Subclass 494 Visa: The Complete Pillar Guide (2026)

Subclass 494 Visa: The Complete Pillar Guide (2026)

Updated: 13 May 2026

The Subclass 494 (Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional) visa is a 5-year temporary Australian visa for skilled workers nominated by an approved employer in designated regional Australia. It requires a positive skills assessment, an eligible occupation, competent English, age under 45, and compliant salary plus labour-market-testing. After 3 years working regionally, holders can apply for permanent residence via the Subclass 191.

Quick Facts

Who Is the Subclass 494 For?

The 494 is built for:

• Skilled workers with a job offer in regional Australia — including Adelaide, Perth, Hobart, Darwin, Canberra, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Newcastle, Wollongong and the whole of regional NSW, Victoria, Queensland, WA, SA, Tasmania, NT and ACT.
• Employers in regional Australia that cannot fill a role from the local labour market and need to sponsor an overseas worker.
• Applicants whose occupation is on a 494-eligible list, including occupations on the Regional Occupation List (ROL) that are not available under metropolitan employer-sponsored visas.
• Applicants who are willing to commit to 3 years of regional living and working in exchange for a structured PR pathway through the Subclass 191.

Eligibility Requirements

• Age: Under 45 at the time of application (limited exemptions apply).
• Occupation: On a 494-eligible occupation list for the relevant stream (Employer Sponsored stream or Labour Agreement stream).
• Skills assessment: Positive assessment from the relevant assessing authority — see skills assessment complete guide.
• Work experience: At least 3 years of relevant full-time work experience in the nominated occupation.
• English: Competent English — IELTS 6.0 in each band, or equivalent PTE / TOEFL / OET / Cambridge.
• Sponsor: An approved Standard Business Sponsor (see SBS) located in a designated regional area, nominating a genuine position.
• Labour market testing: The employer must satisfy labour market testing requirements — proving the role was advertised and could not be filled locally.
• Salary: Paid at least the TSMIT or the market salary rate, whichever is higher.
• Health and character: Standard requirements; may include health undertakings for some conditions.

Application Process at a High Level

1. Find a regional employer willing to sponsor — see how to find an employer sponsor in Australia.
2. The employer becomes (or is) a Standard Business Sponsor if not already approved.
3. The employer lodges a 494 nomination for the specific position, satisfying labour market testing and paying the Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy.
4. The applicant gets a skills assessment for the nominated occupation if not already held.
5. The applicant sits an English test if results are not already in hand.
6. The applicant lodges the 494 visa application with passport, skills assessment, English results, work-experience evidence and health/character documents.
7. Decision. On grant, the 494 is valid for 5 years with conditions to live and work in a designated regional area for the approved employer.
8. After 3 years of compliant regional living and working, apply for the Subclass 191 for permanent residence.

The full operational walkthrough of the 494 is at Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa (Subclass 494).

Costs and Processing Times

• The headline Visa Application Charge for a 494 main applicant is $4,640 AUD, with reduced amounts for a partner and dependent children.
• Employers also pay nomination charges and the SAF levy, which scales with business turnover and visa length.
• Processing times vary widely by stream, occupation, and document completeness. A complete file with a stable, well-evidenced regional sponsor is materially faster than one with documentation gaps.

Common Pitfalls

• Working outside the approved region. Condition 8579 ties the 494 holder to designated regional postcodes — moving to Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane breaches the visa and risks cancellation and loss of the 191 pathway.
• Changing employers without a new nomination. A 494 holder must work for the approved sponsor in the nominated occupation; changing employer requires a fresh nomination.
• Underpayment of salary. Sponsors that pay below TSMIT or below the genuine market rate for the role create a sponsor-obligation breach that can collapse the visa.
• Occupation/role mismatch. The duties actually performed must match the nominated ANZSCO occupation — a 494 holder doing materially different work is in breach.
• Missing the 3-year regional requirement. The Subclass 191 PR pathway requires 3 full years of regional living and working and meeting an income threshold across each of those years; gaps in regional employment can reset the clock.
• Choosing 494 when 482 (SID) would have worked. The Skills in Demand visa is shorter (4 years) but unrestricted by region and offers a faster PR route in some streams — see the Skills in Demand visa (482) and ENS Subclass 186 for the comparison.

Related Pages

• Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa (Subclass 494) — full guide
• Permanent Residence Regional (Subclass 191)
• Skills in Demand visa (Subclass 482)
• Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186)
• How to find an employer sponsor in Australia
• Standard Business Sponsorship (SBS)
• TSMIT minimum salary threshold
• Labour market testing requirements
• Skills assessment complete guide
• Skilled Occupation List (SOL) 2026