491 Visa Western Australia

Western Australia 491 Visa Program

In this article, we will explain the requirements and application process for 491 Visa WA.491 visa WA

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 with skills that are in high demand in Australia’s labour market to settle in regional Australia.

 

General Overview for 491 Visa WA

In order to apply for the Western Australia 491 visa, you will need to be nominated by the Western Australia Government or an eligible family member. This provisional visa will allow you and your dependant family to live, work and study in the regional Western Australia for 5 years.  Currently, all of Western Australia is a designated regional area. You will be expected to live in the regional Western Australia for at least 3 years before satisfying the requirement for applying for permanent residency.

491 Visa WA Application Process

Step 1 – Seek Professional Assistance

Seeking professional migration advice about your eligibility for Australian immigration and the action plan.

Step 2 – EOI for 491 Visa WA

You must submit a valid EOI (Expression of Interest) for Western Australia 491 visa and ensure the information in the EOI is accurate and up to date. WA Migration Services invites eligible EOIs on a monthly basis to apply for Western Australian state nomination based on a ranking system. WA Government announced on 22 October 2021 that the ranking system used for the issuing of invitations to apply for State nomination has changed, to give preference to applicants currently residing in Western Australia.

Step 3 – State Nomination Application for 491 Visa WA

Submit the official nomination application to Western Australia.

Step 4 – Apply for 491 Visa

Once your state nomination application has been approved, you will receive the approval letter and also the invitation to make an application for the 491 skilled visa.

Step 5 – Respond to any RFI requests by the Immigration

When Department of Home Affairs assesses your visa application, they may send a number of RFI (Request for Further Information) to ask for more information for verification before making a decision on your visa application. It is critical that you fully understand the 491 visa requirement before you lodge the application.

491 Visa Requirements – 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
    • scored at least 65 points or higher on the skilled migration point test

Available Nomination Streams and Requirements for 491 Visa WA – State Government

There are 2 available nomination streams for Western Australia 491 visa, which are the general stream and the graduate stream. We will provide a brief introduction to these streams in this section.

General Stream

There are 2 schedules under the general stream, which are WASMOL schedule 1 and WASMOL schedule 2.

    • Have an occupation on WA occupation list schedule 1 or 2
    • Residency Requirements: you need to be currently living in Australia to be eligible for WA State nomination. You will need to provide evidence that clearly shows your current Australian address. If you reside in Australia but are subject to a section 48 bar, you will not be eligible for WA State nomination.
    • Meet minimum English requirements for the nominated occupation: if your occupation belongs to ANZSCO Major Occupation Group 1 (Managers) or Group 2 (Professionals), you will need to demonstrate you have proficient level of English. Otherwise, you will need competent level of English. However, if you hold a passport from the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, the United States of America, or Ireland, you don’t need to sit an English test to be eligible for WA State nomination.
    • Work Experience: if you are applying through WASMOL schedule 1, you must be able to claim at least 5 points for work experience in your expression of interest in SkillSelect. You must have at least 1 year of Australian work experience OR at least 3 years of overseas work experience in the nominated (or closely related) occupation over the last 10 years. You can only count work experience gained after receiving qualification, in paid employment, where the minimum working hour per week is at least 20 hours.If you are applying through WASMOL schedule 2, then this requirement is not applicable to you.
    • Contract of employment: you must have a contract of employment in your nominated (or closely related) occupation for full-time employment in WA, for at least 12 months from the date of your application for State nomination.
    • Demonstrate sufficient settlement funds: if you live outside of WA, you need to prove that have sufficient funds to cover your settlement costs and living costs for at least three months.

Graduate Stream

    • Have an occupation on WA graduate occupation list
    • Residency Requirements: you need to be currently living in Australia to be eligible for WA State nomination. You will need to provide evidence that clearly shows your current Australian address. If you reside in Australia but are subject to a section 48 bar, you will not be eligible for WA State nomination.
    • Meet minimum English requirements for the nominated occupation: if your occupation belongs to ANZSCO Major Occupation Group 1 (Managers) or Group 2 (Professionals), you will need to demonstrate you have proficient level of English. Otherwise, you will need competent level of English. However, if you hold a passport from the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, the United States of America, or Ireland, you don’t need to sit an English test to be eligible for WA State nomination.
    • A Western Australian qualification: you need to have a university or higher education qualification and/or a vocational education and training (VET) qualification at a Cert III level or above, which was gained through an accredited educational institution in WA that meets the accreditation requirements.
    • At least two years of study in Western Australia: you must have studied at an accredited Western Australian educational institution, full-time and face-to-face, for at least two years.
    • Work Experience or Contract of employment: if you are using work experience to meet this requirement, you must show at least 6 months of Australian work experience within the last 5 years, in your nominated (or closely related) occupation. You will need to include the details of your work experience in your EOI in SkillSelect. You can also satisfy this requirement by providing evidence of having a minimum of six-month contract of full-time employment in your nominated (or closely related) occupation in Western Australia.
    • Demonstrate sufficient settlement funds: if you live outside of WA, you need to prove that have sufficient funds to cover your settlement costs and living costs for at least three months.

Ausdirect Migration for 491 Visa WA

Western Australia general skilled visa is extremely complicated; therefore, it is highly recommended to engage professional services in order to achieve the best outcome for your visa application.

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

Book a consultation with us today. We look forward to hearing from you and the opportunity to assist you in managing your immigration journey.

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