New South Wales (NSW) has just opened January submissions for the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (Subclass 491). Students and skilled workers who are eligible can submit a registration of interest (ROI) until January 31, 2022. The next submission window will open in March.
Skilled migrants will get the opportunity to live, work and study in Regional NSW for up to five years under this visa. On top of this, they will be able to travel to and from Australia as many times as they want, as well as have a pathway to permanent residency. Family members can be included in this visa application.
This visa is currently operating on an invitation-only basis. If you want to apply for this visa you should have
- A state or territory government agency who is willing to nominate you OR
- An eligible relative who is willing to sponsor you.
Everything you need to know about Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 491).
How do I get nominated by New South Wales?
All state and territory government agencies have their own criteria. So you have to go through their separate pages to find out what kind of migrants they’re looking for. For Regional NSW registrations, you need to complete the following steps:
1. Let the NSW Government know that you wish to apply for the 491 visas by submitting an expression of interest (EOI) through SkillSelect.
You may need to participate in a skills assessment or appropriate points test as part of your EOI. This must have been obtained in the 3 years that your invitation was granted to you. If your assessment was for a shorter period, then it must be ongoing when you submit your EOI.
If you are on a student visa, your qualification must be from studying a course registered on CRICOS. There is no fee for this, and you can complete your EOI entirely online.
2. Submit an ROI during a submission window.
The current submission window will close on Jan. 31, 2022. You can register your interest in this visa here.
Note that you can only register your interest in NSW nomination once during a submission window, even if you’re skilled in more than one of the listed occupations. If you aren’t selected for this month, you can always submit a new ROI in a later submission window.
You must additionally indicate which NSW region you intend to apply to.