Now that the minimum income requirement for the 491-to-191 transition has been removed, the Subclass 491 / Skilled Work Regional visa has become a genuine “coast-to-PR visa” — and it is set to become the top choice for many people looking to take the fast lane to permanent residency.

For full details, see: 491-to-191 with zero income requirement! Can you really “coast” for three years and get PR? A full breakdown of the 491-to-PR questions!

For Subclass 491 applicants, the top considerations will be choosing somewhere with stable policy that lets you secure a Subclass 491 visa quickly and at low cost, or finding a city that meets both your employment and liveability needs and staying there for three years.

Western Australia

is set to be the biggest dark horse among regional areas

Here’s why

Relaxed criteria, with no work requirement at all

····

Western Australia’s state nomination has no work-related requirements at all. In other words, as long as your nominated occupation is on the WA General stream WASMOL Schedule 2 list, you do not need to have studied locally — you only need to meet 65 points in your EOI (including state-nomination points, i.e. you make up 50 points yourself).

Be in WA, and you can be picked up as a priority!

Invitations flowing freely — interstate and overseas applicants, come on over

····

In WA’s most recent round (May), a total of 1,500 Subclass 491 pre-invitations were issued, with the Schedule 2 stream alone accounting for 1,000. Looking at the full-year 491 pre-invitation picture, the Schedule 2 stream issued 6,000 pre-invitations for Subclass 491 (23,335 invitations issued across all streams combined). This is the highest of any stream, making up more than 25%, far exceeding the local-graduate stream.

And WA has already issued nearly 90% of this year’s 8,000 places — a clear sign it genuinely wants to attract interstate talent!

Any occupation — move here and get a priority, low-score invitation

····

Popular occupations and the invitation scores from the most recent round

For most occupations you only need to make up 60-70 points yourself to get invited

Cafe or Restaurant Manager (141111) 60+15

Electrical Engineer (233311) 60+15

Civil Engineer (233211) 65+15

Quantity Surveyor (233213) 70+15

ICT Business Analyst (261111) 65+15

Software Engineer (261313)60+15

Software and Applications Programmers nec (261399) 65+15

Developer Programmer (261312) 65+15

Taxation Accountant (221113) 65+15

Management Accountant (221112)65+15

Vocational Education Teacher (242211) 60+15

Conference and Event Organiser (149311) 70+15

Organisation and Methods Analyst (224712) 65+15

Sales and Marketing Manager (131112) 65+15

…..

The WA WASMOL Schedule 2 stream gives priority to applicants living locally. In other words, whether you are an interstate graduate or hold an overseas qualification, once you come to WA you are first in the invitation priority order! A good number of interstate Subclass 491 applicants have already secured their 491 state nomination quickly by moving to WA.

The new financial year will be even better!

····

Will the new financial year still be this good?

The answer is: even better!

The current financial year isn’t even over, yet the WA state government has already led the way by officially announcing that in the new financial year it will push the Commonwealth for 10,000 places to attract even more talent. Of course, these places will likewise give priority to applicants already living in WA.

So if you are still on the fence interstate or preparing to apply for the Subclass 491, why not get in touch with us for an assessment. Next, I’ll introduce you to life and work in WA~

For Subclass 491 holders, with the three-year regional living requirement plus the unknown 191 processing time, whether you “hustle” or “coast”, choosing a major city that is liveable and offers more opportunities for growth is hugely important.

Rather than relocating to another city after your visa is granted, why not factor your settlement city into the picture right when you apply for state nomination.

As the capital of WA, Perth is, in our view, the best regional city on offer right now.

╱ Strong demand for talent ╱

In the post-pandemic period WA has recovered rapidly. According to figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics Labour Force released last March, WA’s unemployment rate fell from 4.1% in February to 3.4% — the lowest of any state, well below the national rate of 4%.

In just the past week, Seek has listed nearly 6,000 positions, with more than half of them concentrated in accounting, engineering, IT and hospitality. Because the city is large but its population density is low, demand for talent is very high.

╱ Liveable lifestyle

Settle down and buy a home

Raise the next generation ╱

As far back as 2015, Perth ranked in the global liveable-cities Top 10 for three years running. In the pre-pandemic 2021 global liveable-cities rankings,Perth even led Melbourne and Brisbane, coming 6th worldwide.

As Australia’s largest regional city, Perth boasts beautiful natural and cultural attractions and a diverse range of commercial centres, with four distinct seasons. If you want to study further, you can also choose the University of Western Australia (a Group of Eight (Go8) member).

Perth has excellent infrastructure, with trains, ferries and buses.The city centre even has the free Central Area Transit (known as the “CAT” cat bus) to make getting around easy, with most daily errands within roughly half an hour’s drive. What’s more, WA has no time difference with China — so while you live in Australia, you can stay in sync with family and friends back home with no time-zone gap.

Perth also has a strong education system.In the most recent national Top 100 primary and secondary schools ranking (covering all schools, both public and private), Perth has 10, two of which are in the national Top 25: Perth Modern School (23) and Shenton College (24), both of them public schools — no need to squeeze into expensive private schools!

Children of Subclass 491 visa holders can access free public compulsory education in WA,on the same terms as PR holders and citizens!

WA also has an extensive healthcare system,with more than 80 hospitals serving a population of 2.5 million. Three of these hospitals are run under public-private partnerships and provide free public healthcare services.

The new financial year is about to begin — talk to a WA-based consultant to plan ahead and get a head start settling in a city where work and life go hand in hand. Australia’s largest regional city, Perth, welcomes you!

Recommended past reads

A round-up of the [eventful] 2022-23 financial year — plus a quick forecast of the opportunities ahead in the new financial year

Subclass 491 — the next migration “hit”; a run-down of the low-score streams!

491-to-191 with zero income requirement! A full breakdown of the 491-to-PR requirements

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491 Under the New Subclass 191 Rules: Where Should You “Coast” for Three Years? Score 60-70 to Get Invited + Work and Lifestyle Too — Western Australia Has It All!

A round-up of the [eventful] 2022-23 financial year — plus a quick forecast of the opportunities ahead in the new financial year

Subclass 491 — the next migration “hit”; a run-down of the low-score streams!

491-to-191 with zero income requirement! A full breakdown of the 491-to-PR requirements

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