What does the Immigration Department define as a Regional Area?

The 482 visa, also known as the Temporary Skill Shortage visa, is an Australian visa that allows skilled workers to come to Australia and work for an approved employer in a nominated occupation.

One of the notable features of the 482 visa is its regional pathway, which offers certain benefits to those who work in designated regional areas.

Regional areas in Australia for the purposes of skilled visas are classified based on specific criteria set by the government. These areas typically include towns, cities, and sometimes even remote areas outside major urban centers.

482 visa regional areas

What might surprise people is the diversity of places classified as regional. While some might expect only remote towns to qualify, many popular cities like Adelaide, Perth, Gold Coast, and Newcastle are considered regional under the visa scheme. This classification aims to distribute skilled migrants across various parts of Australia, not just in major cities like Sydney and Melbourne.

Find  out if your business resides in a regional area eligible for the 482 visa. Sponsoring employers and prospective 482 visa applicants should check this to ensure they meet the visa requirements and take advantage of any benefits associated with regional employment opportunities. For example, skilled occupation lists are sometimes expanded for regional areas.

 
Call us: 1300 794 680

Regional Areas are defined by post codes

If your business operates out of one these postcodes, it will be considered as being in a regional area. This may enables your business to sponsor an employee for a TSS visa in broader range of occupations.

Regional areas eligible for the 482 visa

    • Category 2 – ‘Cities and Major Regional Centres’ of Perth, Adelaide, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Canberra, Newcastle/Lake Macquarie, Wollongong/Illawarra, Geelong and Hobart

Benefits:

      • Priority processing of 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 to access additional year in Australia on a post-study work visa
    • Category 3 – ‘Regional Centres and Other Regional Areas (Include Designated regional area postcodes as per below table)

Benefits:

      • ‘Regional Centres and Other Regional Areas’ will also have access to the dedicated 11,200 regional places, priority processing of regional visas, and the Regional Occupations List. Additional incentives include:
      • International graduates with a bachelor or higher qualification from a regional campus of a registered institution will be eligible to access an additional 2 years in Australia on a post-study work visa.
      • Priority in negotiating region-specific Designated Area Migration Agreements (DAMAs)
State or Territory Category Postcodes
New South Wales Cities and major regional centres 2259, 2264 to 2308, 2500 to 2526, 2528 to 2535 and 2574
​​Regional centres and other regional areas 2250 to 2258, 2260 to 2263, 2311 to 2490, 2527, 2536 to 2551, 2575 to 2739, 2753 to 2754, 2756 to 2758 and 2773 to 2898
Victoria Cities and major regional centres 3211 to 3232, 3235, 3240, 3328, 3330 to 3333, 3340 and 3342
Regional centres and other regional areas 3097 to 3099, 3139, 3233 to 3234, 3236 to 3239, 3241 to 3325, 3329, 3334, 3341, 3345 to 3424, 3430 to 3799, 3809 to 3909, 3912 to 3971 and 3978 to 3996
Queensland Cities and major regional centres​​ 4019 to 4022*, 4025*, 4037*, 4074*, 4076 to 4078*, 4207 to 4275, 4300 to 4301*, 4303 to 4305*, 4500 to 4506*, 4508 to 4512*, 4514 to 4516*, 4517 to 4519, 4521*, 4550 to 4551, 4553 to 4562, 4564 to 4569 and 4571 to 4575
Regional centres and other regional areas 4124, 4125, 4133, 4183 to 4184, 4280 to 4287, 4306 to 4498, 4507, 4552, 4563, 4570 and 4580 to 4895
Western Australia Cities and major regional centres 6000 to 6038, 6050 to 6083, 6090 to 6182, 6208 to 6211, 6214 and 6556 to 6558
Regional centres and other regional areas All postcodes in Western Australia not mentioned in ‘Cities and major regional centres’ category above
South Australia Cities and major regional centres 5000 to 5171, 5173 to 5174, 5231 to 5235, 5240 to 5252, 5351 and 5950 to 5960
Regional centres and other regional areas All postcodes in South Australia not mentioned in ‘Cities and major regional centres’ category above
Tasmania Cities and major regional centres 7000, 7004 to 7026, 7030 to 7109, 7140 to 7151 and 7170 to 7177
Regional centres and other regional areas All postcodes in Tasmania not mentioned in ‘Cities and major regional centres’ category above
Australian Capital Territory Cities and major regional centres All postcodes in the Australian Capital Territory
Regional centres and other regional areas  None
Northern Territory Cities and major regional centres None
Regional centres and other regional areas All postcodes in the Northern Territory
Norfolk Island Cities and major regional centres None
Regional centres and other regional areas All postcodes in Norfolk Island
Other Territories Cities and major regional centres None
Regional centres and other regional areas All postcodes in a Territory other than the Australian Capital Territory, the Northern Territory or Norfolk Island
Call: 1300 794 680