The second round of NSW Subclass 491 ROI pre-invitations in November was even stronger than the first. We received multiple invitation emails, with occupations spanning all fields,accountants, IT, engineering, both niche and popular occupations —applicants across the board received invitations. Even those who have always preferred to stay in Sydney are now beginning to accept the indirect regional NSW migration pathway.
In this issue, we’ll be talking aboutNSW Subclass 491!
Three streams — here’s what you need to know if you didn’t study or work locally
This financial year, the NSW Subclass 491 regional state-nominated migration is divided into three streams,
Stream 1: you currently reside and work in a NSW regional area
Stream 2: you are a graduate from a NSW regional institution
Stream 3: your nominated occupation is on the NSW 491 designated list (open to applicants relocating from other states)
The first two streams remain broadly consistent with the previous financial year:
Stream 1: Work and Reside in a NSW Regional Area
This is the current work category, referring to applicants who are currently residing and working in a NSW regional area. Applicants in this stream must meet the following two requirements:
A. Hold a valid skills assessment for an occupation on the Stream 1 occupation list;
B. Have been living and working in a relevant nominated occupation in a NSW regional area for at least 12 months;
In other words, for applicants already working in a regional area,the key requirement is 12 months of work experience in the nominated occupation.
Stream 2: NSW Regional Area Graduate Category:
A. Hold a skills assessment for an occupation on the Stream 2&3 occupation list
A. Must have graduated from a regional NSW university within the past 2 years
B. Your qualifications must be closely related to the nominated occupation
Compared to Stream 1, Stream 2 requirements appear more relaxed.Graduates from the University of Newcastle, the University of Wollongong, and the University of New England all fall under this stream. For those currentlyconsidering studying in a regional areabut accustomed to living in Sydney and reluctant to leave NSW,choosing one of the above universities is a solid Subclass 491 planning option.
The main event — Stream 3: Nominated Occupation on the Stream 2&3 Designated List
As accessible as the first two streams are, they still require you to either live in a regional area, have related work experience, or study there — which limits the applicant pool. Then comes Stream 3, with remarkably straightforward requirements.
A. Simply hold a skills assessment for an occupation on the Stream 2&3 occupation list
B. Currently reside anywhere within Australia
Yes, you read that correctly! This means“NSW welcomes applicants from all across Australia” — those in Sydney, those in other states,as long as you are currently in Australia, you have the opportunity to submit an ROI application through Stream 3.
This stream has virtually no special requirements,with absolutely no residency requirement. Show us another state as generous as NSW — offering Subclass 491 with no residency requirement at all. That said, after the first two invitation rounds, it’s not quite as easy as some might expect.
Excluding Greater Sydney, NSW’s Regional Development Australia (RDA) areas are divided into 13 regional zones
Each RDA has its own occupation list, and these lists are subject to change at any time. For the most up-to-date lists, please reach out to a consultant directly.
So those are the rules — how do you actually choose?
Let’s take a look at a selection of Newstars’ November second-roundinvitations,across different occupations,all 3 streamsrepresented!Read on!
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Over 22,000 signatures!
1. Follow New Zealand’s lead and grant a one-off amnesty to temporary residents who have been struggling and waiting long periods for their migration to be resolved
2. Restore the skilled migration visa quota for this financial year to at least its original level of 108,000
SBS and ABC News have followed up with coverage!
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Nominated occupation: Accountant
EOI score: 75+15
English: four 6s
Regional work experience: 1 year
Nominated occupation: Computer Network and Systems Engineer
EOI score: 80+15
English: four 6s
Regional work experience: 1 year
Regional study: Yes
Nominated occupation: Food Technologist
EOI score: 80+15
English: four 7s
Regional work experience: None
Nominated occupation: Accountant
EOI score: 85+15
English: four 7s
Regional work experience: None
Nominated occupation: Architect
EOI score: 85+15
English: four 8s
Regional work experience: None
Regional study: None
The above invitation recipients span all streams — 1, 2, and 3,and the earlier concern that virtually no applicants would be invited through Stream 3 has proven overly pessimistic. Looking more carefully at the conditions of those invited, compared to low-score invitations in other states, NSW Subclass 491 scores are still quite high — base scores all reached 75 or above.
Taking everything into account,if you haven’t reached the highest score for your occupation, securing a NSW Subclass 190 invitation remains quite difficult.Accountants —if your base score is below 100, we recommend going through Subclass 491;ITwith a base score below 90, Subclass 491 is also recommended;For other less popular occupations,a base score below 85–90 also warrants choosing Subclass 491.
Rather than competing against many high-scoring candidates for the limited Subclass 190 places — and potentially watching your EOI expire after 2 years without an invitation — making the decisive move to Subclass 491 means a smooth invitation, grant, and permanent residency in 3 years. Which would you choose?
Some may say: with scores this high, you have a shot at Subclass 190 — so why not wait?
Quick note at the end:If an applicant has applied for both Subclass 190 and Subclass 491, and receives and accepts a Subclass 491 invitation, they are automatically deemed to have withdrawn from Subclass 190. You can’t have it both ways!
High scores —
so why not wait for
Subclass 190?
As it happens, NSW unexpectedly released a round of Subclass 190 invitations last night — take a look at what high scores are needed:
The following is data from our clients:
Actuary, date of effect 17/11/2020 90+5
Engineering Technologist, date of effect 07/09/2020 95+5
Social Worker, date of effect 17/05/2021 85+5
Occupational Therapist, date of effect 20/09/2021 80+5
Engineering Technologist, date of effect 25/10/2021 95+5
Graphic Designer, date of effect 26/10/2021 80+5
Valuer, date of effect 27/10/2021 85+5
Additionally, colleagues have reported that Mechanical Engineers, Early Childhood Educators, and Accountants with 100+5 points (date of effect June 2020) also received invitations.
If you’re not entirely confident about your score for your occupation
If you’d like professional advice on which RDA to choose
If you’re still undecided and finding it difficult to make a choice
we welcome you to contact a migration consultant for a one-on-one online migration assessment
to develop a personalised migration plan.
Study Abroad / Migration
Resources
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Past Articles
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