This visa is for people who have lived, worked and studied in designated regional area Australia on a previous, eligible visa.
With this visa you can:
- stay permanently
- work and study anywhere in Australia
- Sponsor eligible relatives for permanently residence
- apply for Australian citizenship, if eligible.
You must:
- hold an eligible visa
- have lived for at least 3 years and have a taxable income at or above a specific income threshold for at least three years
- both primary and secondary applicants have complied with the conditions of the eligible visa you hold or have held
Applicants will need to hold one of the new skilled provisional visas 494 or 491 and demonstrate that they have lived and worked in regional Australia for at least three years. If you live or work in the metropolitan areas of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast or Perth, you will be in breach of your provisional visa conditions and not be eligible to apply for the 191 visa.
In addition to this, applicants will also need to have earned a minimum income for at least three years (currently set at $53,900 per annum).
If you currently hold a 489 visa you will continue to be eligible for the 887 permanent residency visa after two years and will not be impacted by the new 191 visa and lengthier requirement.
