Many of you have heard the news that Australia will have a new regional work visa, called the subclass 491. This new temporary visa will let you stay and work in regional areas in Australia for up to five years with the chance to apply for permanent residency afterwards.

This all sounds terrific and the new 491 visa starts on 16 November 2019.

So the big question is — is this available in Canberra and how can I apply for it?

Will Canberra be regional?

Canberra will be considered a regional area. This means that the 491 visa will be available for people to be nominated by the ACT Government.

How do I get nominated for the 491 visa?

When the 491 starts, you will be able to apply for this visa if the ACT Government chooses you (or nominates you).

So how do you get nominated? Well, the ACT wants the best and brightest people to stay in Canberra, so they have a points-based selection system, called the Canberra Matrix. The people who can score the highest points will be nominated first because the ACT wants those who can contribute the most to our local community.

The Canberra Matrix is currently used to nominate people for the 190 skilled visa.

So does this mean that the Canberra Matrix will be used for the 491 visa too or will there be a different Matrix for the 491 visa? The answer is yes and no.

New Canberra Matrix?

The ACT Government has not released its point system for selecting nominees for the 491 visa yet.

Levisa has been advised by the ACT Government that the policy is currently with the ACT Chief Minister for approval and we can expect to see it soon.

Vinh Le, Registered Migration Agent, Levisa:

“Yes we expect that the 491 will also use the Canberra Matrix points system that is in place for 190 visas. But the difference will be that the eligibility criteria may change.

Currently, applicants need to meet strict work and high English requirements before they can even be considered for points. We could see changes to both the 190 and 491 eligible criteria for the Canberra Matrix, for example — a higher bar could be set to be eligible for the 190 permanent visa and a lower bar for the 491 temporary visa.

We won’t know for certain until the ACT Government publishes its new guidelines. Nominations for the new 491 could open by the end of this year or early 2020. We will just have to wait and see.”

So keep an eye on this space, if you are struggling to meet the eligibility criteria for 190 or don’t have enough points — the 491 may be the next step in your future.

Don’t miss your chance to get in early for the 491 visa when it comes out. Levisa is based in Canberra and can help you to understand which skilled visas are right for you.