The Subclass 489 visa is a regional sponsored visa that allows skilled workers to live and work in specified regional areas of Australia. To be eligible for this visa, applicants must be nominated by an Australian state or territory government agency or sponsored by an eligible relative living in a designated regional area.

However, the Subclass 489 visa has been closed to new applications since November 2019, and it has been replaced by the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) - Subclass 491 Visa.

The Subclass 491 visa allows highly skilled workers with their families to live and work in designated areas of Australia for up to 5 years.

This visa has three forms of application:

1. Invited pathway for new applicants,
2. Extended stay pathway for workers who already held certain eligible visas, and
3. Subsequent entry pathway for relatives of workers who hold eligible visas

Unlike certain other visa types, such as the Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (Subclass 188) or the Business Talent (Permanent) visa (Subclass 132), the Subclass 489 visa is not specifically designed for business owners or entrepreneurs. Instead, it is aimed at addressing skill shortages in regional areas of Australia and encouraging economic development in those regions.

Typically, the application for the Subclass 489 visa focuses on the applicant's skills, qualifications, work experience, and the nomination or sponsorship requirements. A business plan is not a standard requirement for this visa type unless there are specific business-related circumstances that need to be addressed in the application.

For skilled workers who want to live and work in regional Australia, you can bring your family.

If you are granted this visa, you might be able to apply for the Skilled Regional (Permanent) visa (subclass 887).

Chart your path to success with a Visa 489 Business Plan. Explore the benefits and steps to create a winning plan.

Attribution: Department of Home Affairs