Written by Immigrad · Registered Migration Agent · MARN 1805710 · Last updated August 2026
If your business operates outside Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane, the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa — subclass 494 — is often the most practical way to fill a role you cannot fill locally. This guide sets out the 494 visa employer requirements step by step: sponsorship approval, Regional Certifying Body (RCB) advice, labour market testing, salary thresholds and the full cost picture, with figures current as at August 2026. It is general information only — every business and candidate is different, and complex cases need personal advice from a registered migration agent.
What is the 494 visa?
The subclass 494 lets an approved business sponsor a skilled worker for a position located in a designated regional area of Australia. Key features:
- A five-year provisional visa with full work rights tied to the sponsoring employer and the nominated occupation.
- A permanent residency pathway: after three years, the visa holder can apply for the Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa — subclass 191.
- Access to a much longer occupation list than the 482 — over 700 occupations, including many that are not available for standard sponsorship.
For 494 purposes, a designated regional area is everywhere in Australia except the Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane metropolitan areas. Perth, Adelaide, the Gold Coast, Canberra, Newcastle, Wollongong, Hobart, Darwin and all rural and remote Australia qualify.
494 visa employer requirements: the five steps
Step 1 — Become a Standard Business Sponsor
Before you can nominate anyone, your business needs Standard Business Sponsorship (SBS) approval — the same sponsorship used for the 482 visa, so if you already hold an active SBS you can skip this step. You must show the business is lawfully operating and actively trading. The application fee is $420 and approval generally lasts five years. Our step-by-step SBS guide covers the process and evidence in detail.
Step 2 — Obtain Regional Certifying Body (RCB) advice
This is the step unique to the 494. A nomination cannot be approved unless an RCB — usually a state or territory government body or a Regional Development Australia committee for your area — has assessed the position and provided advice to the Department of Home Affairs. The RCB looks at whether the salary matches the annual market salary rate for the role in your region and whether the position is genuinely needed and located in a designated regional area. RCBs are asked to respond within 28 days, and their advice remains valid for three months, so sequence your application carefully. Most RCBs do not charge a fee, though arrangements vary between states.
Step 3 — Complete labour market testing
You must advertise the role to show no suitably qualified Australian citizen or permanent resident was available. The advertising must follow the Department’s prescribed format and timing rules — getting this wrong is one of the most common reasons nominations are refused. See our detailed guide to the exact labour market testing rules before you place any ads.
Step 4 — Lodge the nomination and pay the SAF levy
The nomination identifies the position, the occupation and the worker. The position must be full-time, likely to exist for at least five years, and genuinely located in a designated regional area. Two salary tests apply to nominations lodged from 1 July 2026:
- The salary must be at least the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT), currently $79,423; and
- It must be no less than the annual market salary rate — what an equivalent Australian worker in your region would earn.
There is no Home Affairs nomination fee for the 494, but the Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy is payable in full when you lodge: a one-off $3,000 for businesses with annual turnover under $10 million, or $5,000 for larger businesses. Unlike the 482, where the levy is charged per year of visa duration, the 494 levy is a single payment. Our SAF levy guide with worked examples explains how it is calculated and when refunds apply.
Step 5 — The worker lodges the visa application
Once the nomination is lodged, the candidate applies for the visa itself. From 1 July 2026 the main applicant’s visa application charge is $6,140, plus $3,070 for each additional applicant 18 or over and $1,535 for each child under 18. A second instalment applies for adult applicants with less than functional English.
What the worker must satisfy
Employers should check these before committing to sponsorship, because a strong position with an ineligible candidate goes nowhere. The worker must:
- Have an occupation on the relevant regional occupation list;
- Hold a suitable skills assessment for that occupation;
- Have at least three years of relevant, full-time equivalent work experience;
- Be under 45 when they apply (limited exemptions exist, including for some high-income earners and academics);
- Meet competent English and health and character requirements.
What does the 494 cost an employer in 2026?
Using figures current as at August 2026, a small business (turnover under $10 million) sponsoring one worker typically pays: $420 for SBS approval (if not already held), no nomination fee, and a $3,000 SAF levy — around $3,420 in government charges. A larger business pays around $5,420. The $6,140 visa application charge is usually paid by the applicant, though some employers choose to cover it — note that the SAF levy and nomination costs must, by law, be paid by the employer and cannot be passed on to the worker. For a side-by-side picture including migration assistance fees, try our sponsorship cost calculator or download the Employer Sponsorship Readiness Checklist.
How does the 494 compare with the 482?
The 482 (Skills in Demand) visa suits metropolitan employers and offers faster mobility, but its occupation list is narrower and the SAF levy accrues per year. The 494 trades some flexibility — the RCB step and the regional location requirement — for a broader occupation list, a one-off levy and a clearly defined permanent residency pathway that does not depend on a further employer nomination. We compare the two in our 482 visa cost guide, and our 494 visa service page outlines how we assist with each stage. For the full sponsorship landscape, start with our complete employer sponsorship guide.
The permanent residency pathway: 494 to 191
After holding the 494 for three years and complying with its conditions — including living, working and studying in a designated regional area — the visa holder can apply for the subclass 191 permanent visa. There is no longer a minimum income threshold for the 191, but applicants must provide Australian Taxation Office notices of assessment for three income years, so continuous lawful employment matters. For employers, this pathway is a powerful retention tool: the worker’s route to permanent residency runs through remaining with your regional business.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be in a remote town to use the 494?
No. Designated regional areas cover all of Australia outside the Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane metro areas — including Perth, Adelaide, the Gold Coast and Canberra.
How long does RCB advice take?
RCBs are asked to provide advice within 28 days of a request, and the advice is valid for three months. Processing speed varies between bodies, so it should be factored into your recruitment timeline. We cannot guarantee any processing timeframe.
Can the worker change employers on a 494?
The visa is tied to the nominating employer. If the worker wants to move, the new regional employer must lodge and have approved its own nomination, including fresh RCB advice.
Is there a nomination fee for the 494?
The Department of Home Affairs does not charge a nomination lodgement fee for the 494. The SAF levy — $3,000 or $5,000 depending on turnover — is still payable at nomination.
What salary must I pay in 2026?
For nominations lodged from 1 July 2026, at least $79,423 (TSMIT) and no less than the annual market salary rate for the role in your region — whichever is higher.
Does the 494 lead to permanent residency automatically?
No visa outcome is automatic or guaranteed. The 191 pathway is available after three years if the visa holder has met the 494 conditions and the 191 requirements at the time of application.
Thinking about sponsoring for a regional role? Immigrad is a MARA-registered migration agency (MARN 1805710) based in Sydney and working with employers Australia-wide by video. Book a consultation to map out your 494 strategy before you advertise the role.