494 visa: what regional employers want to see before they sponsor you

The 494 visa, the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa, lets an employer outside Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane sponsor a skilled worker, who can then live, work and study only in designated regional areas of Australia for 5 years. The employer nominates the role, and the candidate usually needs at least 3 years of relevant work experience, a relevant skills assessment and an age under 45, unless exemptions apply. After holding the visa for 3 years, a holder may, if eligible, apply for permanent residence. Nothing in this pathway is automatic, so here is what regional employers look at before they put their name to a nomination.

What the 494 visa is, in a recruiter's words

Think of the 494 as an arrangement between three parties: a regional employer that needs a skill, a worker who has it, and the Department of Home Affairs, which decides the visa. The employer carries the nomination. The worker carries the evidence.

The word "regional" trips people up. On the official eligible regional areas page, Home Affairs says most locations outside Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are designated regional areas, identified by a postcode list. Category 2 "Cities and Major Regional Centres" includes Perth, Adelaide, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Canberra, Newcastle/Lake Macquarie, Wollongong/Illawarra, Geelong and Hobart. A 494 job can be in a state capital.

The same postcode list also applies to the subclass 491 and the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482). We explain the categories and the postcode check in our guide to designated regional areas in Australia.

The four checks an employer runs before nominating you

When a regional business shortlists for a sponsored role, it is checking whether the nomination and the visa are likely to stand up. Each core requirement on the Home Affairs 494 Employer Sponsored stream page turns into a question at interview.

1. Does the occupation sit on the right list?

The role must be nominated in an occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list. The combined list of eligible skilled occupations shows whether an occupation is on the Core Skills Occupation List, the MLTSSL, the STSOL or the Regional Occupation List, and it names the skills assessing authority. A job title on a CV is not enough: the duties you describe should match the occupation the employer intends to nominate.

2. Can the experience be proven, all 3 years of it?

Recruiters read dates first. Gaps, overlapping roles and vague duties slow a file down. List each employer with start and end months, your exact title and the tasks that match the occupation, and keep reference letters that say the same thing. If you have the experience but not the formal paperwork, read about recognition of prior learning for Australian qualifications on RPLDirect.

3. Has the skills assessment started with the right body?

A skills assessing authority checks that your skills meet the standard it sets for the occupation, and Home Affairs only accepts an assessment from the relevant authority. Each authority has its own procedures, timeframes and charges. An assessment with no validity period shown is valid for 3 years from the date of issue, so time it with your job search.

4. Is the candidate under 45?

The age limit is under 45 unless an exemption applies. Do not assume an exemption covers your case; check the official page or ask a registered migration agent.

The salary floor every 494 nomination must clear

The Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) is used for the subclass 494 and is AUD79,423 for nomination applications lodged on and between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027. Skilled visa income thresholds are indexed annually, with changes from 1 July each year, so an offer drafted in June may need a second look in July.

The threshold is a floor, not a market rate. Our post on the 2026 income thresholds sets the TSMIT next to the CSIT and SSIT and shows what recruiters check after the headline number.

Who pays what on a 494

Money is where honest offers and bad offers part ways. The visa application charge belongs to the applicant. The sponsorship side belongs to the employer, by law.

SESR stands for Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional, the 494's full name. Check the current base charge on the Home Affairs visa pricing page before you budget. The employer must pay all costs of becoming a sponsor and nominating, cannot transfer them to you or your family, and must not pass the levy on. For the employer side of the bill, see our guide to what employers pay to hire overseas workers.

How a 494 application usually moves

The order matters, because some steps take time and some documents expire.

1. Find a role whose ad states sponsorship, and check the workplace postcode against the designated regional list.
2. Look up the occupation on the combined list and note its skills assessing authority.
3. Start the skills assessment and gather payslips, contracts and reference letters for at least 3 years of relevant work.
4. Book an English test at a secure test centre. Home Affairs does not accept tests delivered entirely online, such as IELTS Online. Practice on PractiseNow can help you prepare for IELTS or PTE before you pay for the real test.
5. The employer lodges the nomination, with a salary at or above the TSMIT.
6. Collect police certificates. Home Affairs may ask for one from every country you lived in, usually if you were over 17 and lived there for at least 12 months in the past 10 years, and each is valid for 12 months from issue.
7. Book your health examination with an approved panel physician, using your HAP ID.
8. Translate every non-English document, giving both the original and the translation, then lodge through ImmiAccount, the only official website for applying.

Five years in the regions: what the condition means day to day

The 494 condition is about where you live, work and study for 5 years. That shapes choices most candidates do not think about at the offer stage: where a partner looks for work, which school a child attends, whether a later job move stays inside a regional postcode. Ask the employer about the town, housing and commute before you accept, and read the location as a long commitment.

The settings also favour the regions. Category 3 "Regional Centres and Other Regional Areas" have access to the dedicated 11,200 regional places, priority processing of regional visas and the Regional Occupations List. The need is real too: our read of the Occupation Shortage List covers the occupations in shortage only outside the capital cities.

When the standard lists do not fit: DAMAs and labour agreements

Some roles reach the 494 through a different door. Labour agreements are made between the Australian Government and employers, are generally in effect for five years, and can be used for the 482, 186 and 494. A Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) is a formal agreement with a state or territory government or regional authority that gives access to more occupations than the standard skilled migration program. There are currently 13 DAMAs, and they use the 482, 494 and 186. If an employer says a role is covered by one, ask which agreement it is.

Regional roles on Talynx right now

Talynx lists employer-sponsored vacancies outside the big three cities, such as a senior cook / chef role in Dubbo and a maintenance technician / fitter role in Bundaberg. Each ad states its own visa terms, and not every sponsored regional role uses the 494, so read the ad and ask. Trades candidates can also browse the manufacturing jobs page.

Common mistakes 494 candidates make

• Reading "regional" as "remote". Perth, Adelaide, Hobart and Canberra are Category 2. Skipping those roles narrows your options for no reason.
• Letting the skills assessment lapse. Without a stated validity period it lasts 3 years from issue. Start it too early and it may run out before an offer arrives.
• Agreeing to pay for the sponsorship. It is illegal to pay an employer to sponsor you, including through salary deductions, and it can lead to visa refusal or cancellation, fines or imprisonment.
• Sitting an at-home English test. Tests delivered entirely online are not accepted by Home Affairs.
• Treating permanent residence as a sure thing. Holders may apply after 3 years if eligible. Home Affairs warns that anyone promising a visa or permanent residency is misleading you.
• Taking advice from an unregistered helper. Immigration assistance must come from a registered migration agent, a legal practitioner or an exempt person. A registered agent has a MARN and appears on the OMARA register.

Frequently asked questions

Can a 494 visa job be in Perth or Adelaide?

Yes. Home Affairs lists Perth, Adelaide, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Canberra, Newcastle/Lake Macquarie, Wollongong/Illawarra, Geelong and Hobart in Category 2. Only Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane fall outside the designated regional areas, so always confirm the workplace postcode.

How much is the 494 visa application charge?

The base application charge in the Home Affairs Visa Pricing Table is AUD6,140.00. Applicants also pay for their own English test, health checks, police certificates and biometrics, while the employer pays the sponsorship, nomination and levy costs.

Can a 494 visa lead to permanent residence?

It can. Holders may, if eligible, apply for permanent residence after holding the 494 for 3 years. Eligibility is decided at that time, so keep records of your regional work and address history throughout the 5 years.

What is the minimum salary for a 494 nomination?

For nominations lodged on and between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027, the TSMIT is AUD79,423. The threshold is indexed every 1 July, and the pay offered should also reflect the market rate for the role.

Can an employer ask the worker to cover the Skilling Australians Fund levy?

No. Employers must not pass the levy on to the visa applicant, and they cannot transfer the costs of becoming a sponsor or nominating a position to the worker or their family. Paying for sponsorship in any form is illegal.

Key takeaways

• The 494 visa ties the holder to designated regional areas, which include all of Australia except Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, for 5 years.
• Employers check the occupation list, 3 years of experience, the skills assessment and age under 45 before nominating.
• The base charge is AUD6,140.00 and the TSMIT is AUD79,423 for nominations lodged from 1 July 2026.
• Sponsorship, nomination and levy costs stay with the employer by law.
• Permanent residence after 3 years is possible if eligible, but never automatic.

Last checked: 2026-11-01 against the official pages linked above.

Every case is different — book a consultation and the registered migration agents (MARA) in Australia and licensed immigration advisers in New Zealand we work with will assess yours.