Subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional

The Subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa subclass 494 was opened for new applications from 16 November 2019. It replaces the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) visa subclass 187.

The Subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa allows skilled workers to be sponsored by an Australian employer in a designated regional area for up to five years. To be eligible to apply for the subclass 494 visa, employer sponsors and visa applicants must meet certain eligibility criteria.

With this visa you can live, work and study in designated regional areas of Australia only (designated regional areas are defined as any area excluding Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane – Note: Gold Coast is classified as a regional area).

Unlike the RSMS 187 visa, the 494 visa does not grant immediate permanent residency, however a 494 visa holder may be eligible to apply for the new Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) Visa (subclass 191) (open to applications from 16 November 2022), when the following is met:

  1. The visa holder has worked in the designated regional area for at least 3 years, whilst holding a 494 visa;
  2. Have earned the minimum taxable income for at least 3 years as the holder of a regional provisional visa; and
  3. Both primary and secondary applicants have complied with the conditions of the eligible visa.

The 494 visa is advantageous as it is open to an extensive amount of occupations that are not otherwise available in other visa programs.  Contacting a skilled migration agent who can put together a clear plan for pursing the subclass 494 is an important first step.

If you believe you qualify for the above visa and want some further information and assistance, please contact us via our online enquiry form.

This is a great opportunity for regional migrants especially with the entire Gold Coast region being open to the subclass 494 program.  Contact us now to get started on your progress towards permanent residency.

Subclass 494 visa for the Gold Coast

  • Testimonial

    We were so relieved to find someone who not only knew what they were doing but who also were genuinely interested in our plight to get a visa for my partner to be able to stay in Australia.”

    – John & Melinda Ayiku

    -
  • “We have tried a number of migration agent companies in Australia within the last few years, and Glenn is a breath of fresh air. We’ve had problems with promises made by other agents before, but GW Migration are very open, honest and trustworthy. Glenn’s experience was clear to see right from the initial enquiry and there is no way we would every consider choosing a different agent ever again – Glenn and GW Migration come highly recommended from the team at Bean Media Group”

    – Bean Media Group

    -
  • Testimonial 02

    We highly recommend GW Migration to everybody. Glenn helped us in our application throughout the whole process; always being in touch, suggesting us, providing guidelines, encouraging us and always being positive in a very professional manner. We are glad that we choose GW Migration for us and its affordable not like other money making agencies. We are very satisfied with the results. Thank you so much GW Migration and team.

    – Rajju Adhikari

    -
  • Thank you SO much Glenn and Toni, we appreciate your hard work and support! Highly recommended.

    – Katherine Fraser

    -
  • Glenn and his assistant Liz were very professional and helpful; they answered all of my questions quickly and provided great advice. Very happy with their services and would recommend them to anyone applying for any visa in Australia as the process can feel very overwhelming and intimidating.

    – Jessica Engle

    -
  • My son and I were granted our Regional Sponsored Migration Visas last week and would like to take this opportunity to express our sincerest gratitude for all the guidance and hard work that Glenn put in to our not so straight forward case. Throughout the whole process which at many times can seem so perplexing and intimidating Glenn provided us with sound and concise advise and helped to keep the morale up. The amount of red tape and documentation necessary for this process can seem like a logistical nightmare at times but step by step he got us through it and to the finishing line in the end!

    The fact that we were granted our visas will have life-long repercussions for both my son and I and therefore I recommend to anyone out there about to embark on this process to use a reputable and trustworthy immigration agency, such as GW Migration. We have been absolutely elated since hearing the news last week and could not have done it without them.

    – Hayley van Tonder

    -
  • My wife and i chose Glenn Wellburn because we felt he was honest and very professional in his work.Prior to coming to him we met with several migration officers who did not seem clear about our case nor did we feel we could trust our future to them.

    I would recommend Glenn to anyone seeking professional advice on matters of migration to Australia. He is solid in his preparation of documentation and is caring in his approach.

    Thanks again Glenn!

    – Anjali and Greg

    -
  • After 2 years of trying to organize papers to apply for permanent residency myself, I came to see Glenn to see if he could help. After about 3 weeks, I received notification that my application for a Returned Residents Visa had been approved. They were professional in all that they did and because of their help, mine and my family’s future is now secure and looks a lot more promising.

    – Jerome de Thierry

    -

We can arrange an initial consultation to discuss the Australian Visa Application process in detail. Alternatively you can complete our Australian Visa online enquiry: