 carries four mandatory conditions: 8578 (notify of changes), 8579 (live, work, and study only in regional area), 8580 (provide evidence on request), and 8581 (attend interview on request). Compliance with 8579 is the substantive obligation; the others are reporting and audit mechanisms. Non-compliance can lead to discretionary cancellation under section 116 of the Migration Act.
After three years of compliant residence, work, and study in a designated regional area, the 491 holder is eligible to apply for the Subclass 191 permanent residence visa. The 191 has no minimum income threshold under current criteria. The applicant must provide three Notices of Assessment from the ATO covering income years held during the regional provisional visa, and must demonstrate compliance with condition 8579.
Common questions
What is the 491 visa?
What counts as a designated regional area?
How many bonus points does the 491 attract?
What is the 491 family-sponsored stream?
What is the total 491 allocation for 2025-26?
What conditions apply to the 491?
Information current as at 30 April 2026. State and territory allocations, occupation lists, and designated regional area postcodes are revised periodically. Confirm current settings with the Department of Home Affairs and the relevant state or territory government before lodging an application.