Subclass 191 Visa

What is the Visa Subclass 191?

The Subclass 191 Visa, also known as the Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) Visa, is a new addition to Australia’s skilled migration program. Eligible visa holders who meet an income requirement can apply for a subclause 191 Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) Visa.

Benefits of the Subclass 191 Visa:

1. Permanent Residency: The Subclass 191 Visa is a permanent resident visa and allows you to work and study in Australia indefinitely. The 191 visa allows a holder of the subclass 191 visa to travel to and from Australia for 5 years.

2. Medicare: As a subclass 191 permanent resident visa holder, you are eligible for Medicare.

3. Opportunity for Citizenship: After holding the Subclass 191 Visa for a certain period and meeting the necessary requirements, you may become eligible to apply for Australian citizenship. This allows you to fully integrate into Australian society.

4. Sponsoring Relatives: You may be able to sponsor your relatives to come to Australia.

There are two streams for subclass 191 visas:

1. Regional Provisional Stream
2. Hong Kong Stream

Visa 191 Cost

Cost in the Regional Provisional Stream

• Cost Main Applicant: AUD 505.
• Cost Additional Applicant 18 years’ or over: AUD 250.
• Cost Additional Applicant less than 18 years of age: AUD 130.

Cost in the Hong Kong Stream

• Visa 191 Cost Main Applicant: AUD 4,910
• Visa 191 Cost Additional Applicant 18 years’ or over: AUD 2,450.
• Visa 191 Cost Additional Applicant less than 18 years of age: AUD 1,230.

All applicants who are 18 years or over who have less than functional English will have to pay a second instalment charge of AUD 4885.

Subclass 191 Visa – Regional Provisional Stream:

Eligibility Criteria for the Subclass 191 Visa in the Regional Provisional Stream:

1. Hold an Eligible Visa: To apply for the Subclass 191 Visa, you must currently hold an eligible visa, such as a Subclass 491 or Subclass 494 Visa.

2. Residence Requirement: You must have lived and worked in a designated regional area of Australia for at least three years while holding an eligible visa.

3. Income Requirement: There is no income threshold criterion now for 191 visa.

4. Character Requirement: All applicants of a subclass 191 Visa in the Regional Provisional Stream must satisfy the character requirements. This is done by providing police clearance certificates from Australia and the home country.

5. Health requirements: All applicants of subclass 191 Visa in the Regional Provisional Stream must satisfy health requirements of the visa.

6. Compliance of Eligible Visa Conditions: An applicant for the 191 visa must comply with their 491 visa and 494 visa respectively.

7. Repayment of Australian government Debt: Applicants must have either paid off their Australian government debt or should have made appropriate arrangements for repayment.

Subclass 191 Visa – Hong Kong Stream:

The subclass 191 visa in the Hong Kong stream lets eligible Hong Kong or British National (Overseas) passport holders to live in Australia permanently if they have demonstrated commitment to Australia. 

Eligibility Criteria for the Subclass 191 Visa in the Hong Kong Stream:

1. Hold and Eligible Visa: You must have held an eligible visa for at least 3 years on the date of the application of subclass 191 visa in the Hong Kong Stream. An eligible visa is a subclass 457 visa, subclass 482 visa, subclass 485 visa granted on the basis of meeting the primary criteria.

If the above eligible visas were granted before 9th July 2020, the visa must not expire after 8th July 2025.

If the above visas are granted on and after 9th July 2020, they must be valid for 5 years.

2. Hold an eligible Passport: An applicant for a 191 visa in Hong Kong stream must hold a Hong Kong or British national (Overseas) passport at the time of the application.

3. Residence Requirement: An applicant for a 191 visa in the Hong Kong stream must have been a resident in a designated regional area of Australia for a continuous period of 3 years on the date of the application.

4. Work or Sudy Requirement: An applicant of a 191 visa in the hong Kong Stream who has completed any work or study in the 3 years before the application must have completed that in a designated regional area of Australia.

5. Compliance of eligible Visa conditions: Applicants should have complied with their eligible visa conditions.

6. English language Requirement: either the applicant should have functional English or should pay the second installment of the visa application charge.

7. Character Requirement: All applicants for a subclass 191 visa in the Regional Provisional Stream must satisfy the character requirements. This is done by providing police clearance certificates from Australia and the home country.

8. Health requirements: All applicants of subclass 191 Visa in the Regional Provisional Stream must satisfy health requirements of the visa.

9. Repayment of Australian government Debt: Applicants must have either paid off their Australian government debt or should have made appropriate arrangements for repayment.

Visa Subclass 191 Processing Time 2026

Processing Time for Visa Subclass 191 – Hong Kong Stream & Regional Provisional Stream in 2026 

The Department of Home Affairs has advised on their website that 50% of the 191 visa applications are processed in 7 months and 90% of the subclass 191 applications are processed in 16 months.