If your friend hold a Skilled - Designated Area Sponsored (Provisional) visa (subclass 496) and he need more time to meet the residence and/or employment criteria for a permanent visa, he can apply for a Skilled – Regional Sponsored (Provisional) visa (subclass 487), which will extend his provisional visa for a further 12 months.
Fadel Fawzi, Ph.D
Immigration Lawyer
http://www.icuimmigration.com