laurenbenefer@gmail.com Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 Hi all, Any help appreciated as I can't seem to find any info online!! I've throughly read up about both the 491 and 494 visa so understand eligibility requirements etc but when are you able to apply for the 494 visa? I've tried lodging an EOI for the 494 but it's not on the list of visas - only the 491. Im assuming maybe I don't need to lodge and EOI for this but equally can't find an option of how to apply! I can find loads of info from other threads on here for the 491 but that won't suit me as I believe you have to be state nominated and the occupations list for Western Aus is very small. Thanks in advance. Lauren Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PickledRic Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 3 hours ago, laurenbenefer@gmail.com said: Hi all, Any help appreciated as I can't seem to find any info online!! I've throughly read up about both the 491 and 494 visa so understand eligibility requirements etc but when are you able to apply for the 494 visa? I've tried lodging an EOI for the 494 but it's not on the list of visas - only the 491. Im assuming maybe I don't need to lodge and EOI for this but equally can't find an option of how to apply! I can find loads of info from other threads on here for the 491 but that won't suit me as I believe you have to be state nominated and the occupations list for Western Aus is very small. Thanks in advance. Lauren Basically it's an employer sponsored visa so you'll need to find an employer in Oz to sponsor you, see the link for more info: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/skilled-employer-sponsored-regional-494 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raul Senise Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 6 hours ago, laurenbenefer@gmail.com said: Hi all, Any help appreciated as I can't seem to find any info online!! I've throughly read up about both the 491 and 494 visa so understand eligibility requirements etc but when are you able to apply for the 494 visa? I've tried lodging an EOI for the 494 but it's not on the list of visas - only the 491. Im assuming maybe I don't need to lodge and EOI for this but equally can't find an option of how to apply! I can find loads of info from other threads on here for the 491 but that won't suit me as I believe you have to be state nominated and the occupations list for Western Aus is very small. You can't lodge an EOI for a 494 as it is an employer sponsored visa. It is similar in scope to the 482 visa, except it is limited to certain locations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurenbenefer@gmail.com Posted February 4, 2020 Author Share Posted February 4, 2020 Thank you! Makes sense. I have found an employer willing to sponsor me. So the first step for them is to nominate me and the first step for me is a skills assessment? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted February 5, 2020 Share Posted February 5, 2020 Employer sponsored visas have a massive refusal rate. It is therefore vital that a good registered migration agent is used from the start Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexJD Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 Hi Lauren, I'd be interested to hear how you are getting on with this. I'm currently trying to identify an agent that I could help me understand whether the 494 might work as a route to PR for me and my family. Raul, have you had much experience of the new regional visas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raul Senise Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 15 minutes ago, AlexJD said: Hi Lauren, I'd be interested to hear how you are getting on with this. I'm currently trying to identify an agent that I could help me understand whether the 494 might work as a route to PR for me and my family. Raul, have you had much experience of the new regional visas? I'm working on a number at the moment, but as they are so new, I do not claim to have extensive experience (I don't think anyone does yet). The 494 is not an easy solution as many prospective candidates seem to think. The process is quite extensive for the sponsor and the requirements are quite high for the visa applicant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 3 hours ago, AlexJD said: I'm currently trying to identify an agent that I could help me understand whether the 494 might work as a route to PR for me and my family. The first step is to find an employer willing to sponsor you. Agents can't help you find an employer. The big problem with employer-sponsored visas, as Raul mentions, is that it's expensive and time-consuming for the employer. For that reason, employers have to be desperate before they'll even consider it - if there's a halfway decent local applicant, they'll settle for that instead. Once you've found an employer, they will need to hire a migration agent to handle their side of the application (it's too complex for most employers to handle themselves, unless they are a large company with experience of the process). If the employer is a smaller company and they say they don't want an agent - frankly, I wouldn't proceed, because they clearly have no idea what they're getting into. The application will likely fail because they'll make a mistake or won't fulfill all the requirements. You can then choose whether to use their agent, hire your own agent, or do your side of the application yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubM Posted February 20, 2021 Share Posted February 20, 2021 After months of trying to find a suitable skilled worker in Australia, our company resorted to hiring from overseas. The regional shortage for the particular role was genuine. Whilst an SESR 494 visa has been "expensive", it can be worth it for the company when this is the case. We did not need a migration agent but needed to spend a few hours a day over a couple of weeks on the various applications. COMPANY does/pays: 1. SBS Application on IMMI - Sponsor fee $425 2. RCB advice Application on WA Migration - fee $200 3. Company 494 visa Nomination Application $3042 NOMINEE does/pays: 4. 494 visa Nominee Application - AU$7000 (family of 4) 5. VetAssess $1527 (priority service) 6. Local Police Clearance ~$50 7. English Tests ~$528 (for 2) Add: Flights $??? Quarantine $3360 in WA (Feb 2021) We both had to gather all sorts of other documents, certificates and complete online application forms which required a lot of attention to detail, but at the end of the day we are satisfied that this will be worth all the effort as we will eventually get the role filled. From our perspective, the added value a migration agent provides is their familiarity with the process and therefore peace of mind, but they don't get any special dispensation as the process, forms, attachments etc submitted are the same and any company with a genuine case that meets the regional skills shortage requirements who can follow detailed instructions and has the time and energy can make this happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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