191 Visa - Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) for Australia
Do you live and work in a designated regional area in Australia? Do you hold a subclass 491 or a 494 visa? If your response to all these questions is a ‘yes’, and you are looking for a pathway to Australian permanent residency, the newly available SC 191 visa could be your chance.
The SC 191 visa is a permanent residency visa for persons who have lived in a designated regional area for a period of 03 years on a SC 491 or 494 visa.
Our lawyers at MJ Legal are experts in skilled migration. We are up to date on new visa requirements and changes to provide you with accurate information and guidance on the fastest way to permanent residency.
Assessing your eligibility for 191 visa
Our immigration experts will assess your eligibility to apply for the SC 191 visa against the Department requirements.
We will guide you on the best steps to follow in order to qualify for this visa.
Making your visa application
If you qualify to apply for the visa, we carefully prepare your visa application that is compliant with the current laws and regulations. We ensure to submit your application with all the required documents within the stipulated time period. We will respond to any follow up information required by the department to make sure you receive a positive outcome.
191 Skilled Regional visa requirements
In order to be eligible for the SC 191 visa, you must meet the following minimum requirements.
- Be a current holder of the SC 491 Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa or SC 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa
- Have lived, worked or studied in a designated regional area for 03 years while holding the above visas
- Earned a taxable income which meets the minimum income threshold for 03 years
- Complied with the conditions of your provisional visa for the whole duration
- Meet the health and character requirements
191 (Skilled Regional) visa fees
Department fees
- Main applicant: AUD 490.00
- Secondary applicant 18 years and above: AUD 245.00
- Secondary applicant below 18 years: AUD 125.00
Other fees
You may incur additional costs to obtain police certificates, health checks and biometrics.
Our charges
Call us to find out our costs for making your SC 191 visa application.
191 visa processing time
The processing time varies on a case-by-case basis and depends on individuals' circumstances such as the time taken to respond to department requests or to obtain information from external agencies.
Benefits of the SC 191 Visa
What can you do on the SC 191 visa?
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You become a permanent resident on the day this visa is granted.
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You can stay anywhere in Australia, permanently
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You can work or study anywhere in Australia
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Apply for citizenship if you meet the requirements
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Sponsor eligible family to join you
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Access Medicare (Australia’s public healthcare)
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FAQs
No, there is no age limit to apply for the SC 191 visa. You must only meet the age limit to apply for the provisional visas i.e. the SC 491 or SC 494 visa.
Both the SC 190 Skilled Nominated visa and SC 191 Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa are permanent residency visas.
For the SC 190 visa, you must be under 45 years at the time of invitation and meet other department criteria such as have at least 65 points on the points test, competent English and a valid skill assessment. You should also meet the relevant state criteria in order to receive a state nomination.
In contrast, the SC 191 visa does not have any age limit to apply as long as you hold a provisional SC 491 or SC 494 visa. You must have lived, worked or studied in a designated regional area for 03 years on that visa and meet the minimum income requirement for 03 income years.
Areas except for Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne are considered regional areas. These include Perth, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Lake Macquarie, Illawarra, Geelong, Newcastle, Wollongong, Adelaide, Hobart and Canberra.
Regional areas are categorized as follows:
- Category 2 - Cities and Major Regional Centres
- Category 3 - Regional Centres and Other Regional Areas