The 491 is the long road to permanent residency. Five years on a provisional visa, three of them spent building the evidence pack that the 191 PR step will eventually ask for, and a handful of rules that quietly do most of the damage to applications when people misread them.
If you are reading this, you have probably already done the hard part: got nominated, got the points, got the 491 grant letter. Good. That was the door. This is the corridor. Here is what the next 3 to 5 years actually look like, and what the 191 will check when you finally apply.
General information only, not immigration advice for your situation. For personal advice, speak with a registered migration agent at mara.gov.au.
The whole pathway in seven lines:
That is the shape. Here is the detail.
Type "491 to 191 income requirement" into Google and you will get a parade of blog posts and forum threads confidently citing a minimum income figure, usually around AUD $53,900 or AUD $73,150.
Every one of them is wrong.
The IMMI subclass 191 page states it directly: "There is no minimum income requirement." The legislation does not specify one. The eligibility checklist says it. The detailed evidence section repeats it.
Where the confusion comes from: when the 191 launched in November 2022, an income-threshold consultation floated a figure tied to TSMIT. It was never legislated. The final rule requires NOAs as evidence that you engaged with the Australian tax system, not as evidence that you cleared a threshold.
If you earned $20,000 in one year as a part-time worker, that NOA counts. If you earned $200,000 the next year, same NOA logic. If you have been worried you don't earn enough for the 191, you can stop.
The 191 refusal rate is low compared to most other PR pathways. The 491 holders who get refused tend to get caught by the same handful of issues, and none of them are about income.
The pattern: the 191 is generous on the easy stuff (no points test, no skills assessment, no income floor) and unforgiving on residency and evidence. Plan both early.
For a typical applicant lodging in 2026:
| Stage | Duration | What's happening |
|---|---|---|
| EOI to 491 invitation | 3 to 18 months | Variable. State nomination programs open and close. |
| 491 application to grant | 6 to 15 months | Health, character, processing queue. |
| Living on the 491 | 3 years minimum (5 years max) | Building NOAs, address evidence, complying with conditions. |
| 191 application to grant | 8 to 12 months | Current backlog as of May 2026. |
| Total: EOI to PR | roughly 5 to 7 years | If everything goes smoothly. |
After the 191 is granted you are a permanent resident with a 5-year travel facility. Citizenship eligibility follows the standard rules: 4 years of lawful residence in Australia (with at least 12 months as PR), no more than 12 months total outside Australia in those 4 years, no more than 90 days outside in the final 12. Time spent on the 491 counts toward the 4-year residence requirement.
| Item | Amount (main applicant) |
|---|---|
| 491 application | from AUD $4,910 |
| State nomination fees | $0 to ~AUD $800 |
| Skills assessment | AUD $500 to $2,000+ |
| English test, medicals, police checks | roughly AUD $850 combined |
| 191 application | from AUD $505 |
| Total minimum, no agent, single applicant | roughly AUD $7,500 to $9,000 |
Migration agent fees (optional but common): AUD $3,000 to $10,000 across the pathway. Family members add roughly $2,500 to $5,000 each.
You must have been usually resident in a Designated Regional Area for a continuous period of at least 3 years immediately before applying for the 191. Any work or study during that 3-year window must also have been in a designated regional area.
No. The official IMMI subclass 191 page states "There is no minimum income requirement." The rule asks for ATO Notices of Assessment from 3 income years out of the 5 years of your 491, but those NOAs can show any amount of income. The threshold version of this rule was proposed in early drafts and never legislated.
Three. You provide Notices of Assessment for 3 income years out of the 5 years of your eligible visa. Years where you did not lodge a return (because you did not need to) do not count against you, as long as you have 3 lodged years inside the 5-year window.
If you lodged the 191 while onshore and held a substantive 491 at the time, you will be on a Bridging Visa A from 491 expiry until the 191 is decided. That keeps you in Australia legally with work rights. The safer practice is to lodge the 191 at least 12 months before the 491 expires.
No. The 191 requires a single eligible visa held for at least 3 years. Multiple visas, including two 491s, cannot be combined. This catches people who let one 491 expire and re-applied for a fresh one.
From AUD $505 for the main applicant, with additional charges for family members. Much cheaper than the 491 itself, because the policy assumption is that the upfront 491 fee covers most of the recovery cost.
Three rules of thumb that the people who breeze through the 191 all follow:
The 491 is a long road. It is also one of the most reliable PR pathways Australia currently runs. The points test cut-off is lower than the 189 or 190. The income myth is just a myth. Plan the evidence. Stay in the area. Lodge the returns. The pathway works.
This page is general information about Australian visa criteria, not advice for your specific situation. For advice on how the 491 to 191 pathway applies to you, talk to a registered migration agent or Australian legal practitioner. The MARA register is at mara.gov.au.
Last verified: 13 May 2026. The 191 processing position is current as of this date. Always check official IMMI processing priorities before lodging.
Perth is regional. Adelaide is regional. The Gold Coast is regional. Here is exactly what 'regional Australia' means for the 491 visa, which cities count, and which three don't.
Three skilled migration visas, one points test, three completely different lives in Australia. The honest comparison nobody is writing.
Every point category, every tier, every catch in the Australian skilled migration points test. The numbers that get you invited for the 189, 190, and 491 visas.
General information about visa criteria, not advice for your specific situation. For personal advice, talk to a registered migration agent at mara.gov.au.
