491 · WA
Subclass 491 Western Australia regional nomination
Subclass 491 Western Australia is a separate regional pool. It does not match 190 Western Australia or 189 for the same job title, because the occupation lists, the conditions and the population of applicants are all different. This article explains what the regional slice shows, and how to open it once you have signed in.
Key terms. SkillSelect is the Australian government’s online system for skilled migration. An Expression of Interest (EOI) is the form you lodge in it, and it is not a visa application. An EOI counted as submitted was still sitting in the pool when the monthly snapshot was taken; one counted as invited was holding an invitation at that moment. ANZSCO is the occupation-code list SkillSelect uses. Every figure on this site counts EOIs rather than people, because one person can lodge more than one.
How 491 nomination works in Western Australia
Skilled Work Regional (subclass 491) is a provisional, points-tested visa. It is nominated by a state or territory, or sponsored by an eligible relative living in a designated regional area, and it carries a condition to live and work in such an area for the life of the visa.
Western Australia publishes its own regional occupation list and criteria, and the designated regional areas do not always match everyday ideas of what counts as regional. Confirm both on the Home Affairs subclass 491 listing and the nomination page.
In the EOI statistics
Like 190, a 491 EOI records the jurisdiction it is aimed at, so Western Australia appears as one slice of the regional pool once you have access to the state views. The counts are smaller than the 190 equivalents, and they are not comparable with them.
Size on its own is also harder to read here. A small regional pool can sit almost still if few invitations are issued, and it can shrink through expiry rather than invitation, so pool size needs to be read next to invitation activity.
In the dashboard
Subclass 491 is not part of the guest trial, so the primary button opens Occupation Trends on 189 to show how the view works. Opening the 491 pool for Western Australia asks you to sign in.
A 189 trial chart is not the 491 WA pool. The guest trial covers 189 and 190 plus five occupations.
Reading these charts
State Mix explains the jurisdiction split, Invite Activity separates pool size from invitation movement, and Occupation Trends covers the lines themselves.
For applicants
Treat the 491 WA numbers as regional-pool intelligence. They tell you how many EOIs are aimed at this regional stream, and nothing about whether a nomination or a family sponsorship is available to you.
Check the regional occupation list and the designated area definitions separately, because both differ from the 189 and 190 rules and both change.
For migration professionals
Demonstrate on 189, which opens without an account, then sign in to show the client the actual 491 pool. Keep the visa filter locked for the whole session.
Say explicitly that 491 is provisional and that the subclass 191 pathway is outside these statistics, so a shrinking pool is never read as progress toward permanent residence.
Related pages
- Subclass 491 — the visa itself
- Subclass 190 Western Australia
- Subclass 491 South Australia
- Subclass 491 Tasmania
- 189 vs 190 vs 491
- Accountant (General), ANZSCO 221111
Common questions
Is 491 WA the same as 190 WA?
No. They are two separate pools with different occupation lists, different conditions and different counts. Sharing a jurisdiction name does not make the figures comparable.
Can I see 491 Western Australia without an account?
Not directly. The guest trial covers 189 and 190, so opening 491 asks you to sign in. Trying Occupation Trends on 189 first shows you how the view works.
Does a small 491 WA pool mean invitations are coming?
No. Pool size counts the EOIs sitting in the pool at a snapshot; it says nothing about how many invitations are being issued or at what score.