No. You can work in any occupation, once you have the visa.

The only work requirement is that your income meets the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) for three years, in a regional location. The TSMIT is currently AUD$53,900 p.a.

Yes, you can travel to anywhere in Australia or internationally.

Covid-19 restrictions, State and National border closures and quarantining requirements/costs should be researched and considered carefully.

Condition 8549 for the 489 visa and condition 8579 for the 491 visa requires that while the visa holder is in Australia, they must live, work and study only in a designated regional area.

Condition 8579 is not intended to prevent a visa holder from engaging in incidental activities outside a Designated Regional Area (DRA). Such activities may include:

• holidays
• work-related travel
• work-related training

The Department will adopt a flexible approach to the assessment of compliance with condition 8579, taking account of the personal circumstances affecting individual visa holders.

However, extended absences from the DRA may result in further scrutiny by the Department to ensure that the visa holder is or was living, working and studying in the DRA during the relevant periods.

The Department may request further evidence from the visa holder on the reason for travel outside the DRA, where:

• the holder spends more than 90 days in total per annum outside the DRA, or
• the holder spends more than 60 continuous days outside the DRA, or
• there is a pattern of extended and/or frequent absences that are indicative of employment outside the DRA.

You are entitled to a Medicare Card once you have a 491 or 494 visa.

For Permanent Residents and Citizens of Australia, Private Health Insurance is a matter of personal choice and this is also the case for 491 and 494 visa holders.

You can find out more on our page about Private Health Insurance and Medicare for skilled migrants.