Visa Type
Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa Subclass 491
Decision Date
22 Nov 2023
Case Summary
1. Background
Mr. P, a graduate of an MBA program in the United States, quickly secured a job as a hotel manager based on his educational background and professional skills. However, despite years of work, he faced challenges in resolving his U.S. green card issues.
In March 2020, Mrs. P found our company through Google and inquired about the possibility of immigrating to Australia. At that time, Mr. P had recently been rejected for a student visa in New Zealand, and he was not very confident about Australian immigration.
After understanding Mr. P’s situation, we promptly discussed with him the option of applying for the 491 visa offshore. The 491 visa had just been introduced in November 2019, and many people were not familiar with it. We provided a comprehensive overview of this visa to Mr. P and assessed its feasibility.
Ultimately, Mr. P decided to authorize us to represent them in the application. Due to the severe COVID-19 situation in the United States, he had resigned from his job and was actively seeking new employment. Following our advice, he quickly secured a position as a hotel manager again. Within one week, we obtained the positive outcome of the skills assessment, and the client also achieved the required IELTS scores of 4 each in 2020.
From 2020 to the invitation received in 2022, we experienced prolonged stagnation and adjustments in state policies. During this period, with each policy adjustment, we assisted the client in changing the nominated state and promptly updating their Expression of Interest (EOI). Finally, leveraging his extensive work experience, the client received an invitation from the South Australian government and was granted the offshore 491 visa in November 2023.
2. Case Difficulty
5🌟
The primary applicant faced challenges in the case due to being over 40 years old, having a base score of 55 points when considering age, work experience, and other factors. With the additional 15 points from South Australia’s nomination, the total score for the 491 visa reached the minimum requirement of 70 points.
The nominated occupation for the primary applicant was Hotel and Motel Manager, which was not considered a high-demand occupation before the 2019 491 policy changes, and overseas invitations for this occupation were rare. To enhance the chances of success, we submitted Expressions of Interest (EOIs) and state government sponsorship applications for South Australia, Australian Capital Territory (ACT), Tasmania (TAS), Victoria (VIC), and Western Australia (WA) between 2020 and 2022.
During the pandemic, the hotel industry faced significant challenges, and employment prospects in various states were uncertain. It wasn’t until the gradual reopening of Australia’s borders in 2022 that the shortage of talented individuals in the hotel industry became apparent.
With over 10 years of relevant work experience, Mr. P finally gained the favor of the South Australian government at the end of 2022. He received a state nomination invitation in October 2022, and one month later, we submitted the 491 visa application for his family. After a year-long wait, the visa was finally granted.
3. Timeline
Signed contract in March 2020
Successfully obtained the skill assessment in May 2020
Received South Australia (SA) government nomination invitation in October 2022
SA state nomination was officially approved in February 2023
Submitted the 491 visa application in March 2023
Received s56 request to explain the New Zealand visa rejection history in July 2023
Entire family visa granted on November 22, 2023.
