Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (subclass 191) - Agent Training Manual

1. Overview

Know these facts cold before the first client conversation - they are also what the exam below tests. This is the permanent residence step for the newer regional visas (491/494).

Visa typePermanent

LodgementOnshore or offshore

StayPermanent

Work rightsUnlimited - full PR work rights

Study rightsYes

Government charge~$560 (main applicant)

Processing time~6-12 months

2. Process flow

The handling sequence for a 191 file, from first consultation to decision. Each step assumes the one before it is genuinely finished - not "mostly done".

Audit the provisional period
Confirm the client held the 491/489 and map exactly where they lived and worked across the qualifying years, before promising eligibility.
Residence evidence
Leases, utility bills, bank statements with regional addresses - a continuous documentary trail for at least 3 years in a designated regional area.
Work and income evidence
At least 2 years of full-time work: contracts, payslips, and tax Notices of Assessment meeting the income requirement.
Compliance check
Verify the client complied with the provisional visa's conditions - a breach during the qualifying period surfaces here.
Lodge and manage
The 191 requires 3 years on the 491/494 with the taxable-income requirement met - Notices of Assessment are the core evidence.

3. Eligibility checklist

Every box must be confirmable with evidence, not the client's say-so, before you advise that the 191 is viable.

Held a 491 or 494 visa for at least 3 yearsMet the minimum taxable income requirement for the required periodLived in a designated regional areaComplied with the conditions of your provisional visa

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4. Document checklist

The lodgement pack. Aim for decision-ready: a case officer should be able to grant without asking for anything further.

Valid passport biodata page for every applicant - check expiry against expected processing timeCertified identity documents: birth certificate, national ID, any change-of-name evidencePolice certificates for every country the client lived in for 12+ months in the last 10 years (since turning 16)Health examinations with an approved panel physician when requested (record the HAP ID)Form 956 appointing you as the registered agent, signed before you deal with the DepartmentLeases, utility bills and bank statements showing 3 years of regional residenceEmployment contracts and payslips for the 2 years of full-time workTax Notices of Assessment meeting the income requirementMovement records confirming presence in Australia

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5. Cost checklist

Quote the full stack, in writing, before the client signs. Surprise costs are the fastest way to lose a client's trust (and earn a complaint).

Item	Indicative amount
Base visa application charge (2025-26, indicative)	~$560 (main applicant)
Skills assessment (authority-dependent)	~$500-1,600
English test	~$400-460
Health examinations (per person)	~$300-500
Police certificates (AFP ~$42 each; foreign vary)	~$42-150 each
Additional applicant charges	Roughly 50% (18+) / 25% (under 18) of the base charge
Your professional fee	Per your agency's schedule - quote in writing before Form 956
Rule of thumb	Government charges usually change every 1 July - re-quote any file that lodges after 30 June

6. Qualification checklist

Run this in the first consultation, before taking a retainer. It screens the client, not the visa: history, hard stops and honesty come first.

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7. Case studies - eligible cases

Illustrative composites showing what a grantable 191 file looks like in practice.

Grant: Mei from Turkey

Background: Mei, an electrician from Turkey. Holders of a 491 or 494 regional provisional visa who have met the 3-year residence and income requirements.
Why it qualified: (1) Held a 491 or 494 visa for at least 3 years. (2) Met the minimum taxable income requirement for the required period. (3) Lived in a designated regional area.
What made the file strong: The file opened with a short submission mapping each criterion to its evidence, so the case officer never had to hunt.
Outcome: Granted within the indicative processing window (~6-12 months).

Grant: Amir from Nepal

Background: Amir, a secondary school teacher from Nepal. Holders of a 491 or 494 regional provisional visa who have met the 3-year residence and income requirements.
Why it qualified: (1) Held a 491 or 494 visa for at least 3 years. (2) Met the minimum taxable income requirement for the required period. (3) Lived in a designated regional area.
What made the file strong: The agent tested the weakest criterion first and fixed it before lodging, not after a natural-justice letter.
Outcome: Granted within the indicative processing window (~6-12 months).

8. Case studies - refusal cases

The same visa, handled badly. Every one of these failure modes is screenable at the first consultation.

Refusal: Ngoc from Thailand

Background: Ngoc, a software engineer from Thailand, engaged an agent late and pushed for a fast lodgement of the 191.
What went wrong: Not meeting the taxable-income threshold across the qualifying years
Outcome: The Department refused; the client lost the application charge, months of lead time, and in this subclass a refusal also complicates any onshore follow-up.
Lesson for the agent: Apply the decision-ready test: if you cannot evidence the claim today, the application is not ready to lodge.

Refusal: Omar from the Philippines

Background: Omar, a registered nurse from the Philippines, engaged an agent late and pushed for a fast lodgement of the 191.
What went wrong: Insufficient evidence of regional residence
Outcome: The case officer decided on the papers without a further request - the file had to stand on its own, and it could not.
Lesson for the agent: Front-load the file - address the weakness squarely in a submission instead of hoping the case officer will not notice.

9. Self-exam

10 questions drawn from this manual. Pass mark 80%. Answers are graded on the server and your result is recorded against your agent profile - retakes are unlimited and your best score is kept. Log in to the agent portal first so your result is saved to My trainings.

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