Pathway to skilled migration to Australia – subclass 494

subclass 494 visa

Pathway to skilled migration to Australia – subclass 494

Australia’s Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494) allows suitably skilled foreign individuals to move to Australia and live and work in the country upon being nominated by a regional employer. With this visa, you can take your skillset to one of the top immigration destinations in the world, and reach the next step in your career!

What is the subclass 494 visa?

The Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494) is a temporary skilled migration visa to Australia. It allows employers in Australian states and territories to address local labour scarcity by sponsoring qualified foreign individuals to migrate to Australia and join the local workforce for up to five years.

The subclass 494 visa has three streams:

Employer Sponsored stream

This visa allows regional employers in Australia to nominate skilled workers from abroad to address local labour shortages, provided that there are no available Australian workers with the necessary skillset.

Labour Agreement stream

This stream of the subclass 494 visa is for skilled individuals who are nominated by regional Australian employers who have a labour agreement in place with the Australian government.

Subsequent entrant

The Subsequent entrant subcategory allows relatives of a subclass 494 visa holder to migrate to Australia and join the primary visa holder in the country. Eligible relatives must apply separately for their subclass 494 visa.

What are the requirements of this visa?

To be eligible to apply for skilled migration to Australia with the subclass 494 visa, you need to meet the eligibility requirement of each stream, which are as follows:

Employer Sponsored stream

For this stream of the subclass 494 visa, you need to:

  • Be nominated by a regional employer to work in an occupation on the relevant occupations list;
  • Have a work experience of at least three years in your nominated occupation;
  • Work exclusively for your nominating employer;
  • Be less than 45 years of age;
  • Display a functional level of English language proficiency.

Labour Agreement stream

For this stream, you must:

  • Be nominated by a regional employer in a specified occupation under the labour agreement;
  • Have a work experience of at least three years in your specified occupation;
  • Work exclusively for your nominating employer;
  • Be less than 45 years of age;
  • Display a functional level of English language proficiency.

Subsequent entry

For this stream, you should be a family member of a primary subclass 494 visa holder.

What are the benefits of the subclass 494 visa?

With the subclass 494 visa, you can:

  • Live, work and study in your designated regional area in Australia for up to five years;
  • Apply for permanent residency in Australia after three years from the date on which your visa is granted;
  • Travel in and out of the country for five years from the date on which your visa is granted.

How do I apply for this visa, and who can help me with the application process?

To apply for skilled migration to Australia with the subclass 494 visa, contact eduaid! Our dedicated team of immigration consultants are registered with Australia’s Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA), and are officially recognised by the Australian government! We apply all our efforts to maintain the high level of immigration service our valued clients deserve, and will stay with you all the way towards obtaining your Australian visa!

For more information on migration to Australia, please give us a call, or visit our offices!