If you're planning to migrate to Australia through the regional 491 or 494 visas or if your occupation is on the ROL occupation lists for the TSS/482 visa, you will want to understand which areas are classed as regional Australia.
In this article we will explain exactly where is classed as regional Australia for immigration purposes.
Why knowing where regional areas in Australia are matters
Both the state sponsored 491 and employer sponsored 494 visas are regional visas, so if you plan on applying for either of these visas, you'll have to know where is classed as regional Australia.
For the TSS visa, occupations that can be sponsored will fall under one of three occupation lists. Occupations under MLTSSL or STSOL for the 482 visa can live and work anywhere in Australia and will have a pathway to PR through the 186 visa, as long as they meet the visa requirements.
For the 482 visa, occupations on the ROL occupation list will only be granted a visa if you are to be nominated by an employer in regional Australia. Therefore, if you are going to be applying for a TSS visa, regional areas in Australia may play an important factor when finding an employer.
Which areas are classed as regional Australia
The simplest way to look at this is that the majority of locations outside of Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane, are classed as regional areas in Australia for immigration purposes.
If you plan on living and working near any of these three major cities, then you may want to know exactly which postcodes are classed as regional Australia so you don't breach your visa conditions or do not qualify for PR visas in the future.
For immigration purposes, the regional definition comprises of three categories:
- Category 1 – Major cities: Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane (not regional)
- Category 2 – Cities and major regional centres: Perth, Adelaide, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Canberra, Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Wollongong, Illawarra, Geelong, Hobart (regional)
- Category 3 – Regional centres and other regional areas: All other locations (regional)
The below table lists which postcodes are classed as regional for each state or territory.
Alternatively, if you are only interested in living in specific places type their name into the Australian Post Office’s postcode finder to find out the area’s postcode. You can then check if it is regional based on the table below.
Summary
Understanding where is classed as regional Australia is especially important for anyone who plans on applying for a 491, 494 or for TSS visa applicants wanting a pathway to PR through ROL occupations.
If your aim is to transition from a TSS visa to PR then make sure when finding your TSS sponsored job you only apply to jobs in regional areas. Otherwise you may find you have wasted three years working in an area that doesn’t lead to PR. Simply being aware of which areas are counted as regional will ensure you are doing everything right when working towards your future PR status.
No matter which Australian visa you are interested in, if you need help, have questions, or want to know what to do next, contact Visa Jobs and our will explain what to do.