Skilled Regional (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 489)

The Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa under Subclass 489 is a temporary visa appeal that consists of three ways for skilled workers looking to work and live in Australia. This approach falls under the points-tested stream as well and is an alternative option for individuals willing to reside in Australia who possess certain skills relevant to be qualified for this visa. The 489 visa is not a permanent residency visa but gives applicants the chance to live and work in Australia for up to 4 years.

Although the general criteria of application may appear similar to other visa types under the points-tested stream, the most distinct factor of this three-way visa appeal is that an individual must either receive an invitation from the Department, hold a previous Skilled Regional visa, or have a family member who holds a certain class of visa to be eligible to apply. Since it is a provisional visa, individuals who are granted their appeal are restricted to a certain area to live and work which depends upon the basis of their application. If an applicant is nominated by the State/Territory, s/he must work and live in a regional or a metropolitan area nominated by the State/Territory, that has low-population growth. If an applicant is sponsored by a family member, s/he may work and live in the Designated Areas of any State or Territory.

This three-way visa appeal includes:

• Invited Pathway
  This is a temporary visa for skilled workers who need to be invited to apply for this visa after submitting an EOI through Skill Select to let the Australian government know that you would like to apply for this visa. It is obligatory that you clearly mention whether you want the state or territory government to nominate you or an eligible relative to sponsor you.

Eligibility criteria for 489 visa via the Invited Pathway Stream

1. You will need to submit the Expression of Interest (EOI) to show your interest in the visa appeal and meet the minimum score criteria in the points test. Every state/territory has its own requirements for the points test that you must meet if you are looking to be nominated by the state. Otherwise, you will be notified by the Department in an invitation round when you are sponsored by an eligible relative.
2. If you wish to be sponsored by an eligible relative, there are certain requirements that must be met in order to qualify as your eligible relative. For this appeal, your eligible relative must be:
   • At least 18 years old
   • A resident in a designated area of Australia
   • An Australian citizen, a permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand citizen
   • You or your partner’s relative, that includes a parent, child, sibling (step or adopted included), aunt or uncle (including step and adopted), niece or nephew (including step and adopted), grandparent or first cousin.
3. Your sponsorship must be approved.
4. You must be under 45 before you are invited to apply.
5. You must have a suitable skills assessment.
6. You must be able to score more than 65 points if you want the State/Territorial nomination.
7. You must have at least competent English and any family members must have functional English. Unless you are a citizen of the U.K, U.S.A, Canada, Ireland, or New Zealand, you must submit an English language test with the minimum score requirement met.
8. Your nominated occupation must be on the combined list of eligible skilled occupations for the regional subclass 489 visa.
9. You must meet certain health requirements.
10. You must meet all character requirements.
11. You must have cleared all your debts to the Australian government.
12. You must not have had a previous Australian visa canceled or rejected.

• Extended Stay Pathway
  This is a temporary visa for skilled workers who wish to continue residing and working in Australia and it gives a stay period of 4 years to the applicants. The extended pathway approach allows individuals who already hold a visa under subclass 475, 487, 495, or 496 to stay 4 years from the date their current skilled visa was granted. You can travel to and from Australia as many times as you want. Individuals ​​​​need to live, work and study in specified regional areas of Australia when granted this visa.

Eligibility criteria for 489 visa via the Extended Stay Pathway Stream

1. You must already hold subclass 475, 487, 495, or 496 visas.
2. You must meet all the necessary health requirements.
3. You must meet all character requirements.
4. You should have cleared all your debts to the Australian government
5. You should not have had a previous Australian visa canceled or rejected.
6. There is no age limit for this visa.
7. There is no English language requirement for this visa.

• Subsequent Entry Pathway
  This visa is for a member of the family unit of someone who already holds a Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa (Subclass 489) or a Subclass 475, 487, 495, or 496 visa. Applicants must have an eligible family member who is already residing in Australia through one of the mentioned visa types in order to be able to apply for the 489 visa under the subsequent entry pathway. If granted, one must live, work, and study in specified regional areas of Australia and the stay period shall be no longer than until the visa of your family member holds end.  There is no specific English language skill requirement for this pathway but it is important that the applicants over 18 years of age must have at least functional English ability. If they fail to have competent English, they might be required to undergo a Functional English test during the processing of their visa application, or during no more than 12 months prior to applying for the visa.Eligibility for 489 visa via Subsequent Entry Pathway Stream

1. You must be a member of a family unit of a person who already holds a 489, 475, 487, 495, or 496 visa. If you are in Australia, you must hold a substantive visa or a Bridging visa A, B, or C.
2. You must have at least functional English.
3. You must meet all the necessary health requirements.
4. You must meet all character requirements.
5. You must have paid back all debts to the Australian government
6. You must not have had a previous Australian visa canceled or rejected.
7. There is no age limit for this visa.Privileges linked with the 489 visa

• Entitlement to live, study and work in a specified regional area of Australia for 4 years under the invited and extended stay pathway.
• Right to travel in and out of Australia while the visa is valid.
• Allowed to apply for permanent residency if eligible, through the Skilled-Regional (Residence) Visa (Subclass 887).

Processing time and cost for 489 visa

Average processing time

The regular time period set forth for candidates for eligible applications for the 489 Visa is within 60 calendar days after the invitation is received. The Department of Immigration is supposed to commence the processing of your application once you have lodged it with all requirements met. The average processing time for applications varies with the type of approach you go for. The processing period for the Invited Pathway globally comes to 90% in 50 months. The processing period for both Extended Stay Pathway and Subsequent Entry Pathway cannot be generalized as no standard processing time for these streams has been determined as of now.  

The time to successfully process an application may vary depending on each case. External agencies and governmental bodies may take some time to conduct checks and verify the data presented in your application. To avoid any delays that may arise from your side, you must ensure that a complete and fully-checked application is filed on your behalf and any additional requests by the department must be handled promptly.

Average estimated cost

The fees associated with applying for 489 Visa fees are prescribed by the Department of Home Affairs and are updated from time to time which can be easily checked in the department’s online portal as well. The relevant fees are payable on the lodgment of your 489 Visa application depending upon the pathway that you are choosing.

The primary application fee of an individual applying for a 489 Visa under each pathway as of now is mentioned hereunder:

• Invited Pathway: AU$ 4,460
• Extended Stay Pathway: AU$ 415
• Subsequent Entry Pathway: AU$ 4,640

However, these fees are only a general primary fee quoted by the department as of now and changes in the amount are made as per requirement by the department itself. Additional fees are applicable for individuals who are looking to include their spouse or children in their application. The amount of additional fees varies according to the age and relationship of the included individual with the applicant. This is also constantly being updated by the Department of Home Affairs and can easily be checked from their online portal as well.

Steps to apply for the Skilled Regional (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 489)  

We have a very straightforward and principled process of visa appeal which ensures you the best results. Our agents and lawyers are always with you throughout the process of your application and they will make sure that your personal application is up-to-date with all the constantly changing policies and figures. You can go through these steps in order to apply for your desired visa type:

1. Schedule a free consultation with our team through our portal where we shall go over your case briefly to provide you with the necessary recommendations.
2. Perform an assessment of your English language proficiency. To be invited to apply a minimum score of 65 is to be obtained in the Points Test. You can also take an International English Language Testing Systems (IELTS) test in Australia, or in your country of origin.
3. Conduct a skills assessment within your nominated occupation. This is to be performed by the relevant Australian Assessing Authority for your nominated eligible skilled occupation.
4. After your assessment tests, we work towards assembling and organizing all the necessary paperwork. Any additional checks for the application process will also be performed.
5. We will then proceed towards preparing your Expression of Interest (EOI) for you with the inclusion of all details and submit it via SkillSelect. The waiting period for your invitation from the department begins now.
6. Once you receive your invitation to apply for a 489 visa from the department, we proceed with preparing your application. Although there is a 60-day lodging period to apply, we believe that timely appeal is very important for an applicant. We conduct swift assessments and documentation with your coordination and lodge your application in an acceptable time period.

(By this time if you are an onshore applicant, you will be granted a bridging visa until your current visa expires. This will entitle you to work rights until the outcome of your 189 visa is decided.)

7. The final step includes waiting for the outcome of your application. We will notify you of the result promptly. You will become a permanent resident of Australia and receive the relevant rights if your application is granted.