EMC Australia / Subclass 191
The permanent step after an eligible regional visa.
191 is permanent residence for people who have already held an eligible regional visa (including many 491s) and met the residence and work requirements. What matters is where you actually lived and worked — not only the grant letter. This sits on Direction 122, not 121.
Who this page is for
- You hold a 491 (or another eligible regional visa) and are approaching the time you can apply for 191
- You need to know whether the years in regional Australia will count
- A 191 was refused
How it works
What you do before anyone grants a visa
Occupation, a skills assessment, and an honest points claim come first. The subclass number is how the Department labels the visa.
Before 191
Regional Australia, as defined
Time on an eligible regional visa
The visa you currently hold has to be on the eligible list. A 189 or 482 is not a 191 pathway.
Keep evidence of where you lived and worked. Statements without records are how 191s fail.
Work test
Australia
Income and work
The income and work tests on the current 191 rules have to be met. Guessing the threshold is how people wait an extra year.
Tax records, not a verbal salary, are what the Department can verify.
In Australia
The 191 application
Health, character, and proof of the regional years.
191 is a new visa. It is not an automatic upgrade.
The 191 application
How EMC works
How we help
01
Will the years count
Where you lived, where you worked, and whether the visa is eligible. We check that before you lodge.
02
The file, not the story
Leases, tax, employer letters. The Department does not take a Facebook check-in as residence.
First conversation
What to bring
- Current regional visa grant
- Addresses and employment for the required years
- Tax returns or notices of assessment
- Any time you left regional Australia
Before you apply
Things that go wrong
- Time spent in a capital city usually does not count.
- A 491 grant is not a 191 grant.
- Family who apply later do not keep your processing place on the earlier visa.
Questions
People ask this first
No. 191 is for eligible regional visas, typically after a 491. 189 is already permanent.
Start with your situation.
You do not need the visa number to start. Book a consultation, or send us a message.
MARN 1800335 · Level 14, 333 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000.
Related topics
This page is general information, not advice about your circumstances. Australian migration law changes. You should consult a Registered Migration Agent before you apply. EMC Australia is OMARA-registered (MARN 1800335).