If you are a family member of someone who holds a Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa Subclass 491, you can apply for the Subsequent Entrant Stream designed under this visa. As the name indicates, this visa is granted to applicants who want to stay, study, and work in a regional area of Australia. This stream offers the same benefits as the primary applicant. This blog provides a detailed guide about the 491 visa requirements.
What Benefits Does this Visa 491 Offer to a Subsequent Entrant?
As a holder of this Visa Subclass 491 stream, you can do the following things.
- You can live in Australia as long as the visa is valid.
- You can study and work full-time in a designated regional area in Australia.
- When your visa is valid, you can travel to your home country and return to Australia whenever you want.
- After staying for the specified period, you can apply for a Skilled Regional Visa Subclass 191, a permanent residence visa.
Remaining compliant with the 491 Visa conditions during your stay is necessary.
Check Out the Eligibility Requirements
The specific 491 Visa requirements for the Subsequent Entrant Stream are as follows.
Age
No age restriction is associated with this visa.
Holding This Visa
At the time of your application, meet the following requirements.
- You must be a family member of someone who holds a Visa Subclass 491.
- If you lodge your application inside Australia, make sure you hold a relevant bridging or substantive visa.
English Language Requirement
All the Visa 491 applicants must have a functional level of English. Because Australia is an English-speaking country, meeting this criterion is mandatory.
However, if you are from New Zealand, Canada, the US, the UK, or Ireland, or have earned a degree or diploma after studying at least 2 years in English, you will be exempt from this condition.
Health Requirement
All the applicants need to meet health requirements. Make sure you do not have any health condition that requires constant government or community support.
Character Requirement
Applicants aged 16 or more have to meet the necessary character requirements. You must have no substantial criminal records.
No Uncleared Debts to the Australian Government
You or other family members should not have any debts to the Government of Australia.
No Records of Visa Cancellation
If any of your previous Australian visa applications have been refused by the Department of Home Affairs, you will not be granted this visa.
Follow the Step-by-step Application Procedure
This visa also follows a multi-step application procedure like any other Australian visa. For a complete application, make sure you take extra care in each step.
Step 1: Things to Do Before You Apply
Before you start the actual application procedure, there are certain things to do, which are as follows.
- If the Department of Home Affairs asks you to undergo health examinations, you can make arrangements at this stage.
- Hiring a registered migration agent in Perth is always a good decision. Apart from a migration agent, you can also hire a legal practitioner. Whoever you hire, note that you have to make this decision before starting the application.
Step 2: Gather the Documents
This step is vital. Gather all the necessary documents carefully and scan them for an online application.
Your checklist will include:
Identity Documents
- Passport pages that show your personal details, photo, and the issue and expiry dates
- A certified copy of one of your national identity cards
- A name change proof such as a marriage certificate, if applicable
Relationship Documents
According to your relationship status, you have to submit a relevant document: your marriage certificate, separation certificate, divorce certificate, or statutory declaration.
Character Documents
If you have stayed for at least 12 months in Australia in the last 10 years, you will be required to submit an Australian police certificate.
The Department of Home Affairs only accepts certificates issued by the AFP and not anything from Australian territory or state police. The AFP certificate stays valid for 12 months, which means you must apply for your visa within this period.
In addition, you will also need to provide:
- Police certificates issued by all the countries you have stayed in for at least 1 year in the last 10 years since you have reached 16 years of age
- Military service or discharge documents if you have ever served in the army of any country
Functional English Language Documents
Applicants from English-speaking countries do not need to provide separate English language documents.
Alternatively, you can submit the score of an internationally accepted English languages test like the IELTS, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, or CAE. Given below is the minimum band score requirement for each test.
- 4.5 in the IELTS
- 32 in the TOEFL iBT
- 30 in the PTE Academic
- 147 in the CAE
Make sure you have not appeared for one of these tests more than 12 months back.
Dependent Children Documents
If dependent children are included in your application, you have to submit their identity documents like copies of birth certificates or family books showing the names of both parents.
You will also need to submit the parental responsibility documents.
Note that all the documents must be in English. If you have non-English documents, get them translated by an accredited translator.
Step 3: Complete Your Application
To complete your Subclass 491 Visa application, you must upload the scanned copies of all the documents and pay the application fee.
Step 4: Complete the Post-Application Steps
After applying, you will have certain things to do.
- You have to submit biometrics if asked.
- You must stay lawful.
- If there are any mistakes in the application, you may change them.
- Inform the Department about a change in the situation.
Step 5: Wait for the 491 Visa
Regardless of your visa outcome, the Department of Home Affairs will let you know via email.
Hire a migration agent in Perth?
For hiring the best migration agent Perth, contact a reputed migration firm for help. The best consultants offer 24/7 customer support and can provide you with the most appropriate visa application guidance at an affordable price.
