489 Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 489) – Extended stay pathway

At a Glance

Item	Details
Visa name	Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 489)
Pathway	Extended stay pathway
Visa type	Temporary
Purpose	Skilled regional work and residence
Stay	Four years from original visa grant
Cost	From AUD545 main applicant
Eligibility timing	Complied with eligible visa two years
Age	No age limit
Work rights	Any occupation or employer regionally
Study	Study in required regional area
Medicare	Reciprocal agreements may apply
Travel facility	Multiple entry while valid
Citizenship	Not stated in the source
Permanent residence	May pursue subclass 887 if eligible
Family sponsorship	Eligible relative sponsorship pathway
Family members	Include family; add children before decision
Visa record	Digitally linked to passport
Processing	Guide tool; case-by-case assessment

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Purpose

This temporary visa is for skilled workers who want to live and work in regional Australia. It provides an extended-stay pathway for holders of certain earlier skilled regional provisional visas.

Eligibility

You must:

• Hold a subclass 475, 487, 495 or 496 visa when applying.
• Have complied with all conditions of that visa for at least 2 years.
• Never have held more than one of those eligible visas.
• Meet health requirements, with applying family members.
• Meet character requirements if aged 16 or over.
• Ensure non-accompanying family members meet character requirements.
• Repay, or arrange repayment of, any Australian Government debt.
• Have an immigration history that does not prevent eligibility.

There is no age limit.

Where you must live, work and study

• If you were state or territory nominated, you must live, work and study in regional and low-population growth metropolitan areas.
• If a relative sponsored your current visa, you must live, work and study only in the specified designated area.
• You do not need a new nomination or sponsorship.

Stay and travel

You can stay in Australia for a total of 4 years from the date your subclass 475, 487, 495 or 496 visa was granted.

You can leave and re-enter Australia as many times as you want while the visa remains valid. Time outside Australia does not extend the visa.

You cannot extend this visa. To remain longer, you must apply for another visa.

If granted while outside Australia, you must enter Australia before the date stated in the visa grant letter.

Rights

With this visa, you can:

• Live, work and study in the required regional or designated area.
• Work in any occupation and for any employer, subject to visa conditions.
• Travel in and out of Australia while the visa is valid.
• Attend free Adult Migrant English Program classes, if eligible.
• Apply for a Skilled Regional (Residence) visa (subclass 887), if eligible.

Check your individual conditions in your visa grant letter or through VEVO.

Family provisions

You can include members of your family unit when lodging the application.

You may add a dependent child after lodgement but before a decision. Use Form 1436 and attach supporting documents through ImmiAccount.

Family members applying with you must meet health and character requirements. Non-accompanying family members may also need to meet health requirements and must meet character requirements.

Dependent children

A child aged over 18 must be:

• Under 23 and dependent on you or your partner; or
• Aged 23 or over, dependent because of physical or cognitive limitations.

For dependent children aged 18 or over, provide Form 47a, evidence of dependency and, where relevant, a medical report.

For a child under 18, obtain consent from a person with legal responsibility who is not migrating with the child. Provide Form 1229, a statutory declaration, relevant court orders, or evidence that home-country law permits migration.

Cost

The visa costs from AUD545 for the main applicant. A separate charge applies for each family member included.

A second instalment of AUD4,890 may apply to each dependent applicant aged 18 or over who cannot show functional English and did not pay the second instalment at the provisional stage. Pay it only when requested.

Other possible costs include health examinations, police certificates and biometrics.

Pacific Island and Timor-Leste concession

From 1 July 2026, a lower visa application charge applies to eligible applicants holding a valid passport from:

• Federated States of Micronesia
• Fiji
• Kiribati
• Nauru
• Palau
• Papua New Guinea
• Republic of the Marshall Islands
• Samoa
• Solomon Islands
• Timor-Leste
• Tonga
• Tuvalu
• Vanuatu

Eligible family members receive the lower cost based on the primary applicant’s passport.

Where and how to apply

Apply online through ImmiAccount.

You can be in or outside Australia when you apply and when a decision is made, but not in immigration clearance.

If applying in Australia, you must hold:

• A substantive visa; or
• A Bridging visa A (subclass 010);
• A Bridging visa B (subclass 020); or
• A Bridging visa C (subclass 030).

Your application will not be valid otherwise.

Application steps

1. Gather required documents.
2. Create or log in to ImmiAccount.
3. Complete the online application.
4. Attach supporting documents.
5. Pay the first visa application charge.
6. Keep your transaction reference number.
7. Check ImmiAccount for requests or updates.

The Department may decide the application without requesting further documents.

Required documents

Provide clear colour scans or photographs. If documents are not in English, provide both originals and English translations. Documents do not need certification.

Identity and relationship

Provide:

• Current passport biographical pages.
• National identity card, if available.
• Name-change evidence, if applicable.
• Marriage, divorce, death or separation documents, where relevant.
• Partner identity and relationship evidence.
• Birth certificates, family book or adoption documents for children.

For de facto partners, provide either relationship-registration evidence or evidence of a relationship lasting at least 12 months before applying. Married and de facto partners must show a genuine and continuing relationship.

Character

Provide:

• An Australian Federal Police complete disclosure National Police Certificate if you spent 12 months or more in Australia during the last 10 years after turning 16.
• Overseas police certificates for each country where you spent 12 months or more during that period.
• Military service records or discharge papers, if applicable.
• Form 80 and Form 1221.

Australian police certificates are valid for 12 months from issue.

Functional English

Provide functional English evidence for dependent applicants aged 18 or over who did not pay the second instalment at the provisional stage. If they cannot provide evidence, the second instalment may be payable when requested.

Processing

Use the visa processing time guide tool for recently decided applications. It is a guide only and is not specific to an individual application.

Processing times can vary based on:

• Application completeness.
• Response time to information requests.
• Health, character and security checks.
• Information required from external agencies.

Obligations and conditions

You and your family members must:

• Comply with all visa conditions.
• Obey Australian laws.
• Live, work and study only in required regional or designated areas.
• Keep a valid visa while in Australia.
• Tell the Department about changes to contact details, passport, relationship status or the birth of a child.

If you make a mistake in your application, notify the Department promptly using Form 1023.

Health insurance

Health insurance is recommended. You are personally liable for healthcare costs in Australia.

Some countries have reciprocal healthcare agreements with Australia.

Important warnings

• Do not cancel your current visa while your application is being processed. Your Bridging visa A may cease and you may become unlawful.
• If applying outside Australia, do not arrange travel, leave employment or sell your home until the visa is granted in writing.
• A child who turns 18 during processing must still be dependent to qualify.
• A child who turns 23 during processing must meet the disability-related dependency requirement.
• New Zealand passport holders should tell border officers they hold this subclass 489 visa and do not want a Special Category visa (subclass 444). A subclass 444 grant might affect eligibility for subclass 887 permanent residence and ultimately Australian citizenship.
• Your visa is digitally linked to your passport; no visa label is issued.