Subclass 494 Visa Grants 2024-25 by State, Occupation & Country

Australia granted 4,244 subclass 494 places in 2024-25, the most since 2019-20.

Official Home Affairs data (BP0068), released December 2025. Covers July 2019 to June 2025. Next release expected late 2026.

494 places granted each year

Program years 2019-20 to 2024-25, all states.

4,244places granted
1,826main applicants, up 18%
2.3people per visa, incl. family
77%of main applicants applied from within Australia
  • All places (main applicants + family)
  • Main applicants
Show the numbers for every year
YearPlacesMain applicants
2019-209744
2020-211,418648
2021-221,339587
2022-233,7691,631
2023-243,6571,546
2024-254,2441,826

Closed subclass 187 grants are counted on their own page.

494 grants by state

Main applicants by employer location. Select a state on the map to filter the whole page.

Where main applicants were granted

2024-25. Darker means more grants.

Western Australia — 452Northern Territory — 75South Australia — 131Queensland — 620New South Wales — 271Victoria — 204Tasmania — 6Australian Capital Territory — 37WA452NT75SA131QLD620NSW271VIC204TAS6ACT37

Change from 2023-24

South Australia, Queensland, and Northern Territory grew fastest. Victoria fell by 22.

  1. QLD+194+46%
  2. SA+54+70%
  3. WA+30+7%
  4. NT+13+21%
  5. NSW+4+1%
  6. TAS−6—
  7. ACT−12−24%
  8. VIC−22−10%

494 grants by occupation

Main applicants, 2024-25 compared with 2023-24. 214 occupations were granted a 494.

Share of all 494 grants, change in percentage points. Occupations with at least 50 grants in either year.

Gaining share

  1. 1Aged or Disabled Carer+3.5 pts
  2. 2Chef+2.5 pts
  3. 3Child Care Worker+1.8 pts
  4. 4Retail Pharmacist+1.8 pts

Losing share

  1. 1Cook−1.7 pts
  2. 2Retail Manager (General)−1.6 pts
  3. 3Cafe or Restaurant Manager−1.2 pts

Rising and falling occupations across all skilled visas →

OccupationANZSCO2023-242024-25Share change
Child Care Worker421111185250+1.8
Retail Manager (General)142111123123−1.6
Aged or Disabled Carer4231112787+3.5
Cook3514118980−1.7
Chef3513113277+2.5
Retail Pharmacist2515133266+1.8
Cafe or Restaurant Manager1411115749−1.2
Personal Care Assistant4233131542+1.5
Showing 8 of 293.

Who is granted a 494

Main applicants in 2024-25: 53% men, 47% women.

Country of citizenship

Share of main applicants.

  1. 1Philippines22.0%2023-24: 18.6%
  2. 2India15.2%2023-24: 15.1%
  3. 3United Kingdom4.7%2023-24: 7.2%
  4. 4Nepal4.2%2023-24: 3.0%
  5. 5Brazil3.5%2023-24: 4.5%
  6. 6China3.2%2023-24: 2.2%

Age at grant

49% were aged 25 to 34, down from 61% in 2019-20. 27% were 40 or older.

  • 2024-25
  • 2019-20

Where 494 applicants applied from

77%applied from within Australia in 2024-25, down from 92% in 2020-21.

Share applying from within Australia, by year

Show the numbers for every year
  • 2019-2070%
  • 2020-2192%
  • 2021-2270%
  • 2022-2364%
  • 2023-2474%
  • 2024-2577%

Subclass 494 grants in 2024-25: summary

In program year 2024-25, Australia granted 4,244 subclass 494 places to 1,826 main applicants and 2,418 family members. Queensland had the most main applicants (620), up 46% on 2023-24. Child Care Worker was the most-granted occupation with 250 grants. 77% of main applicants applied from within Australia.

Where do you stand for a 494?

Grants show the past. This visa needs an employer to nominate you; there is no points test.

Browse occupationsAsk the AI assistant

How to read this data

A grant is a visa actually issued in a program year (1 July to 30 June). It is counted when granted, not when invited. A nomination in one year is often granted the next, so grants trail the invitation rounds. “Places” counts main applicants and their family members.

Occupation is recorded only for main applicants in the Skill stream. State is where the applicant was employed. Temporary skilled and graduate visas such as 482 and 485 aren't in this data.

Questions about 494 grants

How many subclass 494 visas were granted in 2024-25?
4,244 places: 1,826 main applicants and 2,418 family members.
Which state had the most subclass 494 grants in 2024-25?
Queensland with 620 main applicants, followed by Western Australia (452).
Which occupations were granted the most subclass 494 visas in 2024-25?
Child Care Worker (250), Retail Manager (General) (123) and Aged or Disabled Carer (87).
How many subclass 494 applicants applied from inside Australia in 2024-25?
77% of main applicants applied from within Australia.

Source: Department of Home Affairs, BP0068 (CC BY 4.0). The views expressed are those of ImmiTrend and not necessarily those of the Department.

Last updated 22 December 2025Sources:Official

General information only — not migration advice.

Compiled by ImmiTrend from Department of Home Affairs visa grant data (BP0068).