Skilled – Designated Area Sponsored (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 496)
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Permanent visa options
Holders of a Skilled - Designated Area Sponsored (Provisional) visa (subclass 496) who have lived in a designated area of Australia in the same state or territory as their sponsor for at least two (2) years, and worked full-time for a total period of at least 12 months, can apply for a Skilled - Regional (Residence) visa (subclass 887).
See: Skilled - Regional (Residence) visa
If you hold a Skilled – Designated Area Sponsored (Provisional) visa (subclass 496) and you need more time to meet the residence and/or employment criteria for a permanent visa, you can apply for a Skilled – Regional Sponsored (Provisional) visa (subclass 487), which will extend your provisional visa for a further 12 months.
See: Existing Provisional Visa holders
Adding family members to your subclass 496 visa
If you currently hold a Skilled - Designated Area Sponsored (Provisional) visa (subclass 496), your partner, dependent children and other dependent relatives can still apply to accompany you in Australia if they were not included in your original application. They should apply for a Skilled - Designated Area Sponsored (Provisional) visa (subclass 496) using Form 47ST.
See: Form 47ST Application for a Two-Stage Skilled-Designated Area-Sponsored visa (128KB PDF file)
Your partner, dependent children and other dependent relatives need to be sponsored by the same eligible Australian relative that sponsored you. Form 40 must be completed and submitted with your family member’s application to be added to your Subclass 496 visa if they were not included in your original sponsorship.
See: Form 40 Sponsorship for migration to Australia (251KB PDF file)
Costs
Family members who are added after a visa has been granted (also know as subsequent entrants), must pay the full first instalment Visa Application Charge (VAC) of their application.
Second Instalment
Subsequent entrants may be liable to pay a second instalment VAC if they were aged 18 years or over at the time of application and do not have at least functional English.
If the case officer notifies you that the second instalment VAC is due, it must be paid before the visa can be granted.
Where and how an application must be lodged
Subsequent entrants must lodge their visa 496 application by posting or couriering the application to the Adelaide Skilled Processing Centre.
See: General Skilled Migration Processing Centres
Location
Your family members can be in or outside Australia at the time they apply to be added to your subclass 496 visa, but must be outside Australia when their visa is granted.