Subclass 491 · SA
South Australia regional nomination
Five-year provisional visa with fifteen nomination points. Pathway to permanent residence through the 191 after three years of regional compliance. ROIs opened on 22 October 2026 for people living and working in South Australia whose visa expires by 31 January 2027; offshore candidates are invited from their EOI.
The South Australia Government nominates skilled migrants for the Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa. The program is administered by Skilled and Business Migration (Migration SA) and uses a Registration of Interest (ROI) mechanism for onshore candidates. South Australia's 2025-26 allocation was 900 subclass 491 places. On 22 October 2026 South Australia opened Registrations of Interest (ROIs) for people living and working in South Australia whose current visa expires by 31 January 2027. Offshore candidates do not submit an ROI and are invited from their EOI in SkillSelect. All applicants must have a current EOI lodged in SkillSelect. Invitations focus on candidates working in the priority sectors building and construction, defence, education, engineering, health and manufacturing; high-ranking candidates in other sectors may also be considered. As at 15 October 2026, Home Affairs had not yet published 2026-27 state allocations and recorded no 491 nominations by South Australia from 1 July to 31 August 2026.
Checked on 27-10-2026 against Move to South Australia, General Skilled Migration program update (22 October 2026).
The 491 is provisional for five years. Holders must comply with condition 8579 (live, work, and study only in a designated regional area) throughout the visa period. After three years of compliant residence in SA, holders may apply for the Subclass 191 permanent residence visa.
Regional area scope
The whole of South Australia is a designated regional area for the 491. Home Affairs classes Adelaide as Category 2 (Cities and Major Regional Centres) and the rest of the state as Category 3, so a 491 holder may live and work in Adelaide.
SA 491 eligibility
Federal eligibility
Standard 491 federal criteria: under 45 at invitation, a suitable skills assessment, at least Competent English, at least 65 points (including the fifteen nomination points), health and character. South Australia's own streams require you to be under 45 when state nomination is approved.
Nominated occupation
Occupation must be on South Australia's Skilled Occupation List, which shows the streams under which each occupation is eligible.
SA-specific requirements
Under the 2025-26 settings, onshore streams required current residence and work in South Australia: 12 months of residence and full-time work for Skilled Employment in South Australia, 9 months living and working in outer regional South Australia for Outer Regional Skilled Employment, and 6 months for South Australian graduates, with study requirements. Full-time means at least 30 hours a week. Offshore candidates do not submit an ROI and are selected from their EOIs, with at least three years of skilled work experience in the last five years. These settings may change for 2026-27.
Priority sectors
For 2025-26, South Australia prioritised building and construction, defence, education, engineering, health and manufacturing; high-ranking candidates in other sectors may also be considered. For 2026-27, invitations focus on candidates working in the priority sectors building and construction, defence, education, engineering, health and manufacturing; high-ranking candidates in other sectors may also be considered.
From the 491 to the 191
After three years of compliant residence, work, and study in a designated regional area within South Australia (or elsewhere in regional Australia), 491 holders may apply for the Subclass 191 Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa. The 191 has no minimum income requirement. The applicant must provide ATO notices of assessment for three income years out of the five years of the eligible visa, must have complied with condition 8579, and must have substantially complied with the visa's other conditions.
Compliance is documented through residential leases, utility bills, employment contracts, payslips, ATO records, and bank statements showing regional transactions. Sparse documentation creates doubt at the 191 stage. Maintaining contemporaneous records throughout the provisional period is essential.
Speak with an immigration lawyer about your SA 491 application
We assess your profile against South Australia's priority sectors and the regional area scope, advise on the realistic prospect of nomination, and prepare both the state and federal applications to a litigation-ready standard.
Book a consultationSouth Australia 491 nomination activity
Checked on 22-10-2026 against Home Affairs SkillSelect and the South Australia nomination page.
- Subclass 491 nominations recorded in SkillSelect, 1 July 2026 to 31 August 2026
- 0
- Latest round published by South Australia
- 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.
Common questions
What areas of South Australia qualify as regional for the 491?
How does the SA 491 nomination process work?
Is South Australia accepting 491 ROIs now?
Which occupations qualify?
What conditions apply once granted?
What are SA's priority sectors for the 491?
Information current as at 27 October 2026. South Australia program settings, occupation lists, and regional postcodes are revised through the program year. Confirm current settings at migration.sa.gov.au before lodging an application.