Once you have ensured that you meet the Department of Home Affairs criteria for the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494), you will need to prepare and supply a range of documentation to complete your application for Regional Certifying Body (RCB) Advice.

Once you have ensured you meet all the criteria, and prepared all documentation required for your application:

  • Submit an RCB advice application via the Skilled & Business Migration Portal.
  • Lodge an employer nomination application with the Department of Home Affairs. NOTE: Your application for RCB advice can be lodged before or after lodging an employer nomination application with the Department of Home Affairs. It is Department of Home Affairs policy that the RCB advice must have been issued within the last three months.
  • If the Department of Home Affairs approves the employer nomination, the employee will then need to lodge a subclass 494 visa application with the Department of Home Affairs. For more details on this process, please see the Department of Home Affairs website.

Application Outcomes

  • Once assessed you will receive a copy of the RCB advice (Form 1404) to provide to the Department of Home Affairs with your SESR nomination application.
  • For applications that do not satisfy the criteria assessed by the RCB, you will receive the advice (Form 1404) with a summary of the reasons for the negative assessment advice. A 'not satisfied' RCB outcome does not prevent you from lodging an employer nomination application with Department of Home Affairs. Department of Home Affairs will consider both the RCB advice provided and the information supplied in the employer’s SESR nomination application.
  • RCB advice is valid for three months from the date the advice is issued.
  • Note: It is against the law for a sponsor or any other person to ask for or receive a benefit in exchange for visa sponsorship. It is also against the law for you, or any other person to offer or provide a benefit in exchange for visa sponsorship. Sponsors or visa holders can face civil and criminal penalties.