Skilled Work Regional Visa (Subclass 491)

What is the 491 visa?

The Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) is a five-year points-tested visa for skilled workers willing to live, work and study in designated regional Australia. You need either nomination by a state or territory or sponsorship by an eligible family member living in a regional area — worth 15 extra points on the points test. After three years you can apply for the permanent subclass 191, which now has no minimum income requirement — just tax records and condition compliance.

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.

Two doors in: state nomination or family sponsorship

State/territory nomination. Each state runs its own program with its own lists and rules. Queensland's 491 program sits alongside its 190 program — 750 places in 2025-26, all committed, with 2026-27 opening awaiting Commonwealth allocations. Queensland asks 491 nominees to commit to regional Queensland for 3 years.

Family sponsorship. An eligible relative — parent, child or step-child, brother or sister, aunt or uncle, nephew or niece, grandparent or first cousin (including adoptive and step relations, and your partner's relatives if the partner is applying with you) — who is 18+, an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible NZ citizen, and usually resident in a designated regional area, can sponsor you. Family-sponsored EOIs are invited by the Department in its invitation rounds.

The paradox worth knowing: on current Home Affairs figures the family-sponsored stream is processing dramatically faster — half in 3 months against 12 months for state-nominated. If you have an eligible regional relative, that stream deserves a serious look.

Is Logan or Brisbane "regional"? Check your postcode

Brisbane is one of only three cities excluded from designated regional Australia (with Sydney and Melbourne) — but the boundary runs through our own area, postcode by postcode:

• Designated regional (Category 3) includes parts of Logan and its corridor: 4124 (Greenbank), 4125 (Park Ridge South), 4133 (Chambers Flat/Waterford West), 4207 and the Beenleigh–Gold Coast corridor, 4280–4287 (Jimboomba), plus the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Ipswich (4300–4305), Toowoomba and everywhere west and north

• Not regional: core Brisbane and central Logan postcodes — Logan Central, Woodridge, Springwood, Slacks Creek (4114, 4127 and neighbours)

A 491 holder can live in Jimboomba or Beenleigh and be fully compliant, minutes from family in Logan Central. Check your exact postcode on the Home Affairs designated-regional-areas list before planning around it — and note some fringe postcodes only count for visas granted from 5 March 2022.

Federal eligibility (both streams)

• 65 points minimum including the 15 nomination/sponsorship points (your invitation may specify higher)

• Under 45 at the time of invitation

• Suitable skills assessment, obtained within the 3 years before invitation

• Competent English at invitation

• Occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list

• Health and character requirements at application

Conditions on the visa

Condition 8579 requires you to live, work and study only in designated regional areas while you hold the visa. Companion conditions require you to notify address changes (8578), provide evidence of address on request (8580) and attend an interview if asked (8581). Compliance is not box-ticking — it is the evidence base for your 191.

The 191 pathway: simpler than most people think

After holding the 491 (or 494) for three years, you can apply for the permanent subclass 191. The requirements, verified against the Home Affairs 191 stream page:

• Held the eligible visa for at least 3 years

• No minimum income requirement — you provide ATO notices of assessment for 3 income years out of the 5 on the visa (the old fixed income threshold no longer applies)

• Complied with your visa conditions throughout

• 191 application charge: $630 main applicant

Until the 3 years are up, a 491 holder cannot validly apply for the onshore partner visa or be granted most other skilled visas — the regional commitment is real, so the pathway plan needs to be settled before you accept the nomination.

Processing priority — read the queue honestly

Ministerial Direction 122 has set the order for 491 applications since 19 September 2026, and currently for the 191 as well. It replaced Direction 119 and applies to applications already lodged. Seven sectors come first: construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing and resources. Roles linked to law enforcement or defence also come first. This applies whether the applicant is in Australia or overseas. Other applicants in Australia come next, then those who applied from overseas. A priority level is an order of work, not a timeframe. Because higher levels are dealt with first, your occupation and where you applied from can matter more than your lodgement date.

Where 491 applications go wrong (and how to avoid it)

1. Accepting regional life on paper only — 8579 breaches surface at 191 time, when address and tax evidence is assessed

2. Points inflation in the EOI — every point must survive evidence; refusal, not correction, follows

3. Stale skills assessments at invitation (3-year validity)

4. Age-45 timing — assessed at invitation, not EOI lodgement

5. Misreading the regional map — planning a life in a postcode that is not designated

6. No 191 file plan — three years of tax and address evidence is built, not found

If a 491 application is refused, review rights at the Administrative Review Tribunal are strictly time-limited. Our visa refusals and appeals page explains the process and deadlines.

491 planning — Australia-wide and offshore

Migration Vision advises 491 candidates across Australia and overseas, online wherever you are — including the postcode-level question of where regional life can actually work for your family, the state-vs-family-sponsored stream choice, points modelling, and the three-year 191 evidence plan. We advise in English, Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi.

Frequently asked questions

How much does the 491 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. A second instalment of up to $4,890 applies per adult applicant with less than functional English. State nomination fees are separate and vary by state.

How long does the 491 take to process?

On Home Affairs figures read 12 September 2026: family-sponsored applications are running at 50% in 3 months and 90% in 6, while state-nominated applications run 50% in 16 months and 90% in 26 — and Ministerial Direction 122 has set the order since 19 September 2026. Seven sectors come first: construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing and resources. Roles linked to law enforcement or defence also come first. This applies whether the applicant is in Australia or overseas. Other applicants in Australia come next, then those who applied from overseas.

Who can sponsor me for a family-sponsored 491?

A parent, child or step-child, sibling, aunt or uncle, nephew or niece, grandparent or first cousin (including adoptive and step relations — yours, or your partner's if they are applying with you), who is 18 or over, an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, and usually resident in a designated regional area.

Is Logan a designated regional area for the 491?

Parts of it are. Greenbank (4124), Park Ridge South (4125), Chambers Flat and Waterford West (4133), the Beenleigh corridor (4207) and Jimboomba (4280–4287) are designated regional, while core Logan and Brisbane postcodes such as Logan Central, Woodridge and Slacks Creek are not. Check your exact postcode on the Home Affairs list before planning around it.

Is there a minimum income requirement for the 191?

No. The subclass 191 has no minimum income requirement. You provide ATO notices of assessment for three of the five income years on your 491 or 494, show you complied with your visa conditions, and apply after three years. The 191 charge is $630.

How many points does the 491 nomination give me?

15 points — compared with 5 for the 190's state nomination. Combined with the family-sponsorship option and the faster family stream, the 491 is often the practical route for applicants whose points sit below their occupation's 189/190 invitation levels.

Can I move to Brisbane on a 491?

Not while you hold it — condition 8579 requires living, working and studying in designated regional areas for the life of the visa, and compliance is checked at 191 stage. After the permanent 191 is granted, you can live anywhere in Australia.

Why Migration Vision for your 491

• Postcode-accurate regional planning for South East Queensland

• Stream strategy: state nomination vs family sponsorship

• Points modelling and EOI evidence mapping

• The three-year 191 file, built from day one

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, points, processing and regional 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.