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Where Is Classed As Regional Areas In Australia

If you’re planning to migrate to Australia through the regional 491 or 494 visas or if your occupation is on the ROL or STSOL occupation lists for the TSS/482 visa, you will want to understand where is classed as regional areas in Australia.

In this article we will explain exactly where is classed as regional areas in Australia for immigration purposes and how not being regional for occupations on the STSOL (TSS visa only) can affect your chances of Permanent Residency (PR).

Why knowing where regional areas in Australia are matters

Both the state sponsored 491 and employer sponsored 494 visas are regional visas, so you’ll want to know where you can live and work. 

For the TSS visa, occupations that can be sponsored will fall under one of three occupation lists. Occupations under the 482 visa can live and work anywhere in Australia and will have a pathway to PR through the 186 or 186 TRT visas, as long as they meet the visa requirements. 

Occupations on the STSOL occupation can also live and work anywhere in Australia, however, if they plan on applying for PR, their options are more limited compared to occupations on the MLTSSL. The 186 visa is not an option but the 187 TRT is as long as they have lived and worked for the same employer in a regional areas for three years, and they meet the other visa requirements. Finally, for occupations on the ROL occupation list, the visa will only be granted if you are to be nominated by an employer in a regional area. Therefore, if you are going to be applying for a TSS visa, regional areas may play an important factor when finding an employer.

Where are regional areas in Australia and where is not

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 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 areas in 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 STSOL or 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.

Contact us today

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Disclaimer

All of the information provided has been gathered and written based on general information that is available at the Department of Home Affairs website.

This information is not legal advice and should be used for general information purposes only. 

We strongly recommend you engage a Registered Migration Agent who can complete a full assessment and advise you accordingly. If you would like to be connected with a Registered Migration Agent, please contact us and we will find an agent to help you.  

Let Visa Jobs help you get your TSS visa

If you are interested in learning more about the TSS/482 visa, contact us today. We will explain the process, TSS visa requirements, and which documents to gather. We can get your visa eligibility assessed by MARA Registered Migration Agents and then connect you with employers or recruiters.

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  • Who Needs a Skills Assessment...

    If you plan on applying for the employer-sponsored TSS/482 visa, then you will want to check if you will be required to complete a mandatory skills assessment for the 482 visa.

    Unlike other Australian visas such as the 491, 189, 190, and 494 visas, where skills assessments are mandatory for everyone, for the 482 visa there are only a small number of occupations and nationalities that must complete the assessment.

    Let’s take a closer look at who needs to complete a skills assessment for the 482 visa.

    Do you need to complete a skills assessment for the 482 visa?

    The below table lists the only occupations for the 482 visa that requires a skills assessment as part of the visa requirements. Even if your occupation is listed below, it doesn’t mean you have to complete the assessment. For each of the occupations listed, it is only specific nationalities or passport holders that must complete the assessment, they are listed below as well.

    Who is exempt from taking a skills assessment for the 482 visa

    To be exempt from taking the skills assessment for the 482 visa, any one of the below points would need to apply:

      • Your occupation is not listed
      • Your occupation is listed but you hold a different passport that is listed
      • Your occupation is listed, you hold a passport listed but also hold another passport not listed (in this case, you would need to apply for the visa using the passport not listed)
      • You have gained the required level of qualification for your occupation by studying in Australia*

    *There are a number of education bodies outside of Australia that will issue Australian qualifications once completed, only related Australian qualifications gained by physically studying in Australia can be used for the exemption.

    How to complete a skills assessment for the 482 visa

    If you as part of the 482 visa requirements you’ll need to complete a skills assessment and do not meet any of the exemptions, then you have two options when completing it.

    The first is to complete it on your own. There are a number of documents that must be submitted to the assessing body in stage 1 of the process. These documents and what information must be included,  will vary depending on the occupation and assessing body. Once gathered you will then need to complete all of the application documents, submit your gathered documents, and then wait for the outcome. If successful, you would then need to complete a Technical and potentially a Practical Interview before getting your final assessment outcome.

    The second option is to get professional help completing the Skills Assessment. There are a number of agents who offer this service, guiding you through every stage of the process. The advantage of using an agent is that they know exactly what to do, which generally saves you time, effort, and stress! As you would imagine, using an agent means extra costs to you.

    To find out more about the skills assessment process, costs, and documents required, search all of the authorised Skills Assessment companies for your occupation and visit their website for more information. 

    Need our help completing the skills assessment for the 482 visa?

    If after reading this article you have determined that you need to complete a skills assessment in order to meet the 482 visa requirements, then we would suggest starting this as soon as possible.

    Depending on which country you are in, completing the skills assessment for the 482 visa can take up to six months! If you would like professional help completing the skills assessment for the 482 visa, please get in contact with us today and we can start the process.

    Start the Skills Assessment process with Visa Jobs

    Learn more about Australian visas

    Disclaimer

    All of the information provided has been gathered and written based on general information that is available at the Department of Home Affairs website.

    This information is not legal advice and should be used for general information purposes only. 

    We strongly recommend you engage a Registered Migration Agent who can complete a full assessment and advise you accordingly. If you would like to be connected with a Registered Migration Agent, please contact us and we will find an agent to help you.

    Need help completing a Skills Assessment?

    If you are required to complete a skills assessment for the 482 visa and would like professional help, get in contact with us today. Our team will explain the process and then help guide you through it reducing time, effort and stress.

    This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google
    Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

    jonathan m
    Continue Reading

  • Understanding The Australian Training Visa...

    If you’re planning to migrate to Australia through the regional 491 or 494 visas or if your occupation is on the ROL or STSOL occupation lists for the TSS/482 visa, you will want to understand where is classed as regional areas in Australia.

    In this article we will explain exactly where is classed as regional areas in Australia for immigration purposes and how not being regional for occupations on the STSOL (TSS visa only) can affect your chances of Permanent Residency (PR).

    Why knowing where regional areas in Australia are matters

    Both the state sponsored 491 and employer sponsored 494 visas are regional visas, so you’ll want to know where you can live and work. 

    For the TSS visa, occupations that can be sponsored will fall under one of three occupation lists. Occupations under the 482 visa can live and work anywhere in Australia and will have a pathway to PR through the 186 or 186 TRT visas, as long as they meet the visa requirements. 

    Occupations on the STSOL occupation can also live and work anywhere in Australia, however, if they plan on applying for PR, their options are more limited compared to occupations on the MLTSSL. The 186 visa is not an option but the 187 TRT is as long as they have lived and worked for the same employer in a regional areas for three years, and they meet the other visa requirements. Finally, for occupations on the ROL occupation list, the visa will only be granted if you are to be nominated by an employer in a regional area. Therefore, if you are going to be applying for a TSS visa, regional areas may play an important factor when finding an employer.

    Where are regional areas in Australia and where is not

    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 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 areas in 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 STSOL or 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.

    Contact us today

    More visa information

    Load More Blog Posts

    Disclaimer

    All of the information provided has been gathered and written based on general information that is available at the Department of Home Affairs website.

    This information is not legal advice and should be used for general information purposes only. 

    We strongly recommend you engage a Registered Migration Agent who can complete a full assessment and advise you accordingly. If you would like to be connected with a Registered Migration Agent, please contact us and we will find an agent to help you.  

    Let Visa Jobs help you get your TSS visa

    If you are interested in learning more about the TSS/482 visa, contact us today. We will explain the process, TSS visa requirements, and which documents to gather. We can get your visa eligibility assessed by MARA Registered Migration Agents and then connect you with employers or recruiters.

    This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google
    Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

    jonathan m
    Continue Reading
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