Subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional Visa: Complete Guide (2026)
Published 2026-02-14
Key Facts — Subclass 494 at a Glance
Visa type: Provisional (5-year visa with pathway to permanent residency). Application cost (2025–26): $4,640 (main applicant). Nomination fee: $540 (paid by employer). Processing time: 6–12 months. Age limit: Under 45 at time of application. English requirement: Competent English minimum (IELTS 6.0 in each band or equivalent). Must work for the sponsoring employer in a designated regional area. Pathway to permanent residency through Subclass 191 after 3 years. No points test required — this is an employer-sponsored visa.
What is the Subclass 494 Visa?
The Subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa allows Australian employers in regional areas to sponsor skilled overseas workers when they cannot find suitable Australian workers. It replaced the old Subclass 187 Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme visa in November 2019. Unlike the points-tested 491 visa, the 494 does not require a points test — instead, an employer in a designated regional area must nominate you for a position that matches your skills and qualifications. The visa is valid for 5 years and provides a clear pathway to permanent residency through the Subclass 191 visa after you have lived and worked in a regional area for at least 3 years. This makes the 494 an attractive option for skilled workers who have a job offer in regional Australia but may not have enough points for the 189 or 190 visas.
Two Streams: Employer Sponsored and Labour Agreement
The 494 has two streams. The Employer Sponsored stream is the standard pathway where an approved sponsor nominates you for a skilled position in a regional area. The occupation must be on the combined MLTSSL, STSOL, or ROL lists, and you must have a positive skills assessment. The Labour Agreement stream applies when an employer has a formal labour agreement with the Australian Government that covers regional occupations. Labour agreements are negotiated between an employer (or industry body) and the Department, and they can include occupations or concessions not available under the standard stream. Most applicants use the Employer Sponsored stream. Labour agreements are more common in industries like meat processing, dairy, horticulture, fishing, and aged care where specific regional workforce shortages exist.
Employer Requirements and Sponsorship
Your employer must be an approved Standard Business Sponsor (SBS) or become one before nominating you. The sponsorship process requires the employer to demonstrate they are a lawfully operating business in a designated regional area, have no adverse information (such as previous sponsorship breaches), and can meet their sponsorship obligations including paying market salary rates. The employer must also demonstrate genuine need for the position through labour market testing — typically advertising the role in Australia for at least 4 weeks before nominating an overseas worker. The position must be full-time and for at least 2 years. The salary must meet the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT), currently $73,150 per year, or the annual market salary rate — whichever is higher.
Eligibility Requirements for Applicants
To be eligible for the 494 visa, you must be under 45 years of age at the time of application (exemptions may apply under labour agreements). You need at least Competent English — IELTS 6.0 in each band or equivalent (PTE 50, TOEFL iBT 12 listening, 13 reading, 21 writing, 18 speaking, OET B). You must have a positive skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority for your nominated occupation. You need at least 3 years of relevant post-qualification work experience in your nominated occupation (or closely related field). You must meet health and character requirements, including medical examinations and police clearances from every country you have lived in for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. You must not have had a visa cancelled or a previous application refused in certain circumstances.
Designated Regional Areas
The 494 visa requires you to live and work in a designated regional area. Like the 491, regional Australia for this visa includes everywhere except Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. This means Perth, Adelaide, Gold Coast, Canberra, Hobart, Darwin, Newcastle, Geelong, Townsville, Cairns, and all smaller cities and rural areas qualify. Your employer's business premises must be in a regional area, and you must work primarily from that regional location. The Department monitors compliance through employer records, tax data, and other government systems. If you move to a non-regional area or stop working for your sponsor without permission, you may breach your visa conditions.
Pathway to Permanent Residency via Subclass 191
After holding a 494 visa and living and working in a designated regional area for at least 3 years, you can apply for the Subclass 191 Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa. The 191 requirements are straightforward: you must have held a 491 or 494 visa for at least 3 years, lived in a regional area during that time, and earned a minimum taxable income of $53,900 per year for at least 3 of those years (demonstrated through tax returns). No new points test, skills assessment, or English test is required. Once the 191 is granted, you become a permanent resident and can live and work anywhere in Australia, including Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. This is one of the most reliable pathways to permanent residency for employer-sponsored workers.
How the 494 Compares to the 482 and 186
The 494 is one of three main employer-sponsored visa pathways, and understanding the differences helps you choose the right one. The Subclass 482 Temporary Skill Shortage visa is the standard temporary employer-sponsored visa for all of Australia (not just regional areas). The 482 leads to the Subclass 186 for permanent residency. The Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme visa is a direct permanent residency visa available to workers anywhere in Australia, but it has stricter requirements. The 494 sits between these: it is regional-only like the 491, but employer-sponsored like the 482. The 494's main advantages over the 482 are the broader occupation list (including ROL occupations), potentially faster PR pathway through the 191, and the 5-year visa duration. The disadvantage is the regional obligation — you must live and work outside the three largest cities.
Application Process Step by Step
Step 1: Find an employer in a regional area willing to sponsor you. Step 2: Employer applies for Standard Business Sponsorship (if not already approved). Step 3: Obtain a positive skills assessment for your nominated occupation. Step 4: Take an English language test if you haven't already. Step 5: Employer lodges a nomination application for you, including evidence of labour market testing. Step 6: Lodge your visa application with all supporting documents — qualifications, work experience evidence, skills assessment, English test results, health insurance, and police clearances. Step 7: Complete medical examinations. Step 8: Wait for processing (6–12 months for the visa; nomination may take 2–6 months separately). Step 9: Once granted, travel to Australia and begin work with your sponsor in the regional area.
When to Use a Migration Agent
The 494 visa involves coordination between you and your employer, with both the sponsorship/nomination and visa application needing to be prepared correctly. A migration agent can assist both parties — helping the employer meet their sponsorship obligations and preparing your visa application. This is especially valuable if your employer is new to sponsoring overseas workers. An experienced agent can also advise on whether the 494 is the best pathway compared to the 482 or 186, and help plan your transition to permanent residency. Search our directory at /migration-agents for agents specialising in employer-sponsored and regional visas. Verify any agent's MARA registration at /tools/mara-check.
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