191 Visa Overview

This visa is for people who have lived, worked and studied in a designated regional area Australia on a previous, eligible visa.

Subclass: 191 Visa
Stay Duration: Permanently
DoHA Fee: AUD435 for the main applicant. Additional AUD220 is required for every additional applicant aged 18 years and above, while AUD 110 for those below 18 years.

191 Visa Summary

191 Visa Conditions

As the visa applicant, you must,

  • hold an eligible visa
  • have lived for at least 3 years and have a taxable income at or above a specific income threshold for at least three years
  • both primary and secondary applicants have complied with the conditions of the eligible visa you hold or have held

Visa Eligibility

  • You must be in Australia when you apply for this visa. You must also be in Australia for the grant of this visa.
  • You must have held an eligible visa (subclass 491 or subclass 494 visa) for at least 3 years, have complied with the conditions on that visa and have met minimum taxable income requirements.
  • Meet all the health and character requirements

Visa Benefits

  • stay in Australia permanently
  • work and study in Australia
  • enroll in Australia’s public health care scheme, Medicare
  • sponsor your relatives to come to Australia
  • travel to and from Australia for 5 years
  • if eligible, apply for Australian citizenship

Effect on Current Regional Visas

The Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme Visa (subclass 187) and the Skilled Regional (Provisional) Visa (subclass 489) will close to new applicants from November 16, 2019. Transitional arrangements will be put in place for applications which have been lodged and are undecided at that time, as well as applicants whose pathway currently targets the permanent Skilled Regional Visa (subclass 887).

Regional Areas for Migration Purposes

Most locations in Australia outside major cities (Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane) are classed as designated regional areas for migration purposes.

The regional definition is comprised of 3 categories and offers regional incentives for skilled migrants who migrate to locations classified as Category 2 ‘Cities and Major Regional Centres’ or Category 3 ‘Regional Centres and Other Regional Areas’

Category 2 – ‘Cities and Major Regional Centres’ of Perth, Adelaide, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Canberra, Newcastle/Lake Macquarie, Wollongong/Illawarra, Geelong and Hobart

Category 3 – ‘Regional Centres and Other Regional Areas

General Notes

  • The visa validity period is 5 years. Conditions will be imposed which will enforce the government’s intentions that visa holders live, work and study only in regional areas (condition 8579) and if employer sponsored, only in the nominated position.
  • The visa has a travel component that expires 5 years after the date of visa grant.
  • You can include members of the family unit in your application if they currently hold an eligible visa. You must include each family member who is eligible to apply for this visa at the time you lodge your application. You can’t add family members after you have submitted your application.
  • You might have to pay an extra charge for any applicant 18 years old or older who has less than functional English. This charge is called the second instalment charge. You need to pay it only when DOHA asks you to. DOHA asks for the charge only if the visa will be granted. The second instalment charge amount will be announced closer to the commencement date.

 

Please book a consultation with one of our expert registered migration agents to understand the requirements of this visa.

Visa Processing Time

The processing time for Visa 191 varies depending on your unique circumstances. We recommend that you completely and truthfully fill in your application form and submit all required documents and information to avoid delays in your application.

Frequently Asked Questions

The 191 visa, officially called the Skilled Regional Permanent Residence Visa (subclass 191), is a permanent residency visa for skilled migrants who have lived and worked in regional Australia while holding an eligible provisional visa.

This visa allows you to:

  • Live and work permanently anywhere in Australia
  • Access Medicare (Australia’s public healthcare system)
  • Sponsor eligible family members for visas
  • Apply for Australian citizenship if eligible

To qualify, applicants must have previously held an eligible regional visa and met income and residency requirements.

You may be eligible if you:

  • Held an eligible regional visa for at least 3 years
  • Met the minimum taxable income requirement for 3 income years
  • Complied with visa conditions
  • Were nominated by a state/territory government or sponsored by a family member (depending on your provisional visa)

Eligible provisional visas include the Skilled Work Regional Visa (subclass 491) and the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional Visa (subclass 494).

Applicants must live and work in regional Australia for at least 3 years while holding an eligible provisional visa such as the Skilled Work Regional Visa (subclass 491).

During those 3 years, you must also meet the minimum taxable income threshold set by the Australian government.

To qualify for the 191 visa, you must meet the minimum taxable income threshold for 3 income years while holding your provisional regional visa.

The exact threshold may change each year, but it is typically aligned with Australia’s Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) or another set government benchmark.

You must provide Australian Taxation Office (ATO) Notices of Assessment as proof of income.

Yes. You can include eligible family members in your application for the Skilled Regional Permanent Residence Visa (subclass 191).

This may include:

  • Your spouse or de facto partner
  • Dependent children
  • Certain dependent relatives in some circumstances

Family members included in the application will also receive permanent residency if the visa is granted.

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