The Family Sponsored 491 visa is a type of visa that allows family members of Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens to live and work in a designated regional area of Australia.
The visa is designed to help regional Australia attract and retain skilled workers and their families. It allows the visa holder to live and work in a designated regional area for up to five years, and can lead to permanent residency if certain conditions are met.
To be eligible for the Family Sponsored 491 visa, the applicant must be sponsored by an eligible family member who is either an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen. The sponsor must also live in a designated regional area of Australia.
In addition, the applicant must meet other eligibility criteria, such as being under the age of 45, having a positive skills assessment in an occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list, and meeting the English language proficiency requirement.
Overall, the Family Sponsored 491 visa is a pathway to permanent residency in Australia for skilled workers and their families who want to live and work in regional areas of the country.