191 Visa Australia — Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) Subclass 191
What Is the Subclass 191 Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) Visa?
The 191 visa (Permanent Residence Skilled Regional) is the permanent visa pathway for regional skilled workers who have spent at least 3 years living and working in a designated regional area of Australia on an eligible provisional visa. Once granted, it gives you and your family full permanent residence with the right to live, work and study anywhere in Australia — no regional conditions apply after grant.
What the 191 Visa Lets You Do
Once the Department grants your subclass 191 visa, you can:
- Stay permanently in Australia with no expiry date and no regional living conditions
- Work and study anywhere in Australia in any occupation — no restrictions
- Sponsor eligible relatives for permanent residence
- Enrol in Medicare — Australia’s health care scheme
- Travel freely to and from Australia for 5 years from the date of grant — after which you need a Resident Return Visa
- Apply for Australian citizenship once you meet the citizenship residency requirement
191 Visa Requirements
To meet the 191 visa requirements, you must satisfy all three of the following at the time you apply:
- Qualifying visa: Hold a subclass 491 visa or subclass 494 visa at the time of application, and have held that provisional visa for at least 3 years
- Minimum income: Have earned at or above the minimum income threshold for at least 3 completed income years while holding your qualifying regional provisional visa
- Visa conditions: Have complied with all conditions of your regional provisional visa — including condition 8579 (live, work and study only in regional areas)
Regional Conditions on Your Qualifying Provisional Visa (Before You Can Apply for the 191)
Before you can apply for the 191 visa, you must have complied with all conditions of your 491 visa or 494 visa for the full 3-year period. These conditions include:
- Condition 8579 — live, work and study only in designated regional areas (not Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane)
- If employer sponsored (494 visa) — work only in your nominated occupation and for your nominating employer
- You may move between regional areas freely — you are not restricted to a single state or postcode, provided all locations qualify as designated regional areas
Perth, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Lake Macquarie, Illawarra, Geelong, Newcastle, Wollongong, Adelaide, Hobart and Canberra all qualify as designated regional areas for this purpose.
While holding your 491 or 494 provisional visa, you generally cannot apply for most other skilled visas in Australia until you complete the 3-year regional requirement, unless exceptional circumstances apply. For 494 visa holders, sponsor non-compliance can affect your visa — contact a VisaAid migration consultant immediately if your employer’s compliance status changes.
Effect on Legacy Regional Visas
The Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (subclass 187) and the Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 489) closed to new applicants on 16 November 2019. Transitional arrangements apply to applications lodged before that date that remain undecided, and to applicants on the 489 pathway targeting the permanent 887 Skilled Regional visa.
If you hold a subclass 489 visa and are working toward your permanent residence, your pathway to the 887 visa remains valid under the transitional framework. Speak to a VisaAid migration consultant to confirm your current position.
Current Points Structure for the 491 and 494 Visa
The skilled migration points test that applies to 491 visa applicants includes the following:
- +15 points — State or Territory nomination or family member sponsorship in a regional area
- +10 points — skilled spouse or de facto partner (skills assessment + Competent English)
- +5 points — spouse or de facto partner with Competent English (no skills assessment)
- +10 points — STEM specialist educational qualifications
- +10 points — no spouse or de facto partner (single applicants) Use our Skilled Visa Points Test Table to calculate your full score.
How SkillSelect Ranks 491 Applicants for Invitations
Within the same points score, SkillSelect ranks applicants in the following order:
First — applicants with a skilled spouse or de facto partner (skills assessment + Competent English)
Equal First — applicants with no spouse or de facto partner (single)
Second — applicants with a partner who has Competent English but no skills assessment
Third — applicants with a partner who does not meet Competent English or skilled partner requirements
How Long the 191 Visa Lasts
The subclass 191 visa is permanent — it grants indefinite stay in Australia with no expiry date and no regional conditions.
The visa includes a 5-year travel facility from the date of grant, allowing you to travel in and out of Australia freely. After 5 years, apply for a Resident Return Visa before departing to retain your re-entry rights.
For citizenship purposes, your permanent residence begins on the day the Department grants your 191 visa — provided you are in Australia at that time.
191 Visa Requirements — Full Detail
As the 191 visa applicant, you must satisfy all of the following:
Qualifying visa: Hold one of the following for at least 3 years:
- Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa, OR
- Subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa
Regional compliance: Have complied substantially with the conditions of your qualifying visa — including having lived, worked and studied only in designated regional areas of Australia (as defined by postcode). See our designated regional areas page for the full postcode list.
Minimum income: Have earned an Australian taxable income at or above the minimum income threshold for at least 3 completed income years while holding your qualifying regional provisional visa.
Verify the current income threshold before publishing — the figure shown on the current page ($3,900/year) appears incorrect. The minimum taxable income requirement for the 191 visa is set by the Department of Home Affairs and aligns with the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT). Check the current confirmed figure on homeaffairs.gov.au before publishing this page.
Health and character: You and all family members included in your application must satisfy Australian health and character requirements.
191 Visa Cost — Department of Home Affairs Fees
The 191 visa cost (Government Visa Application Charge) is:
- Main applicant — $505.00
- Additional applicant aged 18 and over — $250.00
- Additional applicant under 18 — $130.00
Verify the current 191 visa cost on homeaffairs.gov.au before publishing — visa application charges update on 1 July each year and these figures may be outdated.
Contact VisaAid to know professional fees for the 191 visa
Every 191 visa client receives a thorough eligibility review covering income evidence, regional compliance records and all required documents before lodgment. Contact VisaAid for a fee quote.
Can You Apply for the 191 Visa Before the End of the Income Year?
Yes — in some cases. To apply for the subclass 191 visa, you must provide Australian Taxation Office (ATO) notices of assessment for three relevant income years.
A relevant income year is generally a financial year that: ended before you lodge your 191 visa application, and during which you held a qualifying regional provisional visa (491 or 494) for all or part of that year.
If you held your regional visa and worked for part of the current income year, you may still lodge your 191 application — provided you can meet all document requirements by the time the Department makes a decision. This means you do not necessarily need to wait until the end of the financial year to lodge.
The Department of Home Affairs has confirmed a minimum taxable income requirement for the 191 visa. Verify the current threshold on homeaffairs.gov.au before lodging — speak to a VisaAid migration consultant to confirm whether your income evidence meets the current requirement.
Book your free 191 visa consultation with VisaAid’s registered migration consultants to confirm your eligibility and prepare your application.
From the 191 Visa to Australian Citizenship
The subclass 191 visa completes your regional pathway to permanent residence. From the day the Department grants it, your citizenship clock starts. Most 191 visa holders meet the citizenship residency requirement — 4 years of lawful residence including at least 1 year as a permanent resident — before or shortly after transitioning from their provisional visa.
Your full regional pathway:
491 visa or 494 visa (3 years regional provisional) → 191 visa (permanent regional) → Australian citizenship
Key things to do during your 491/494 to maximise your 191 visa eligibility:
- Keep detailed records of your regional residence — council rates, lease agreements, utility bills and bank statements
- Lodge your tax returns on time every year and keep your ATO notices of assessment — you need 3 years of these for the 191
- Ensure your employer maintains their sponsorship obligations (494 holders) — sponsor non-compliance can jeopardise your pathway
- Confirm your income meets the minimum threshold in each qualifying year — speak to VisaAid early if your income has been variable
- Start Your Free 191 Visa Assessment
- View the 491 visa guide
- View the 494 visa guide