Northern Territory 491 Visa Program

The Skilled Work Regional 491 visa allows points-tested skilled workers and their families to live, study and work in designated regional areas for a period of 5 years. This visa is for people who wish to settle in regional Australia who have skills that are in high demand in Australia’s labour market.

Here we would like to provide you the latest update about the requirements and process to apply for the 491 visa for Northern Territory.

General Overview for NT 491 Visa

In order to apply for the NT 491 visa, you will need to be nominated by the NT Government or an eligible family member. This provisional visa will allow you and your dependant family to live, work and study in the NT for 5 years. If you receive a nomination from the NT Government, you and your dependant family will be expected to live in the NT for at least 3 years before satisfying the requirement for applying for premanent residency. The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) may require you to report commitments. You may need to produce supporting evidence and/or attend an interview with the DHA to prove that you are or have been living and working in the NT. Furthermore, the NT Government may also conduct checks to ensure that you are living and working in the NT.

 

NT nomination step-by-step guide

1. Seeking professional migration advice about your eligibility for Australian immigration and the action plan
2. Assess your eligibility against the Department of Home Affairs requirements (age, English level, skills assessment and migration points test)
3. Submit an expression of interest (EOI)
4. Submit an application for NT Government nomination
5. If successfully nominated, you will then receive a SkillSelect invitation to apply for the visa
6. Submit your visa application and wait for the DHA’s decision
7. If visa is granted, you will then be required to meet your long term commitments to living and working in the NT.

Eligibility for NT 491 Visa – Federal Government

You and your dependant family must satisfy the Department of Home Affairs requirements:

• • must be under age 45 when being nominated
  • obtain a full skills assessment for the skilled occupation that you have nominated
  • have competent level of English Language (unless specified by assessing/licensing or registration body or on the NT Migration Occupation List.
  • scored at least 65 points or higher on the skilled migration point test

Northern Territory Government Requirements

The 491 Visa for Northern Territory has the following 3 main streams:

• • NT Graduates
  • NT Residents
  • Offshore Applicants

1. Applicants who are NT Graduates

For people who are NT graduates living in Northern Territory, and wish to apply for NT 491 state nomination, the following state nomination requirements apply:

• • successfully completed one or more qualifications after studying in the NT, at an NT-based institution for two years in a single tertiary course or a set of nested tertiary courses, and
  • are unable to live in the NT for six months after completing two years of study in the NT (otherwise you may be eligible for 190 program)
  • all course requirements in semester one 2020 and produce a letter of completion dated prior to 1 August 2020), and
  • demonstrated genuine and sustained efforts to obtain employment** from an NT employer in your nominated occupation or a closely related skilled occupation.

2. Applicants who are residing in NT

For people who are living in Northern Territory, and wish to apply for NT 491 state nomination, the following state nomination requirements apply:

• • applicants who started living in the NT prior to 1 July 2020, must:
    • demonstrate that you have been residing in the NT for at least six consecutive months immediately prior to application
    • demonstrate that none of your migrating dependants are residing in another part of Australia, and
    • demonstrate full-time employment in the NT in an eligible occupation for at least six consecutive months immediately prior to applying for NT nomination and demonstrate the employment is available for at least a further 12 months.
  • applicants who start living in the NT on or after 1 July 2020, must:
    • demonstrate that you have been residing in the NT for at least 12 consecutive months
    • demonstrate that none of your migrating dependants are residing in another part of Australia, and
    • demonstrate full-time employment in the NT in an eligible occupation for at least six consecutive months immediately prior to applying for NT nomination and demonstrate that the employment is available for at least a further 12 months.

An eligible occupation for this purpose is:

• the occupation identified in the skills assessment (nominated occupation), or
• an occupation that is related to the nominated occupation. In order to be related to the nominated occupation, the majority of time in the position must be spent on tasks that align with the skills and knowledge required to undertake the nominated occupation.

The employment must also meet the following additional requirements:

• the position must be based in the NT, and the employer must have a record of trading in the NT for at least 12 months
• positions that are based at serviced office spaces or involve hot-desking arrangements will generally not be considered favourably
• you must be paid at market salary.

3. Applicants who are outside of Australia

For people who are outside of Australia and wish to apply for NT 491 state nomination, the following state nomination requirements apply:

Offshore applicants must have been employed in their nominated occupation for at least 12 months out of the last 24 months prior to your application, or have relevant Australian qualifications.

Offshore applicants must have an offer of full-time relevant employment in the NT, if the NT Migration Occupation List requires it.

Please note the Northern Territory nomination policy is very complex and also there are also other further criteria required for the program. Please consult out registered migration agent before you making any application.

Processing Time for NT 491 Visa Nomination applications

The processing times for NT 491 visa nomination applications are generally as follows:

• NT student and NT resident applicants approximately one month
• Offshore applicants approximately six months

Ausdirect Migration for NT 491 Visa

Our team at Ausdirect Migration is very experienced in managing migration programs in relation to Northern Territory Visa applications. We have provided top quality migration services to onshore and offshore clients to support them study in Northern Territory and apply for migration through Northern Territory.

We look forward to hearing from you and the opportunity to assist you in managing your immigration journey.