191
Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) Visa (Subclass 191) – Regional Provisional Stream (Permanent Residency)
The Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (subclass 191) is a permanent residency visa for eligible holders of the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) or Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494), who have lived and/or worked in designated regional Australia.
Important: This visa is a second-stage pathway for eligible 491/494 holders. You must have held the eligible visa for at least 3 years, complied with your visa conditions (including regional requirements), and provide the required evidence (such as ATO Notices of Assessment).
Who this visa suits
- Subclass 491 or 494 visa holders who are approaching (or have passed) the 3-year mark on their provisional regional visa
- Applicants and families who have lived and worked in regional Australia and want to transition to permanent residency
Key benefits
- Permanent residence in Australia
- Live, work and study in Australia
- Access to Medicare
- Include eligible family members
- Travel to and from Australia for five years from the date of grant (travel facility)
- Pathway to Australian citizenship, if eligible
Eligibility:
- Hold an eligible visa (subclass 491 or 494) and have held it for at least 3 years
- Have lived, worked and/or studied in a designated regional area while holding the eligible visa
- Have complied with the conditions of your eligible visa (and any subsequent bridging visa, if applicable)
- Provide Australian Taxation Office (ATO) Notices of Assessment for 3 income years (there is currently no minimum income threshold, but you still need to provide the NOAs)
- Provide proofs of residence and work (if applicable)
- Meet health and character requirements and satisfy any outstanding debt to the Australian Government (if applicable)
The Process (Step-By-Step)
Check your eligibility date
Confirm you have held your subclass 491 or 494 visa for at least 3 years.
Confirm regional compliance
Make sure you have complied with the regional condition(s) on your visa and keep evidence of your regional address, work and/or study.
Prepare documents
Common documents include identity proofs, residence and relationship documents (if applicable), ATO Notices of Assessment, evidence of regional residence, and character documents (such as police checks).
Lodge your visa application
Apply online through ImmiAccount, complete the form and attach supporting documents.
Call to action help.
If you want to confirm your eligibility date, understand the evidence the Department is likely to expect (including ATO notices of assessment and regional compliance documents), and lodge a decision-ready application, we can guide you through the subclass 191 process from start to finish.
FAQs
In simple words, if you have held a 491 visa for three years and you have three Notices of Tax Assessment, you can apply for the 191 visa.
You also need to provide evidence of your living, work, or study for the last three years to show that you have lived only in a designated regional area.
Yes, in some circumstances. If your 491 has expired and you already lodged 191 visa and your Bridging Visa becomes active, you can move anywhere in Australia, as there is no legal restriction or bridging visa condition. However, you cannot move while you are still holding the 491 visas.
No. If you have already paid the second VAC for your partner’s English waiver for the 491 visa, you just need to provide the receipt as evidence of payment. Your partner does not need to sit an English test, and you do not need to pay the English-related fee again for the 191.
The Department has recently confirmed that the key requirement for the SC191 visa is that applicants must have complied with visa condition 8579 during their time in Australia. The visa does not require applicants to have resided in Australia for a specific period.
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