For people already in Australia

Jobs for regional visa holders (subclasses 491 and 494)

Home Affairs says a Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) lets you live, work and study in a designated regional area, and a Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494) lets you live, work and study only in designated regional areas. So the job has to be in a designated regional area. Check the postcode list before you apply.

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Who this guide is for

This guide is for people in Australia on a subclass 491 or 494 visa who want work in aged care, nursing, allied health, disability support, hospitality, agriculture or the trades in regional Australia. It explains which places count as regional and how to check a role's location.

What do the 491 and 494 visas let me do?

On the Home Affairs pages read on 31 October 2026, the subclass 491 visa is "for skilled people nominated by a state or territory government to live and work in regional Australia", and the main applicant can "live, work and study in a designated regional area of Australia" and stay for 5 years. The subclass 494 visa "enables regional employers to address identified labour shortages within their region by sponsoring skilled workers", and its holders "can live, work and study only in designated regional areas of Australia" for up to 5 years. Both pages say holders can apply for permanent residence after 3 years if eligible. A 494 visa needs a nomination by an approved work sponsor, so speak to a registered migration agent before you change employer.

Which places count as a designated regional area?

Home Affairs says "Most locations of Australia outside major cities (Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane) are classed as designated regional areas for migration purposes." It groups them into Category 2, cities and major regional centres such as Perth, Adelaide, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Canberra, Newcastle and Lake Macquarie, Wollongong and Illawarra, Geelong and Hobart, and Category 3, regional centres and other regional areas. It publishes a postcode list that applies to the 491 and 494 visas. Check the postcode of the workplace, not only the town name, before you accept a role.

Which CrossNation roles could suit me?

The live counts below come from the CrossNation job board and are not filtered by postcode, so some roles will be in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane and will not fit a regional visa. Check each role's location against the Home Affairs postcode list before you apply, and tell us that you hold a 491 or 494 visa so we only put you forward for regional roles. A listing is not a job offer, and it does not mean the employer sponsors visas.

Which open roles could suit you?

These counts are live from the CrossNation job board. A listing is not a job offer, and it does not mean the employer sponsors visas. Check that a role fits your work rights before you apply.

Live jobs

Open roles in these sectors

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Can I work in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane on a 491 or 494 visa?

Home Affairs says 491 holders can live, work and study in a designated regional area and 494 holders only in designated regional areas, and that most locations outside Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are designated regional areas. Check the Home Affairs postcode list for the workplace. This is general information, not migration advice. Speak to a registered migration agent.

Is Perth or Adelaide regional for these visas?

Home Affairs lists Perth, Adelaide, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Canberra, Newcastle and Lake Macquarie, Wollongong and Illawarra, Geelong and Hobart as Category 2 cities and major regional centres in its designated regional areas. Check the postcode list for the exact workplace. This is general information, not migration advice. Speak to a registered migration agent.

Can I change employer on a 494 visa?

Home Affairs says a 494 applicant must be nominated by an approved work sponsor, so changing employer involves sponsorship and nomination rules. Speak to a registered migration agent before you resign or accept another offer. This is general information, not migration advice. Speak to a registered migration agent.

Does CrossNation sponsor regional visas?

No. CrossNation is a recruitment agency, not a registered migration agent, and it does not sponsor visas. Sponsorship is the employer's decision.

Can CrossNation promise me a regional job?

No. We match candidates with roles employers ask us to fill, but each employer decides whom to interview and hire.

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