Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa (494)
The 494 visa lets an employer outside Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane sponsor a worker for 5 years; the worker needs 3 years of full time experience and a skills assessment unless exempt, and after holding the visa for 3 years, with tax notices of assessment for 3 of its 5 years, can apply for the permanent 191 visa without a sponsor.
- Visas
- 482 Skills in Demand, 186 permanent, 494 regional
What we do
- 01Prepare the standard business sponsorship application, the labour market testing and the nomination, and check the salary against the current thresholds.
- 02Prepare the visa application, including skills assessment, English and health requirements.
When you need this
If you are an employer:
- You have found the right person for a role and cannot fill it locally, and want to know whether you can sponsor them.
Who you will work with
Jing Sun
Principal Solicitor · Notary Public
Founder and Principal Solicitor with 16+ years across commercial, corporate, litigation and immigration law. Also a Notary Public.
ProfilePoints worth knowing
The salary floors change every July
For nominations lodged between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027 the Core Skills Income Threshold is AUD79,423 and the Specialist Skills Income Threshold is AUD146,576; the Core Skills threshold also applies to 186 nominations, and the same AUD79,423 figure applies to the regional 494 visa. The nominated salary must also be no less than what an Australian would earn in the same job.
Labour market testing is still required
In most cases, before nominating for a Core Skills, Specialist Skills or 494 position the employer must have advertised the position at least twice, for at least four weeks, within the four months before lodging; for a 482 nomination an international trade obligation can remove the requirement. There are no occupation based exemptions.
The employer pays the training levy, and cannot pass it on
The Skilling Australians Fund levy is payable in full when the nomination is lodged: for a 482 nomination AUD1,200 or AUD1,800 for each year, depending on whether the business turns over less than AUD10 million; for 186 and 494 nominations a one off AUD3,000 or AUD5,000. The employer must not pass the levy or any sponsorship or nomination cost on to the worker, and it is an offence for a worker to pay an employer for sponsorship.
How we work
- 01A first conversation in English or Mandarin, with the employer or the worker or both, about the role, the business and the timetable.
- 02Before any work starts, we confirm the scope of work and our fees in writing. Where we act for both employer and worker, we say in writing what we will do for each.
- 03We prepare the sponsorship, nomination and visa applications in the right order, keep both sides informed, and plan the permanent residence step.
This page is general information about Australian immigration law and is not legal advice. Please contact us about your own situation.
Last updated: October 2026