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 become eligible to apply for permanent residence through the 191. The widest occupation list of the points-tested visas.
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 limited, 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 2026-27, the Migration Program plans 14,110 places for the Regional category, down from 33,000 in 2025-26. As at 15 October 2026 the Department had not published each state's 2026-27 nomination allocation; Tasmania has announced 800 places for the 491.
The visa application charge is $6,140 for the main applicant, $3,070 for each additional applicant aged 18 or over, and $1,535 for each additional applicant under 18 (Migration Regulations 1994, Schedule 1, as at 2 October 2026). A lower charge applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste passport holders. State or territory nomination, or family sponsorship, is a separate process; some jurisdictions charge their own nomination processing fee.
Latest invitation round data
Checked on 22-10-2026 against Home Affairs SkillSelect and the state and territory nomination pages.
State and territory nominations recorded in SkillSelect, 1 July 2026 to 31 August 2026:
| Visa | ACT | NSW | NT | Qld | SA | Tas | Vic | WA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 491 | <5 | 0 | 25 | <5 | 0 | 55 | 0 | 120 |
- Vic, 26 October 2026: Registrations of Interest opened for the subclass 190, with 900 subclass 190 places for 2026-27; subclass 491 places not yet finalised and 491 ROIs not being accepted (source).
- Tas, 23 October 2026: 38 subclass 190 and 32 subclass 491 invitations; lowest scores invited 317 (190) and 76 (491) (source).
- SA, 22 October 2026: Registrations of Interest opened for people living and working in South Australia whose visa expires by 31 January 2027; offshore candidates are invited from their SkillSelect EOI (source).
- WA, 14 October 2026: 1,227 invitations for priority trade and non-trade occupations: 836 subclass 190 and 391 subclass 491 (source).
- ACT, 12 October 2026: 261 subclass 190 invitations across the Canberra Matrix streams; no subclass 491 invitations (source).
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 of you or your partner who is at least 18, is an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen, and is usually resident in a designated area of Australia. Eligible relatives are parents, children, siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, grandparents, and first cousins, including adoptive and step relationships.
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
2026-27: not yet publishedCanberra is Category 2 (Cities and Major Regional Centres). Canberra Matrix selection; no 491 invitations in the October 2026 round.
New South Wales
2026-27: not yet publishedAll of NSW outside Sydney. Newcastle/Lake Macquarie and Wollongong/Illawarra are Category 2. 2026-27 settings under review.
Northern Territory
2026-27: by exception only491 accepted only by exception from some onshore NT Graduate and NT Resident applicants for 2026-27. Nominees commit to live and work in the NT for at least three years.
Queensland
2026-27: not yet publishedAll Queensland outside Brisbane. Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast are Category 2.
South Australia
2026-27: not yet publishedEntire state including Adelaide is regional. Migration SA.
Tasmania
2026-27: 800 placesWhole Tasmania including Hobart is regional. Weekly invitation rounds; no Overseas Skilled Occupation Profiles invitations in 2026-27.
Victoria
2026-27: not yet publishedAll Victoria outside Melbourne. Geelong is Category 2. 2026-27 subclass 491 places not yet finalised; 491 ROIs not being accepted (26 October 2026).
Western Australia
2026-27: not yet publishedAll 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. While in Australia, a 491 holder must not live, work, or study in these cities.
Category 2: Cities and Major Regional Centres
Perth, Adelaide, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, 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, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine 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. Home Affairs states there is no minimum income requirement for the 191. The applicant must provide ATO notices of assessment for three income years out of the five years of the regional provisional visa, and must have complied 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 491 allocation for 2026-27?
What conditions apply to the 491?
Information current as at 15 October 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.