494 Visa in Australia: 2026 Requirements and How to Apply

A business outside Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane has offered you a job. It can’t find a local worker with your skills, and it is willing to sponsor you.

Then the questions start. Do you need a skills assessment? Does part-time work count? Is 44 too close to the age limit?

Most of the 494 visa requirements are fixed and easy to check. Home Affairs publishes each one, and the gaps usually show up before anything is lodged.

In short, you need a regional employer’s nomination and 3 years of full-time work in the job. You also need Competent English and, in most cases, a skills assessment.

You must be under 45 when you apply, unless an exemption covers you.

This guide covers the three 494 streams, who qualifies, how the application works on both sides, the 2026 fees and the current processing times.

Want to know where you stand before your employer starts the nomination? A MARA-registered migration agent (MARN 2518738) at The Migration can check your age, experience and English. Book a 494 eligibility check.

What Is the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) Visa?

The Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa, subclass 494, lets a regional employer sponsor a skilled worker for 5 years. You can be in or outside Australia when you apply.

You live, work and study in a designated regional area. That means anywhere in Australia except Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, so Perth, Adelaide, the Gold Coast and Newcastle all count.

Your partner and children can be included. After you have held the visa for 3 years, you can apply for permanent residence through the subclass 191 visa.

For the full picture of the visa, including stream cards and employer costs, see the 494 visa page.

What Are the 3 Streams of the 494 Visa in Australia?

The 494 visa has three streams. Your stream depends on how your employer sponsors you, or on whether you are joining a family member who already holds the visa.

• Employer Sponsored stream.
• Labour Agreement stream.
• Subsequent Entrant stream.

1. Employer Sponsored Stream (Subclass 494)

This is the standard route. A regional employer who can’t find a suitable Australian worker nominates you for a role on the relevant skilled occupation list.

• The employer must be an approved standard business sponsor.
• A Regional Certifying Body checks the salary for the role.
• Home Affairs currently decides half of these visas in 10 months.

Read the Employer Sponsored stream page for the stream’s own checklist.

2. Labour Agreement Stream (Subclass 494)

This stream is for employers who have signed a labour agreement with the Australian Government. The agreement sets which occupations, and sometimes which age, English or salary settings, apply.

• Designated Area Migration Agreements (DAMAs) are one type of labour agreement.
• Your occupation must be covered by your employer’s agreement.
• Half of these visas are currently decided within 86 days.

The 494 DAMA visa guide lists the 13 current DAMAs, and the Labour Agreement stream page covers the stream itself.

3. Subsequent Entrant Stream (Subclass 494)

This stream is for a partner or child who joins a 494 holder after the main application was lodged. A new baby, a new marriage or a family member who stayed behind are common reasons.

• The visa ends on the same day as the main holder’s visa.
• The sponsor must agree in writing to include the family member.
• The family member lives, works and studies in regional Australia too.

The 494 subsequent entrant guide covers the costs and documents.

What Are the 494 Visa Requirements in 2026?

For the Employer Sponsored stream, you need a nomination, the right job and a skills assessment. You also need 3 years of full-time work, Competent English and an age under 45. The Labour Agreement stream uses the same base, but the agreement can change some settings.

Requirements for the main applicant

• Nomination: an approved regional employer must nominate you for the job.
• Occupation: the job must be on the relevant skilled occupation list.
• Skills assessment: you need a suitable assessment, unless you held a 457 or 482 visa in the same occupation and were assessed for it.
• Work experience: at least 3 years full-time in the occupation, usually within the last 5 years. Part-time work may count. Casual work does not.
• English: Competent English, which means at least 6 in each IELTS band or the matching score in another approved test.
• Age: under 45 when you apply.
• Health and character: you and your family must meet both requirements.

Applicants in Australia must hold a substantive visa or a Bridging visa A, B or C, and can’t be in immigration clearance. Bridging visas are explained in the bridging visas guide.

Who is exempt from the age limit?

Home Affairs names four groups who can apply at 45 or older in the Employer Sponsored stream.

• Academics nominated by an Australian university at Level A to E.
• Scientists and research staff put forward by an Australian university or science agency.
• Medical practitioners with 2 years of regional work on a 457 or 482 visa in the last 3 years.
• 457 or 482 holders with 2 years in the job for the same employer, earning at least the high income threshold.

In the Labour Agreement stream, the agreement itself can set a different age limit.

Not sure if your work history meets the 3-year rule? A MARA-registered migration agent (MARN 2518738) at The Migration can check your job references against the Home Affairs rules. Have your 494 work history checked.

How Do You Apply for a 494 Visa in Australia?

A 494 application has two halves. Your employer handles the sponsor and nomination steps. You then lodge the visa with the nomination’s reference number, called the TRN.

Step 1: Your employer prepares the nomination

Your employer handles these steps before you can lodge.

• Becomes, or applies to become, an approved standard business sponsor.
• Advertises the role in Australia (labour market testing), unless an exemption applies.
• Gets salary advice from a Regional Certifying Body (Employer Sponsored stream).
• Lodges the nomination and pays the Skilling Australians Fund levy.

The job must be genuine, full-time and likely to last at least 5 years. If the salary is under AUD 250,000, the employer must show it meets the annual market salary rate.

Step 2: Organise your documents

Gather your documents before you lodge. A full file means fewer requests later.

• Skills assessment, or proof you are exempt.
• English test results, or proof you are exempt.
• Employment references, payslips and contracts for at least 3 years.
• Identity, police and family documents.

Provide accurate information. False or misleading documents can lead to a refusal and a bar on future visas.

Step 3: Apply for the visa

You lodge the visa online in your ImmiAccount.

• Enter the nomination TRN from your employer.
• Attach your documents as colour scans.
• Pay the visa charge. Home Affairs won’t process the visa until you do.

An approved nomination lasts 12 months, so it helps to lodge the visa soon after.

Step 4: After you apply

Home Affairs confirms it has your application and may ask for biometrics, health checks or more documents.

• Reply to any request by the date given.
• Tell Home Affairs if your address, phone, email or family details change.
• Keep working lawfully on your current visa while you wait.

How Long Does a 494 Visa Take to Process in 2026?

Home Affairs currently decides half of Employer Sponsored applications within 10 months and 90% within 20 months. The Labour Agreement stream is faster.

These figures were updated on 2 November 2026 and cover applications finalised to 30 September 2026. Check the latest in the Home Affairs processing time guide.

Your own timing depends on how full your file is and how fast you answer requests. Health, police and security checks can also add time.

What Changed for the 494 Visa in 2026?

Three changes in 2026 affect 494 applicants: new fees, a new processing order and updated processing times.

• 1 July 2026: visa charges were indexed to AUD 6,140 for the main applicant. A lower charge now applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens.
• 19 September 2026: Ministerial Direction 122 took effect. Jobs in construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing and resources are processed first, then applicants in Australia.
• 2 November 2026: Home Affairs updated its processing times to the figures above.

The full order is on the Home Affairs skilled visa processing priorities page.

494 visa costs from 1 July 2026

Fees as published by Home Affairs on 4 November 2026. Confirm them in the Visa Pricing Estimator. Skills assessments, English tests, health checks and police checks cost extra.

What Are the Benefits of a 494 Visa?

The 494 visa gives you 5 years of secure regional work and a fixed route to permanent residence after 3 of them. It also costs the employer less than some other sponsored pathways.

One levy for the employer: the 494 nomination needs one Skilling Australians Fund levy payment. A 482 visa followed by a 186 visa means two nominations and two levy payments.

A route to permanent residence: after 3 years on the 494, you can apply for the subclass 191 visa without a new nomination. 

Family included: your partner and children get the same visa. Partners can work for any employer, as long as the job is in a regional area.

Travel: you can leave and return to Australia as many times as you like while the visa is valid.

How The Migration Helps With Your 494 Visa

The Migration has helped skilled workers and employers with Australian visas for more than 7 years. Its MARA-registered migration agents (MARN 2518738) handle the worker and employer sides together, and you can confirm registration on the MARA public register.

• Stream check: the team confirms which 494 stream fits your job offer before your employer pays the levy.
• Experience review: the agents check your references against the 3-year full-time rule.
• Employer steps: the team prepares the sponsorship, labour market testing and Regional Certifying Body request in order.
• Family planning: partners and children are included in the first application where possible.

Employers can read more on employer-sponsored visas.

Conclusion

The 494 visa requirements come down to a regional nomination, 3 years of full-time work and Competent English. Most people also need a skills assessment and must be under 45. Exemptions cover some of these, and a labour agreement can change others.

The visa gives you and your family 5 years in regional Australia and a route to the 191 visa after 3 years. Checking each requirement before the nomination is lodged is the simplest way to avoid delays.

Ready to check your 494 options? Book a 494 visa consultation with a MARA-registered migration agent (MARN 2518738).

Frequently asked questions