03/04/2024
Due to insistent demand..
To be eligible to sponsor a 491 visa applicant, the sponsor must be:
18 years of age or older;
Usually resident in a designated regional area of Australia;
An Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen; and
an eligible relative of you or your partner.
An eligible relative can be one of the following:
a parent
a child or step-child
a brother, sister, adoptive brother, adoptive sister, step-brother or step-sister
an aunt, uncle, adoptive aunt, adoptive uncle, step-aunt or step-uncle
a nephew, niece, adoptive nephew, adoptive niece, step-nephew or step-niece
a grandparent, or
a first cousin
In determining whether the sponsor is usually resident in a designated regional area of Australia, the Department will consider the sponsor’s actual physical residence, that is, where the sponsor physically sleeps and has their usual abode.
The Department will likely request evidence such as
rates notices or rental agreements,
leases,
utility bills,
address on the electoral roll, and
tax returns.
A sponsor who has been living in a designated regional area on a temporary visa but has only recently acquired permanent residence may still satisfy the ‘usually resident’ requirements.
491 Family Sponsored Visa provides a Pathway to Permanent Residence
The 491 Family Sponsored Visa provides a direct pathway to permanent residence after 3 years of holding the visa.
Those who continue to live and work in a designated regional area of Australia will be eligible to transition to the subclass 191 visa.
You must have had a taxable income at or above the specified income threshold, currently $53,900, for at least 3 years while holding the 491 visa in a regional area.
You will be asked to provide your Notice of Assessments issued by the Australian Tax Office and evidence of your residence for this 3 year period.
It is essential that you remain in a regional area of Australia for the entire 3 years, otherwise you will not be eligible for permanent residence.
The Family Sponsored stream of the 491 Visa is a great option for those with an eligible relative living in a designated regional area of Australia and provides a direct pathway to permanent residence.
The Family Sponsored stream of the Skilled Work Regional (subclass 491) Visa is a provisional 5-year visa for skilled workers under the age of 45 in regional Australia.
It provides a direct pathway to permanent residence after 3 years from the date of grant, provided that you meet certain income and residence requirements.
As the name of the stream suggests, you must be sponsored by an ‘eligible relative’ which must be first approved before you may be granted the visa.
The 491 is a points-based visa and requires an invitation from the Department of Home Affairs in order to apply for the visa.
Find out about Australian visas, immigration and citizenship.
