Studying in regional Australia: what counts and what you gain

For skilled migration, "regional" means everywhere in Australia except Greater Sydney, Greater Melbourne, and Greater Brisbane. That is a wide net.

Cities that count as regional

Perth, Adelaide, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Canberra, Hobart, Darwin, Newcastle, Wollongong, Geelong, and every smaller city and town. Perth and Adelaide are full state capitals with universities, airports, and hospitals, and they are regional for this purpose.

What you gain

• 5 points for studying at a regional campus, on top of the 5 for the general Australian study requirement.
• Access to the 491, which carries a 15-point nomination bonus and broader occupation lists.
• State nomination criteria that are often easier to meet outside the big three cities.
• A further 485 extension has been offered in past years to regional graduates.

What you trade

Smaller job markets in some towns, fewer big-employer graduate programs, and less established communities from your home country. Perth and Adelaide have none of these problems; a town of 30,000 might.

A reasonable approach

Many people study in Adelaide or Perth to get the regional points and a normal city job market, then decide later whether to chase a 491 in a smaller area or aim straight for a 190. You are not locked in by where you study.