Perth and Gold Coast are classified as ‘regional’ to attract students and migrants
Perth and Gold Coast are classified as ‘regional’ to attract students and migrants (491 and 494 visa)
Update (October 2026)
This change took effect on 16 November 2019 and still applies: Perth and the Gold Coast remain “Category 2” regional areas (cities and major regional centres) for regional visas such as the 491, 494 and 191. Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are still not regional. Some incentives have changed since 2019, for example the extra time on the 485 visa is now given through a second 485 visa. See the update below and our list of designated regional area postcodes.
Immigration minister David Coleman announced the Gold Coast and Perth will be reclassified as regional areas in an effort to attract regional migrants.
With this change regional areas include Perth, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Lake Macquarie, Illawarra, Geelong, Newcastle, Wollongong, Adelaide, Hobart and Canberra. Previously both Perth and Gold Coast, along with Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane were considered “metro” under the federal government’s migration classification.
This news came after a bid to attract migrants and foreign students by Perth and Gold Coast in making submissions to the federal government to be classified as “regional Australia”.
This will open the door to easier migration to Perth and Gold Coast for international students and skilled workers.
The change is significant for skilled workers trying to apply for the new regional visas commencing 16 November 2019 namely:
- Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) and
- Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494)- It also significantly increases the number of occupations business owners could seek to sponsor overseas workers
It would benefit students who would be awarded:
- extra 5 points in the Skilled visa points grid for studying in a regional area
- extra 1 year for the graduate 485 visa
Without doubt, the regional classification of Perth and the Gold Coast would improve their capacity to attract international student and overseas skilled workers and enable businesses to source their skilled work force from overseas workers.
In March 2019, the Government announced it would reduce the permanent migration cap from 190,000 to 160,000 places, and within that set aside 23,000 places for regional visas.
Following unprecedented growth (124 per cent) in the number of regional visas granted in the first quarter of this programme year, the Government is increasing the total number of regional places to 25,000.
Migration definitions
| Definition | Locations | Regional incentives |
| Major Cities | Sydney
Melbourne Brisbane |
– N/A |
| Cities and major regional centres | Perth
Adelaide Gold Coast Sunshine Coast, Canberra Newcastle, Lake Macquarie Wollongong, Illawarra, Geelong Hobart |
– Access to the dedicated 25,000 regional places.
– Priority processing on regional visas. – Access to the Regional Occupations List: more jobs compared to non-regional lists. – International graduates with a bachelor or higher qualification from a regional campus of a registered institution will be eligible for an extra year in Australia on a Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) |
| Regional centres and other regional areas | All other locations | – Access to the dedicated 25,000 regional places.
– Priority processing on regional visas. – Access to the Regional Occupations List: more jobs compared to non-regional lists. – International graduates with a bachelor or higher qualification from a regional campus of a registered institution will be eligible for an extra two years in Australia on a Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485). – Priority in negotiating region-specific Designated Area Migration Agreements (DAMAs). |
What this means in 2026
Seven years on, the regional map announced in this article is still the one Home Affairs uses. Perth and the Gold Coast count as regional, which means you can hold a regional provisional visa while living and working there, and you can later apply for permanent residence through the 191 visa after three years. The 191 visa no longer has a minimum income requirement (removed in June 2023).
| Category | Areas | What it means in 2026 |
| Category 1: major cities | Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane | Not regional. You cannot live there on a 491 or 494 visa, and study there does not earn regional study points. |
| Category 2: cities and major regional centres | Perth, Adelaide, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Canberra, Newcastle and Lake Macquarie, Wollongong and Illawarra, Geelong, Hobart | Regional for the 491, 494 and 191 visas. Regional study can earn 5 extra points. Eligible graduates can apply for a second 485 visa of 1 year. |
| Category 3: regional centres and other regional areas | All other areas | Regional for the 491, 494 and 191 visas. Regional study can earn 5 extra points. Eligible graduates can apply for a second 485 visa of 2 years. Many DAMAs cover these areas. |
Who it affects now
- Skilled workers: state nomination or family sponsorship for a 491 visa lets you settle in Perth, the Gold Coast or another regional area. Western Australia and Queensland set their own criteria each program year.
- Employers: businesses in Perth and the Gold Coast can sponsor workers on the 494 visa, which leads to permanent residence.
- Students: study at a regional campus can add points and may give access to a second 485 visa. The 485 visa age limit is now 35 for most applicants (since 1 July 2024).
Next steps
- Check that your postcode is a designated regional area.
- Compare the 491 and 494 visas against your occupation, points and job offer.
- Plan for the 191 visa from the start: keep records of where you live and work and your taxable income.
- Book a consultation to check your options.
Note: processing priorities are now set by Ministerial Directions 121 and 122 (from 19 September 2026), so the 2019 “priority processing” benefit described above may work differently today.
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