MARN 2217857 OMARA-registered migration agent in Perth 485 graduate visa Study in Perth, stay in Perth Perth is regional +15 points toward the 491 Partner & family Reunite with your partner or parents Refused or cancelled Strict deadlines apply, we can help Free visa check See which visa fits in two minutes 08 6289 1410 Speak to a registered agent
--> --> --> --> -->

Skilled employer sponsored regional 494

Employer Sponsored Visas

Subclass 494 skilled employer sponsored regional visa.

A regional employer sponsors a skilled worker for a five-year provisional visa, with a pathway to permanent residence through the 191. You live, work and study in a designated regional area, and Perth currently counts as regional.

5-year regional provisionalPathway to 191 PRRegional employer nomination
Book an Employer Visa ConsultEmployer sponsored visas
What the 494 Is

Regional employer sponsorship, with a permanent residence pathway.

The Subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa lets a regional employer sponsor a skilled worker to fill a position they cannot fill locally. It runs for five years, you must live and work in a designated regional area, and it is the provisional step toward permanent residence through the 191. It sits in the employer-sponsored family alongside the temporary 482 employer sponsorship and the permanent employer nomination scheme 186; the 494 is the regional, provisional-to-permanent option. To qualify you generally need:

  • a nomination from an approved regional employer for a position on the relevant occupation list;
  • a positive skills assessment for your occupation;
  • competent English;
  • to be under 45 at the time of application (limited exemptions may apply); and
  • to meet health and character requirements.

Costs and timing (current as at June 2026 - verify at homeaffairs.gov.au). A visa application charge applies, and the employer carries separate sponsorship and nomination costs, including the Skilling Australians Fund levy. These are set by the government and change, so confirm the current charges at homeaffairs.gov.au. We quote our own professional fee in writing before any work, and keep the government charges separate from it.

The Two Streams

Which stream applies?

Employer Sponsored stream

The standard route: a regional employer nominates you for a skilled position on the relevant occupation list. This is the stream most applicants use.

Labour Agreement stream

For positions covered by a labour agreement between an employer and the government, which can open up occupations or concessions outside the standard lists. See labour agreements.

The Pathway to PR

494 today, 191 permanent residence later.

The 494 is provisional, but it is built as a stepping stone. After you have lived and worked in a designated regional area while holding the 494 for the required period, generally around three years, and met an income requirement, you may be eligible for the Subclass 191 Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa. The exact period and income threshold are set by the government and change, so we confirm what currently applies rather than rely on an older figure. Meeting the regional living and work conditions throughout the provisional period is what protects the pathway, so it is worth getting the conditions right from day one.

Common Questions

Skilled regional 494 questions.

Both are employer-sponsored, but the 494 is regional and provisional, designed as a five-year step toward permanent residence through the 191. The 482 employer sponsorship is a temporary work visa that is not tied to a regional area and follows its own path, often toward the permanent 186. Which fits depends on where the job is and the employer's plans, and we can map that.
Yes, through the 191. After you have lived and worked in a designated regional area on the 494 for the required period, generally around three years, and met an income requirement, you may apply for permanent residence. The period and income threshold are set by the government and change, so confirm the current settings before relying on them.
In a designated regional area only - that is a condition of the visa. Most of Australia outside the major capitals is treated as regional, and Perth currently counts as regional for these programs. Living or working outside the designated area can put your visa and your pathway to PR at risk, so it matters. We confirm which areas qualify for your situation.
The Employer Sponsored stream is the standard route, where a regional employer nominates you for a position on the relevant occupation list. The Labour Agreement stream applies where a position is covered by a labour agreement between an employer and the government, which can allow occupations or concessions outside the standard lists.
Generally yes to both. The Employer Sponsored stream usually requires a positive skills assessment for your nominated occupation and competent English. There can be limited exemptions depending on your circumstances, so we check what applies to your occupation and background before you commit to the pathway.
Generally you need to be under 45 at the time of application, though limited exemptions can apply in some cases. Because age is a hard threshold for most applicants, timing matters, and we can tell you early whether it is a factor for you.
The employer generally needs to be an approved sponsor and to nominate the regional position for you, which carries its own requirements and obligations, including labour market testing in many cases and the Skilling Australians Fund levy. We act for the business and the worker together so the nomination and the visa line up, and so the employer understands its ongoing sponsor obligations.
Perth is currently treated as a designated regional area for these skilled programs, which is part of why WA is an attractive option for regional employer sponsorship. Regional designations can change, so we confirm the current position for your location before you build a plan around it.
Where to From Here

Related employer and skilled visas.

Temporary482 Employer SponsorshipTemporary employer-sponsored work, not regional-bound. PermanentEmployer Nomination 186Permanent employer-sponsored residence, direct. The PR stepPermanent Residence 191Where the 494 leads after the regional period. Compare allEmployer Sponsored Visas482, 186 and 494 side by side.
Sources

Department of Home Affairs - Subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (Employer Sponsored and Labour Agreement streams) and Subclass 191; Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth). Current as at June 2026 and verified live at publish. Confirm at homeaffairs.gov.au.

Written and reviewed by Brian Chan, Registered Migration Agent (MARN 2217857)

Visa Store Australia, Perth · Last reviewed June 2026 · Verify on the MARA register · General information only, not personal migration advice.

Sponsoring a skilled worker regionally?

We act for the employer and the worker together, line up the nomination and the 494, and map the path to the 191.

Book an Employer Visa ConsultSpeak With a Registered Agent
Skilled Regional 494 Regional employer sponsorship to PR
Call Us Book Assessment
--> --> --> -->