Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (subclass 191)
Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (subclass 191)
Visa Cost
AUD 505
2025-26 financial year primary applicant base VAC about AUD 505 (secondary applicants aged 18 and over about AUD 255, under 18 about AUD 130). If the primary applicant or any family member aged 18 and over has English below functional level, a second instalment (about AUD 4,890 per person) is payable before grant. The live rate on the official site/Visa Pricing Estimator on the day of lodgement applies.
Processing Time
About 7-16 months (the live processing data on the official site prevails)
Eligibility
- Held a subclass 491 (Skilled Work Regional - Provisional) or subclass 494 (Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional - Provisional) visa for at least 3 years (you cannot combine multiple visas to make up 3 years)
- Complied with the visa conditions throughout the holding of the above provisional visa, in particular the 8579 regional residence/work condition (living, working and studying only in a designated regional area)
- Provide ATO notices of assessment for any 3 tax years within 5 years, proving you have lodged tax as required (note: no specific minimum income threshold is set in law)
- No new skills assessment, no re-accruing of points (no points test), and no employer or state nomination
- No upper age limit; any age may apply
- Meet health and character requirements, and have no outstanding debt to the Australian government
- At application you can generally be onshore or offshore, and family members such as a spouse can be included
Key Information
Validity / Stay / Residence
Permanent residence, with no stay limit; the travel facility period is usually 5 years from grant, after which an RRV is required.
Eligible Dependants
Can include the spouse/de facto partner and dependent children who previously held the provisional visa to obtain permanent residence together; secondary applicants must also have complied with the original visa conditions (including 8579).
PR / Permanent Residence Pathway
This visa is permanent residence (PR). It is a regional permanent visa transitioning from 491/494; permanent residence is obtained on grant; you can apply for citizenship once residence requirements are met.
View provisional-to-permanent transition overview →Application Steps
Verify 3-year visa-holding and compliance
Verify 3-year visa-holding and compliance
Confirm you have held a single 491 or 494 continuously/cumulatively for 3 years and complied with the regional residence and work conditions throughout.
- The 3 years on 491 and 494 cannot be combined across visas
- Check compliance with the 8579 condition
- Keep evidence of regional residence and work
Gather 3 years of ATO Notices of Assessment
Gather 3 years of ATO Notices of Assessment
Download notices of assessment for any 3 full tax years within 5 years from myGov/ATO as evidence of tax compliance.
- Required from the primary applicant (a tax record is needed even if income is low)
- Confirm the tax years corresponding to the period of holding the provisional visa
- If missing, lodge the outstanding tax returns first
Complete health and character checks
Complete health and character checks
The whole family completes immigration health examinations and prepares police clearances from all countries of 12-month residence.
- Generate a HAP ID in ImmiAccount to book the health examination
- Chinese police clearance + AFP (if applicable), notarised and translated
- Meet health and character requirements
Lodge via ImmiAccount and pay VAC
Lodge via ImmiAccount and pay VAC
Complete online, upload materials, and pay the base visa fee and family member surcharges.
- Primary applicant AUD 505 + secondary applicant surcharge
- Upload the 491/494 grant notice, notices of assessment, and residence and work evidence
- After lodgement a bridging visa is granted if needed
Respond to requests and await grant
Respond to requests and await grant
Cooperate with requests for further documents and checks; on grant you become an Australian permanent resident and the residence restrictions are lifted.
- If English is below functional, pay the second instalment
- After grant you can live and work anywhere in Australia
- You can take the citizenship pathway once eligible
Required Documents
| Document Name | English Name | Required | Description | Tips |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 491/494 visa grant notification | 491/494 visa grant notification | Prove you have held an eligible regional provisional visa and its start and end dates, to verify the 3-year holding requirement. | Ensure it is 3 continuous years on a single visa; VEVO records can support this. | |
| ATO Notices of Assessment (3 income years of 5) | ATO Notices of Assessment (3 income years of 5) | ATO notices of assessment for any 3 full tax years within 5 years, proving you have lodged tax as required. | Required from the primary applicant; downloadable from ATO via myGov; this is a key and unique 191 document, and a refusal will result if it is missing. | |
| Evidence of residence in designated regional area | Evidence of residence in designated regional area | Lease, utility bills, bank statements, driver licence address, etc., proving you lived in a designated regional area throughout the provisional visa. | Covering the entire 3-year period continuously without long gaps; the address must be outside Sydney/Melbourne/Brisbane. | |
| Evidence of regional employment | Evidence of regional employment | Payslips, employment contract, employer reference, and PAYG/superannuation records, proving work in a regional area. | Cross-corroborated with the notices of assessment; self-employed applicants need to provide business evidence such as ABN and BAS. | |
| Passport and identity documents | Passport and identity documents | Valid passport bio-data pages, notarial birth certificates and other identity documents for the whole family. | Chinese documents require NAATI translation; the name spelling must match all previous visas. | |
| Chinese police clearance (notarised & translated) | Chinese police clearance (notarised & translated) | Police clearances from countries where applicants aged 16 and over have lived for a cumulative 12 months in the past 10 years. | The Chinese police clearance must be issued by a notary office and translated; other countries you have lived in also require corresponding clearances. | |
| Australian Federal Police check | Australian Federal Police check | Applicants who have lived in Australia for a cumulative 12 months must provide an AFP national police clearance. | Apply online, selecting the migration/residence category (code 33) as the purpose. | |
| Health examination (HAP ID) | Health examination (HAP ID) | The whole family completes immigration health examinations at a designated panel clinic. | Generate a HAP ID in ImmiAccount, then book. | |
| Partner/children relationship evidence | Partner/children relationship evidence | Marriage certificate, cohabitation evidence, children's birth certificates, etc., to include family members in the same application. | De facto partners need 12 months of cohabitation or a registered relationship; documents notarised and translated. | |
| Evidence of functional English (if applicable) | Evidence of functional English (if applicable) | Prove that the primary applicant and family members aged 18 and over have functional English, to avoid the high second instalment. | Can be evidenced by an English-taught qualification, passport nationality, or an English score; if not met, a second instalment of about AUD 4,890 per person is payable. | |
| Evidence of no outstanding government debts | Evidence of no outstanding government debts | Prove any debt to the Australian government has been repaid or arranged for repayment. | Any public hospital debts must be settled first, otherwise grant may be affected. |
FAQ
Does the 191 visa really have a minimum income requirement?
If I hold 494 for two years then 491 for one year, can I make up 3 years?
Does 191 require a new skills assessment or accruing points again?
Can I move to a major city while 191 is being processed?
Can old visas such as 489/475 apply for 191?
Common Refusal Reasons
- Not holding the provisional visa (491/494) for 3 years or not genuinely living/working in a regional area during it
- Unable to provide compliant ATO notices of assessment for 3 years (insufficient income evidence)
- Breaching regional residence/work conditions such as 8579 while holding the visa
- A secondary applicant did not comply with the visa conditions they were required to observe
- Health or character requirements not met
- The genuineness of the documents or the residence record is in doubt
Can you appeal after a refusal? See the Visa Refusal & Review (ART) Guide.