Candidates can only apply for this visa if they receive an invitation from Australia’s SkillSelect. In order to receive an invite, candidates must:

• Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI)
• Have an occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list (SOL)
• Be nominated by a family member, Australian state or Territory government
• Complete a successful skills assessment for the relevant occupation
• Meet the English language requirements
• Be less than 45 years of age
• Pass the medical and character requirements
• Score at least 65 in the points assessment

Your profile submitted in the Expression of Interest (EOI) will be awarded points based on the following criteria:

• Age

  Candidates must be between 18 and 45 years old to be eligible to apply for this visa.

  
• English language skills

  Candidates must prove that they have at least competent level of English to apply for this visa. They can earn more points if they can show their English level is proficient or superior, by taking one of the accepted tests (IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, OET).

  

  

  
• Educational qualifications

  Candidates will receive points for the highest qualification that is of a recognized Australian standard only.

  
• Specialist education qualifications

  Candidates can earn a further 10 points if they received a postgraduate research degree (masters or doctorate) from an Australian educational institute after at least 2 academic years of study in the following fields:

  
• Australian study requirement

  Applicants can be awarded an extra 5 points if they meet the Australian study requirements, which states:

  • -They must have a degree, diploma or trade qualification that required at least 2 academic years of study, or
  • -Must have more than 1 eligible educational credential, totaling at least 2 years of study
  • -The educational credential must be awarded by an Australian educational institution.
• Study in regional Australia

  To be eligible for the 5 points under this criteria, candidates must:

  • -Meet the Australian study requirement (defined above)
  • -Have received the educational qualification, whilst physically located in a designated regional area
• Professional year in Australia

  To be eligible for the 5 points under this criteria, candidates must have completed a professional year in Australia in computing, accounting or engineering, provided by one of the designated organizations.

• Skilled work experience

  Candidate’s occupation must be in the relevant list of eligible skilled occupations. They can earn points if they were employed under their nominated skilled occupation (or closely related occupation) for the periods listed in the table below, within the last 10 years.

  
• Credentialled Community language

  To be eligible for the 5 points under this criteria, candidates must hold a recognized community language credential at a paraprofessional/certified provisional level or above.

• Partner Skills

  The candidate’s spouse or common-law partner may be eligible to earn points for this visa application if they meet the age, language skills and skill criteria requirements. Applicants can be awarded up to 10 points if they prove their spouse/partner:

  • - is under 45 years old
  • - has competent level of English
  • - has been assessed by an assessing authority and their nominated skilled occupation is listed under the SOL
  • - is an applicant for this same visa subclass and is not an Australian permanent residence or citizen
• Nomination

  Candidates will earn an additional 5 points if they received an invitation to apply for this Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa (subclass 190) and the sponsor (relative or a state or territory government) has not withdrawn the nomination.

Submitting accurate and valid documents are one of the most important aspects of a successful Subclass 491 Visa application. Refer to the checklist below containing the documents needed. Please note this is a non-exhaustive list.

The processing time for the Skilled Nominated Visa is approximately 12 months.

The Skilled Nominated visa cost can vary based on age and number of dependents that are included in the application:

Note: There can be additional factors adding to the cost like Spouse's English test, Medical assessment, etc. The fee can change without any prior notice.