Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494)
This visa enables regional employers to address identified labour shortages within their region by sponsoring skilled workers where employers can't source an appropriately skilled Australian worker.
Why this page is in English
This page explains your legal rights and how FairLanding works. Because the exact wording matters for legal accuracy, we keep it in English only — the same language as the official Fair Work and Department of Home Affairs documents it refers to.
If anything here is unclear, you have a few free options:
- •Use your browser's built-in translate feature (right-click the page and select "Translate")
- •Call 131 450 (Translating and Interpreting Service) for a free phone interpreter in over 150 languages
- •Email us at hello@fairlanding.com.au and we'll explain it in plain language
We'd rather you ask a question than guess. Your rights are the same whether you read this page in English or with a translation.
With this visa, you can
live, work and study only in designated regional areas of Australia for 5 years
travel to and from Australia as many times as you want while the visa is valid
if eligible, apply for permanent residence after 3 years from the time the visa is granted
How long you can stay
This is a provisional visa. You can stay for 5 years from the grant date (Employer Sponsored and Labour Agreement streams). Subsequent Entrant: up to 5 years, expiring at the same time as the primary visa holder's visa.
You can't stay longer by extending this visa — a new nomination and a new visa application are needed.
Designated regional areas include all of Australia except Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.
Include family
You can include family unit members when you apply, or add a dependent child after submitting but before a decision is made.
If you don't include your partner or dependent children, you must tell the Department why (e.g. they already hold citizenship or PR).
If your family situation changes after you've already applied or after the visa is granted, family members can apply separately as a Subsequent Entrant — this requires a written letter from the primary visa holder's work sponsor extending their sponsorship obligation to include the new family member. Discuss this with the sponsor before lodging.
Family members applying with you must meet health and character requirements; those not applying with you might also need to.
Cost
The visa costs AUD $6,140.00 for the main applicant (concessions apply in limited circumstances). There is also a charge for each family member who applies with you.
AUD $3,070.00 for each dependant 18 years and over, AUD $1,535.00 for each dependant under 18. An additional second instalment of AUD $4,890.00 applies for any dependant 18+ (or a Subsequent Entrant) who doesn't have Functional English. You'll also pay separately for English tests, health checks, police certificates, and biometrics.
From 1 July 2026, a lower visa cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid visa application. This is based on the primary applicant's passport and also covers eligible family members.
Eligible passports: Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu
Apply from
You can be in or outside Australia when you apply and when a decision is made, but not in immigration clearance.
If applying in Australia, you must hold a substantive visa or a Bridging visa A, B, or C — otherwise your application won't be valid.
Processing times
Use the DHA visa processing time guide tool for an indication based on recently decided applications — it is a guide only, not specific to your application.
Applications are assessed case-by-case; processing time depends on whether you lodged a complete application, how quickly you respond to requests for more information, and how long required checks (including with external agencies) take.
Your obligations
You and your family must comply with all visa conditions and obey Australian laws.
Employer Sponsored and Labour Agreement streams: you must begin employment within 90 days of entering Australia (if outside Australia when granted) or the grant date (if in Australia when granted). You must only work in your nominated occupation, only for your nominating employer, and only in regional Australia — the visa can be cancelled if you don't.
Subsequent Entrant: you must live, work and study only in designated regional areas — the visa can be cancelled if you don't (no separate employment-start deadline applies, since this stream isn't tied to your own employment).
Tell the Department if your phone number, email, address, passport, employer, employment status (including promotions and hour changes), or relationship status changes, or if you have a child.
Travel
You can travel outside Australia and return as many times as you want while the visa is valid.
Time spent outside Australia does not extend the visa.
Visa label
We will digitally link your visa to your passport. You will not get a label in your passport.
Sourced directly from the Department of Home Affairs — last verified 29 July 2026. This is general information, not migration advice. Always confirm current requirements at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au or consult a MARA-registered migration agent.