Regional Visas
The Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (Subclass 494) was introduced in November 2019 and enables employers to address chronic labour shortages in regional areas by hiring skilled foreign workers where an Australian worker cannot be sourced. Positions in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are excluded from this visa program – businesses looking to sponsor foreign workers in these cities should consider the subclass 482 (TSS) visa.
The 494 visa is available for positions based in regional areas, which includes all of Western Australia, South Australia, Northern Territory as well as the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Newcastle/Lake Macquarie, Wollongong/Illawarra, Geelong and Hobart. The visa is valid for 5 years and provides a pathway to permanent residence after 3 years. It allows access to Medicare but is subject to the “Skilling Australia Fund” (SAF) – a government levy employers must pay to be able to sponsor foreign workers.
Visa holders who abide by their conditions for 3 years can apply for a subclass 191 (Permanent Residence
(Skilled Regional)) visa if they earned the required minimum taxable annual income (likely to be $53,900 per annum). Unlike the TSS visa pathways to permanent residence, 494 holders do not require sponsorship to progress to the subclass 191 permanent visa.
A list of eligible postcodes is below.
| State or Territory | Category | Postcodes |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | Cities and major regional centres | 2259, 2264 to 2308, 2500 to 2526, 2528 to 2535 and 2574 |
| Regional centres and other regional areas | 2250 to 2258, 2260 to 2263, 2311 to 2490, 2527, 2536 to 2551, 2575 to 2739, 2753 to 2754, 2756 to 2758 and 2773 to 2898 | |
| Victoria | Cities and major regional centres | 3211 to 3232, 3235, 3240, 3328, 3330 to 3333, 3340 and 3342 |
| Regional centres and other regional areas | 3097 to 3099, 3139, 3233 to 3234, 3236 to 3239, 3241 to 3325, 3329, 3334, 3341, 3345 to 3424, 3430 to 3799, 3809 to 3909, 3912 to 3971 and 3978 to 3996 | |
| Queensland | Cities and major regional centres | 4207 to 4275, 4517 to 4519, 4550 to 4551, 4553 to 4562, 4564 to 4569 and 4571 to 4575 |
| Regional centres and other regional areas | 4124 to 4125, 4133, 4183 to 4184, 4280 to 4287, 4306 to 4498, 4507, 4552, 4563, 4570 and 4580 to 4895 | |
| Western Australia | Cities and major regional centres | 6000 to 6038, 6050 to 6083, 6090 to 6182, 6208 to 6211, 6214 and 6556 to 6558 |
| Regional centres and other regional areas | All postcodes in Western Australia not mentioned in ‘Cities and major regional centres’ category above | |
| South Australia | Cities and major regional centres | 5000 to 5171, 5173 to 5174, 5231 to 5235, 5240 to 5252, 5351 and 5950 to 5960 |
| Regional centres and other regional areas | All postcodes in South Australia not mentioned in ‘Cities and major regional centres’ category above | |
| Tasmania | Cities and major regional centres | 7000, 7004 to 7026, 7030 to 7109, 7140 to 7151 and 7170 to 7177 |
| Regional centres and other regional areas | All postcodes in Tasmania not mentioned in ‘Cities and major regional centres’ category above | |
| Australian Capital Territory | Cities and major regional centres | All postcodes in the Australian Capital Territory |
| Regional centres and other regional areas | None | |
| Northern Territory | Cities and major regional centres | None |
| Regional centres and other regional areas | All postcodes in the Northern Territory | |
| Norfolk Island | Cities and major regional centres | None |
| Regional centres and other regional areas | All postcodes in Norfolk Island | |
| Other Territories | Cities and major regional centres | None |
| Regional centres and other regional areas | All postcodes in a Territory other than the Australian Capital Territory, the Northern Territory or Norfolk Island |
Contact us for more information.