The Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa, subclass 191, is the mechanism by which a holder of a provisional regional skilled visa — subclass 491 or subclass 494 — can move to permanent residence without lodging a fresh skilled migration application from outside the points-tested or employer-sponsored system. It is a transition visa: it exists specifically for people who already hold one of those two provisional visas and have used it as intended.

This article sets out how the transition works according to the Department of Home Affairs' published eligibility criteria for subclass 191 — what "3 years" actually means, what the department currently requires in place of an income threshold, and the other conditions that sit alongside the holding period. It does not predict whether any individual will be granted the visa, and it is not a substitute for checking your own circumstances against the current criteria.

The eligible visa and the holding period

To apply for subclass 191, you must hold an eligible visa at the time you apply, and you must have held that visa for at least 3 years before you apply. The Department of Home Affairs defines an eligible visa for this purpose as a subclass 491 (Skilled Work Regional (Provisional)) visa or a subclass 494 (Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional)) visa. Holding either of these two visas — and no other visa — for the required period is what opens the door to a subclass 191 application. Time spent on other visa types does not count toward the 3 years.

The income requirement: what it actually is

A common assumption is that subclass 191 requires applicants to have earned above a specific income threshold while on their provisional visa. As published by the Department of Home Affairs, that is not the current requirement. There is no minimum income requirement for this visa. What is required instead is documentary: you must provide Notices of Assessment issued by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) for three income years out of the five years covered by your eligible visa.

In practical terms, this means the department wants tax-return evidence covering three of your five eligible-visa years, not evidence that your income crossed a set dollar figure. Because this requirement is about which years you can document, not about a threshold amount, it is not the kind of figure that can usefully be predicted or generalised — you should confirm the current wording and any conditions attached to it directly on the Home Affairs subclass 191 page before you plan around it, since income and evidentiary settings for skilled visas do change over time.

Complying with your visa conditions throughout the period

Alongside the holding period and the tax-evidence requirement, you must have complied with the conditions attached to your eligible visa (491 or 494) for the whole time you held it while in Australia. This is assessed for the full period, not just at the point of application, so a condition breach earlier in the visa period can still be relevant even if your circumstances have since changed.

The other eligibility criteria

Beyond the visa-holding period, the tax-evidence requirement and condition compliance, the Department of Home Affairs' published criteria for subclass 191 include:

• Health requirement — you, and any family members applying with you, must meet the department's health requirement. Family members not migrating to Australia may also need to meet it.
• Character requirement — you must meet the department's character requirement, as must family members aged 16 or over who apply with you, and other family members not coming to Australia.
• Australian values statement — if you are 16 or older, you must have read or had explained to you the "Life in Australia" booklet and sign an Australian Values Statement confirming you will respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws.
• No outstanding debt to the Australian Government — if you or any family members owe the Australian Government money, it must be repaid or under an approved repayment arrangement, including for family members not applying with you.
• Immigration history — the department considers your immigration history when deciding your application; a prior visa cancellation or application refusal may affect your eligibility, though limited exceptions can apply.

What this pathway does not do

• It does not grant permanent residence automatically at the 3-year mark. Reaching 3 years on an eligible visa makes you able to apply; it does not decide the outcome of that application.
• It is not open to holders of visas other than subclass 491 or subclass 494. Other provisional or temporary skilled visa holders are not eligible under this specific pathway.
• It does not remove the health, character, values-statement, debt and immigration-history requirements described above — all of the published criteria apply together, not instead of each other.
• It does not currently require a specific income figure, notwithstanding that this has historically been assumed and reported. Confirm current wording directly with the department before relying on this point, since evidentiary requirements for skilled visas are reviewed periodically.
• This article does not estimate processing times, predict grant outcomes, or provide an individual eligibility assessment. Actual processing depends on case completeness and the department's current caseload, and is separate from the ministerial-direction processing order described in Quota AU's skilled visa processing priorities explainer.

How to check your own position before you apply

1. Confirm you currently hold, or have held, a subclass 491 or subclass 494 visa for at least 3 years.
2. Gather ATO Notices of Assessment covering at least three of the five income years of your eligible visa.
3. Review your own compliance with your visa conditions for the full period you have held the visa.
4. Check the current Department of Home Affairs subclass 191 page for the full, current wording of every criterion, including any criteria not listed above that may have been added or amended since this article was last reviewed.
5. If your circumstances involve a past visa cancellation, refusal, or condition breach, treat the immigration-history criterion as a priority item to clarify before applying.

Sources and currency

This article reflects the Department of Home Affairs' published eligibility criteria for the Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (subclass 191), with current information as at 7 September 2026. The primary source is:

• Department of Home Affairs — Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (subclass 191): https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/skilled-regional-191/regional-provisional

Eligibility criteria, evidentiary requirements and visa costs for subclass 191 can change. Recheck the Home Affairs page before you apply or make any plans based on this article. This article is general information from an official source, not migration advice, and does not assess your individual eligibility or predict the outcome of any application. For advice specific to your circumstances, consult a registered migration agent.