NEW 494 VISA LEGISLATIVE INSTRUMENT

It is no secret that the 494 visa will replace the 187 visa starting from 16 November 2019.

Several changes are made to the old program with the new definition of regional areas being probably the major one: Perth and the Gold Coast will be, in fact, regional and eligible areas for such visa.

Nearly 700 eligible occupations will pave the way for thousands of prospective migrants aiming at achieving permanent residency in Australia.

Similarly to the obsolete 187 visa, the new 494 visa will require the applicants to:

Have a nominating employer

Have a positive skills assessment in their nominated occupation

Have at least 3 years of experience in the nominated position (after qualification/skilled date)

Have competent English (IELTS 6 each band or equivalent test)

It is a 2 stage process, with the 494 visa granted for 5 years and the applicant potentially eligible for permanent residency through the 191 visa after 3 years WITHOUT being nominated by an employer.

Want to know more? Contact us.

Perth Regional status reinstated

As of 16 November 2019, Perth “regional” status will be reinstated.

This will bring a number of benefits to people migrating to Western Australia such as:

Obtain eligibility for an an additional year on a Subclass 485 Temporary Graduate visa;

Additional 5 points when applying for a skilled visa (18/190/491);

Perth residents can sponsor their skilled relatives for the family stream of the 491 visa

We will release further updates when available.