Starting from April 2, 2024, NSW 491 Pathway 1 has made significant changes to the work requirements in regional areas! If you have worked for at least 6 months in a regional area of NSW, you can now contact me to directly submit your applications! Just meet the following conditions:
✅ Reside and work in a regional area of NSW for 6 months
✅ Engage in work highly relevant to the nominated occupation, which requires Deemed Skilled recognition as a technical occupation
✅ Work a minimum of 38 hours per week in the past 6 months with an annual salary of AUD 70,000 (for those working less than 38 hours, I can help you calculate proportionally)
✅ Work for only one employer (in the past 6 months)
✅ Have a skills assessment and a SkillSelect EOI score of at least 65
It's worth mentioning that NSW 491 visas are never exhausted annually. Every fiscal year until the end (July 1st), there will be quotas either through amnesty to lower application requirements or by issuing many invitations altogether! It's almost like giving them away for free. This time, reducing the work requirement from 12 months to 6 months also aligns with past practices! For non- high-demand professions like accounting, computer science, and engineering where EOI invitation scores are competitive, you should definitely consider trying NSW 491 Pathway 1. Don't miss the opportunity to apply in the last 3 months of this fiscal year!