AUSVISATIME / SC 494
Work & skilledAustralian visa

Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa

A work or skilled migration pathway based on skills, sponsorship, nomination, innovation or regional eligibility.

Verify on Home Affairs ↗
Visa subclass494Official visa number
Application feeCheck official fee Open the current Home Affairs fee table
Processing time
8 Months50%/12 Months90%
Employer Sponsored StreamSource published 2026-09-29 · checked 2026-10-05
Estimate your grant date with the AusVisaTime calculator · Subclass 494 →
01

Visa overview

Current Home Affairs data
A practical place to start

Your visa action plan

Turn the official rules into three manageable decisions.

1
CHECK YOUR FIT

Confirm the essentials

  • Meet the subclass-specific skills or business criteria
  • Secure sponsorship, nomination or invitation where required
  • Meet English, age and experience rules where applicable
  • Meet health and character requirements
2
PLAN REALISTICALLY

Budget money and time

Base application fee
Check the official fee table
Current processing guide
8 Months (50%) · 12 Months (90%)
3
PREPARE EVIDENCE

Follow the official sequence

Use the application checklist below to organise documents, lodge correctly and respond after lodgement.

STAY
Permitted stayLength of stay granted by this visa
Temporary, provisional or permanent
Important stay conditionsThe headline duration can be a maximum, not an automatic grant.

The exact expiry date and conditions are stated in the visa grant letter or VEVO. Different streams can have different stay periods.

What this visa lets you do

A work or skilled migration pathway based on skills, sponsorship, nomination, innovation or regional eligibility.

Permitted stay: Temporary, provisional or permanent.

Core requirements

  • Meet the subclass-specific skills or business criteria
  • Secure sponsorship, nomination or invitation where required
  • Meet English, age and experience rules where applicable
  • Meet health and character requirements
Data provenance

Read here. Verify at the source.

This page brings the Department’s overview, eligibility, application process and post-grant information into one readable view. Rules can change and personal circumstances matter.

View the original Home Affairs record ↗