Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa

This is a state nominated provisional visa for skilled migrants that allows you to live and work in South Australia for up to five years.

State nomination from South Australia provides you with 15 additional points to help you qualify for a subclass 491 visa under the Department of Home Affairs points test.

South Australia offers a state nomination pathway for the subclass 491 visa if you meet all state nomination requirements

If you live and work in South Australia for three years on the subclass 491 visa and meet the minimum taxable income level for at least three years (see the Department of Home Affairs website), you may be eligible to apply for permanent residency through the subclass 191 Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa.

To apply for this visa you must be under the age of 45 at the time of nomination, have a valid skills assessment and an occupation listed on South Australia’s Skilled Occupation List.

See Nomination Requirements for a full list of all nomination criteria.

To apply for this visa you must have a nomination from South Australian Government and meet all nomination requirements, as well as the Department of Home Affairs eligibility criteria.

To qualify for a South Australian state nomination, there are some key requirements that you must meet. Please refer to the skilled nomination requirements for more information.

There are streams for specific applicants that should be reviewed prior to applying for state nomination, as concessions and waivers may be available.

If you are an international graduate of South Australia, or are currently living and working in South Australia, you may be eligible for concessions and waivers.

The Talent and Innovators program allows the state to nominate high calibre applicants under one of the following three streams:

Employment stream: For businesses employing, or seeking to employ a highly talented skilled migrant
Independent talent stream: For high calibre applicants seeking state nomination
Small business and start up stream: For skilled migrants who have started their own business.
NOTE: This stream will be available soon.

View full details & requirements

If you are an international graduate of South Australia, we recommend you review the International Graduate Requirements & Waivers prior to commencing your state nomination application.

International Graduate Requirements & Waivers

If you are currently living and working in South Australia, you may qualify for this stream. There are concessions and waivers available and eligibility will primarily be dependent on:

How long you have been residing and working in South Australia.
Your nominated occupation
If you are living and working in outer regional South Australia

View full details & requirements

If you meet the Department of Home Affairs visa criteria and South Australia’s nomination requirements, you will need to prepare and supply a range of documentation to complete your application.

Please review the Before you apply information below prior to starting your application via the Skilled & Business Migration portal

Before you apply, you must have ready all information and documentation to support your state nomination application and prove the claims you make. Please refer to the document checklist ( to help you prepare all documentation prior to commencing your online application via the Skilled & Business Migration portal.

Once you have ensured you meet all nomination and visa requirements, and prepared all documentation required for your application:

Lodge an expression of interest in SkillSelect, choose South Australia as your preferred state and select the relevant subclass: 491– Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa. Make sure you record your EOI ID number as you will need this for your state nomination application.
Submit a state nomination application through the Skilled & Business Migration portal.
Track your application online. Once a decision on a nomination application has been made it will be reflected on the Skilled & Business Migration application page.
If you are approved for state nomination, you will receive an email from the Department of Home Affairs inviting you to apply for your visa.
Lodge your visa application with the Department of Home Affairs.

NOTE: If you have submitted multiple applications for state nomination, these will be processed in date order. Please submit an online enquiry if you wish to withdraw an application. Any application fees paid are not refundable.

Visa Options

Nomination Process

Occupation Lists

Support & Resources

Why South Australia

Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa - Subclass 491

Who can apply for this visa?

Talent and Innovators Program

International Graduates

Currently living and working in South Australia

Before you apply

How to apply