Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional Visa (Subclass 494)

What is the 494 visa?

The Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494) lets a business in designated regional Australia sponsor a skilled worker for up to five years, with a permanent residency pathway through the subclass 191 after three years — now with no minimum income test. It is the regional cousin of the 482: same employer-sponsorship machinery, but the role, the employer and your life sit in regional Australia, and the visa runs five years instead of four.

At a glance (figures updated 12 September 2026)

Figures are set by the Australian Government and change — most index on 1 July each year. Confirm the current charge on the Department of Home Affairs website before lodgement.

Who the 494 is for

• Regional employers who cannot fill a skilled role locally and want a five-year commitment rather than the 482's four

• Skilled workers whose occupation appears on the 494 list — which is broader than the 482's core list — and who are open to regional life with a clear PR endpoint

For a South East Queensland audience the map matters: the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Ipswich, Toowoomba, the Beenleigh–Jimboomba corridor and everywhere beyond are designated regional; Brisbane and core Logan postcodes are not. An employer in Beenleigh (4207) can sponsor on the 494; the same business in Slacks Creek cannot.

Worker eligibility

• At least 3 years of full-time relevant work experience in the nominated occupation at the required skill level, generally within the last five years (part-time can count pro-rata; casual work does not)

• Skills assessment before lodgement — with narrow exemptions for existing 457/482 holders assessed for that visa, academics, and government- or university-nominated scientists. A skills assessment obtained for a 485 is not valid for the 494

• Under 45, with exemptions including academics, regional medical practitioners with two of the last three years regional, researchers, 444/461 holders with two years for the nominating employer, and certain 457/482 transitional workers

• Competent English

• Health and character requirements

Employer side

• Standard Business Sponsorship ($420, approval lasts five years)

• Nomination of a genuine, full-time regional role likely to exist for five years, endorsed by the relevant Regional Certifying Body

• Salary at or above the TSMIT — $79,423 for 2026-27 nominations — and the market rate for the role

• SAF levy: one-off $3,000 (turnover under $10 million) or $5,000, payable at nomination. Reduced pro-rata where the nominee already holds a 494. Passing any of these costs to the worker is unlawful.

Conditions and the 191 pathway

The 494 carries the regional conditions — live, work and study in designated regional areas, notify address changes, provide evidence on request. Compliance is the evidence base for the permanent stage:

After three years holding the 494 you can apply for the subclass 191: ATO notices of assessment for three of the five income years, condition compliance throughout, and a $630 application charge. There is no minimum income requirement — the old fixed threshold no longer applies. Until the three years are up, a 494 holder cannot validly apply for the onshore partner visa or be granted most other skilled visas, so the pathway needs committing to, not drifting into.

Direction 122 and the 494 order

Since 19 September 2026, Ministerial Direction 122 has set the order for 494 applications, along with the 186, 187, 189, 190, 191, 489, 491, 887 and 888. Direction 119 no longer applies. Direction 122 also covers applications already lodged. It has four levels, highest first:

For a regional business this changes the planning. A worker in a priority sector now sits in the top level whether you recruit them from overseas or from within Australia. Outside those sectors, a worker already in Australia still sits ahead of one recruited from overseas. The Direction defines which occupations count for each sector, so check the nominated occupation against it. A priority level sets the order applications are dealt with in, not how long a decision takes.

Figures current as at 23 September 2026; confirm with the Department of Home Affairs before lodgement.

Where 494 applications go wrong (and how to avoid it)

1. Casual work counted as experience — it does not count; the three years must be full-time or pro-rata part-time

2. Skills assessment timing — required before lodgement, and 485-obtained assessments are invalid for the 494

3. Salary set below TSMIT or below market rate — nomination refusal

4. Regional-boundary mistakes — role or residence in a non-designated postcode

5. No 191 evidence plan — three years of tax and address records are built from day one, not assembled at the end

6. Employer compliance gaps surfacing at nomination — RCB endorsement, genuine-position evidence, LMT

If a nomination or visa is refused, review rights at the Administrative Review Tribunal are strictly time-limited. Our visa refusals and appeals page explains the process and deadlines.

494 sponsorship for regional employers Australia-wide

Migration Vision works with regional employers in every state — from the Gold Coast and Ipswich to every designated regional area in Australia — sponsorship approval, RCB endorsement, TSMIT and market-rate benchmarking, nomination, the worker's visa, and the three-year runway to the 191, managed as one file. Employer and worker at the same table.

Frequently asked questions

How much does the 494 visa cost in 2026?

The application charge is $6,140 for the main applicant for applications lodged on or after 1 July 2026, plus $3,070 per additional applicant 18+ and $1,535 per child. The employer pays sponsorship ($420), nomination, and a one-off SAF levy of $3,000 or $5,000 depending on turnover — employer costs cannot lawfully be passed to the worker.

How long does the 494 take to process?

The Home Affairs processing-times tool, read on 12 September 2026, shows 50% of 494 employer-sponsored applications decided within 4 months and 90% within 12 months. The labour agreement stream runs slightly shorter, at 50% in 3 months and 90% in 11.

What salary must a 494 role pay in 2026?

At least the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold — $79,423 for nominations lodged between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027 — and no less than the annual market salary rate for the occupation.

Does the 494 lead to permanent residency?

Yes — the subclass 191 after three years holding the 494. There is no minimum income requirement: you provide ATO notices of assessment for three of the five income years, show condition compliance, and pay a $630 charge.

Is the Gold Coast or Ipswich "regional" for the 494?

Yes — the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Ipswich, Toowoomba and the Beenleigh–Jimboomba corridor are all designated regional areas. Brisbane and core Logan postcodes are not. Check the exact postcode on the Home Affairs designated-regional-areas list.

Can I change employers on a 494?

Only to another approved regional sponsor with a new nomination — and time already served may count toward the 191 in some circumstances. Get advice before resigning.

494 or 482 — which should we use?

If the business is in a designated regional area and the role is long-term, the 494's broader occupation list and five-year term often win; the 482 suits metropolitan employers and faster Specialist-stream hires. The PR endpoint differs too: 482→186 needs two years, 494→191 needs three.

Why Migration Vision for your 494

• Regional-boundary and RCB strategy for South East Queensland

• TSMIT and market-rate benchmarking that survives nomination scrutiny

• One file: sponsorship, nomination, visa, and the 191 runway

Reviewed by Dr Asad Muhammad Khan, Registered Migration Agent, MARN 2619525. Processing-priority section updated 23 September 2026 (Ministerial Directions 121 and 122). Updated 12 September 2026 — fee, threshold and processing figures verified against the Department of Home Affairs website and processing-times tool on that date; confirm current figures before lodgement. This page is general information, not migration advice for your circumstances.