Regional Skilled Work Visas

Yes, but not without a new nomination. Your new employer must complete Standard Business Sponsorship approval, obtain RCB endorsement, and have a new nomination approved before you can start working for them. You cannot simply transfer to a new employer the way some other visa holders can.

Yes — for the duration of the 494 visa, you must live and work in a designated regional area. This is a visa condition and is monitored. Once you receive the Subclass 191 permanent residence visa, the regional living requirement ends and you can live anywhere in Australia.

A Regional Certifying Body (RCB) is a body designated by the Department of Home Affairs to endorse 494 nominations before they are lodged. The RCB confirms that the sponsoring employer is genuinely based in a regional area and that there is a genuine regional need for the role. This step is unique to the 494 and does not exist in the 482 or 186 process. Different regions have different RCBs, each with their own assessment process and timeframes. We identify and engage the correct RCB for every 494 nomination we manage.

A Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) is a negotiated arrangement between the Australian Government and a regional authority that provides expanded migration concessions for that region — including access to occupations not otherwise available, age concessions, English concessions, and in some cases salary concessions. Currently active DAMAs include the Northern Territory, South Australia, Orana NSW, Great South Coast VIC, Pilbara WA, Far North Queensland, and Townsville, among others. We advise on DAMA eligibility and terms across all currently active agreements.

There is a salary threshold for the Subclass 494, which you must comply with before applying for the Subclass 191. You must provide ATO Notices of Assessment for three income years demonstrating genuine economic participation in regional Australia. What matters is that you were genuinely employed and paid at least the salary threshold in a regional area for three years while holding a 494 visa. We track our clients’ 191 eligibility from day one of their 494.

Both lead to PR via the 191 after 3 years in regional Australia. The key difference is that the 491 is a points-tested visa requiring nomination by a state or territory government or an eligible family member — there is no employer sponsorship required. The 494 is employer-sponsored with no points test. If a candidate has a genuine job offer from a regional employer, the 494 is usually the faster and more straightforward pathway. If they do not have an employer, the 491 may be the alternative to explore.