The Skilled Nominated Visa Subclass 190 is a skilled and Points-tested visa. You can only get this visa and subsequently fly to Australia when you are invited for an application. You will be sponsored by the territory or government, but only for the first two years of your stay in Australia. Although the visa requires an invitation from a territory or state government, it is a permanent permit that will allow you to work and stay in any Australian location.
On the other end, the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa Subclass 491 is also a skilled and Points-tested visa. Still, the main difference from the previous visa is that you will get sponsorship from the territory or state government for the first three years of your stay. After that, it will allow you to live in Australia for five years, and after three years of stay, you can apply for a permanent residency, too.
Similarities Between Visa Subclass 190 & Subclass 491
Both the 190 Visa Australia and Visa Subclass 491 are state sponsorship visas under ‘General Stream Australia Immigration’. So, there are a number of similarities between the two. We present them in a tabular form.
Factors | Visa 190 | Visa 491 |
Age | Your age must be less than 45. | Your age must be less than 45. |
Occupation in Skilled Occupation List | You should have an occupation included in the Skilled Occupation List. | Your occupation should be included in the regional Skilled Occupation List. |
Skills Assessment Test | In your nominated occupation, you must have passed the required skills assessment test. | You should have passed a skills assessment exam here, too. |
Points required | Points should be at least 65. | Points should be minimum of 65. |
English language requirement | You must be competent in English. | You must satisfy the competent English language requirements. |
Inclusion of family members | You can sponsor your partner. | This visa will also allow you to sponsor your partner. |
Health and Character requirements | You have to meet all the necessary health and character requirements. | All the health and character requirements should be satisfied. |
Invitation guarantee | You can receive a guaranteed invitation with the approved state nomination sponsorship. | If the state nomination sponsorship gets approved, it will guarantee you an invitation. |
Work rights | You can work in any job. | You will be allowed to work in your preferred job. |
Eligibility For Visa 190 And 491 Visa Australia
For the Visa Subclass 190, along with the state or regional occupation list, your nominated occupation should also be on the Australian Short-term Skilled Occupation List or STSOL. You can apply either offshore or onshore unless there is any condition on your visa that you cannot apply while inside Australia.
Other Visa Subclass 190 conditions include submitting character certificate, health certificates, a test score of any English language proficiency test, and relevant work experience. Your age should be 18 years or more. After you get your visa, you should respect the way of life that is maintained here. You should also obey all the Australian regulations when you are signing the Australian Values Statement.
The 491 Visa conditions are also pretty same as Visa 190. You should also have an occupation present on both the regional Skilled Occupation List and the Australian STSOL. You will also require to submit the character certificate, health and medical requirements for the visa, English language test score, and show relevant work experience. Your age must also be between 18 and 45 years.
Read More – How To Increase Your Chances To Get PR In Australia After Studying?
Steps to Apply For Visa Subclass 190 And Visa 491 Australia
There are some differences in the application procedures for the two skilled visas. For visa 190, you have to sit in the skills assessment test organized by a recognized skills assessment authority and get the pass marks. In addition, you should see whether your occupation is on the SOL or not. Once you have met all the 190 visa requirements, you should submit the Expression of Interest in the second step. After the submission, you have to wait for getting the invitation. Once you get the invitation, you should now apply for the state sponsorship. When your sponsorship gets approved by the state, you should apply to the Department of Home Affairs. And finally, within 60 days of approval, you should apply for the visa.
For Visa Subclass 491 also, you should take the skills assessment test from any recognized institution. In the same way, you have to submit the EOI or the Expression of Interest. Once the submission is made, now you have to wait for the invitation from the state or territory government. You must have the appropriate sponsorship in place. Your sponsor may be the state or any settled permanent resident or Australian citizen.
Once the sponsorship is confirmed, you should apply to the Department of Home Affairs and get the state’s approval of the sponsorship. And finally, like the Visa 190, you should apply within 60 days of the sponsorship approval. If you feel you cannot make the whole application on your own, you can get help from MAP’s registered immigration agent Perth.
Read Our Latest Blog – What Are The Best And Easy Way To Migrate To Australia?
Processing Time – Visa 190 & 491 Visa
Processing Time | 75% of the applications | 90% of the applications |
Visa 190 | 12 months | 18 months |
Visa 491 | 10 months | 13 months |
How Can Migration Agent Perth Help?
While Visa 190 is a permanent resident visa, Visa 491 is a provisional visa that may help you get a permanent residency. You can move from one state to another anytime while you are on the 190 visa Australia, but it will not be allowed with 491 Visa. So, before you apply, you should check all the conditions attached to this visa. The best consultants can help you by providing a qualified migration Agent Perth.