Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494): summary

The 494 is a 5-year provisional visa for skilled workers sponsored by an employer in a designated regional area of Australia. Holders must live, work and study in regional Australia. After 3 years they can apply for permanent residence through the subclass 191 visa.

The process in brief: Employer becomes a sponsor → Test the local labour market → Get a skills assessment → Employer lodges the nomination → Worker lodges the visa application → Live and work regionally, then apply for the 191.

Full guide above: requirements, costs, step-by-step process and FAQs, checked against official government sources.