Regional cities of Australia
Study in the regional area of Australia is becoming hot topics in recent years due to the lower cost of living and migration benefits.
Students who could not meet the minimum 60 point test to submit their permanent residence application (whether it’s 189 or 190) is advisable to spend some years in the regional area. Some choose to enrol themselves into a regional university or some might choose to work.
Certain cities in Australia have been categorised as regional due to the areas are generally less developed compared to other big cities like Melbourne or Sydney. Cities such as Adelaide, Tasmania, Darwin, and Townsville and many other well-known cities are fall in the regional category.
Method of categorisation of regional areas of Australia
Below here is the categorisation method of the regional area according to the immigration department of Australia.
State / Territory | Skills Regional (Provisional) (489), Skilled Nominated (190) and Skilled Independent (189) |
New South Wales (NSW) | All except Sydney, Newcastle, the Central Coast and Wollongong |
Victoria | All except Melbourne |
Queensland | All except the greater Brisbane |
Western Australia | All |
South Australia | All |
Tasmania | All |
Northern Territory | All |
Australian Capital Territory (ACT) | Not eligible |
List of regional universities in Australia
For the purposes of General Skilled Migration, students may be able to claim points for the ‘Regional Australia’ part of the points test if they have lived in one or more of these areas and have studied full time at a campus located in regional Australia or a low population growth metropolitan area for at least 2 years prior to lodging their migration application or applying for state sponsorship.
Popular Regional Australian universities:
- Charles Darwin University (CDU) Course Checking
- University of Tasmania (UTAS) Course Checking
- Edith Cowan University Course Checking
- Murdoch University Course Checking
- Southern Cross University (SCU) Course Checking
- University of Adelaide Course Checking
- James Cook University (JCU) Course Checking
- University of Southern Queensland Course Checking
- University of South Australia (UNISA) Course Checking
- Griffith University Course Checking
Specialism program to study at regional university
There are some special programs available at the following universities that are not commonly available anywhere else.
University | Program |
University of Tasmania | Marine and Antarctic Science, Music |
James Cook University | Environmental Sciences, Linguistics, Internet of things sponsored by Huawei, Geology, Marine Science |
University of Adelaide | Aerospace Engineering, Criminology, Space Science & Astrophysics |
Edith Cowan University | Technology, Cybersecurity |
Murdoch University | Veterinary Sciences, Physiotherapy |
Choosing the right course at the right university
It is important to choose the right course to study that can lead to migration, we have an article for the latest MLTSSL occupation list (Click here to learn more) that assist you to choose the right program to study in Australia. For instance, since both James Cook University and University of Adelaide fall under the regional university, does it make any difference whether to study at either one? This is incorrect, there are certain criteria to be met in order for the states to award international students with the additional 5 points. Different state, different law. For more accurate information, please consult with our consultant here.
Disclaimer: the content above is our research based on available information from the internet. Excel Education is not a registered migration service provider, is not affiliated with the Australian Government but is an education placement service provider based in Australia.
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About Post Author
Michelle is a freelance content writer graduated from Curtin University with a degree in Communication (Commercial writing). Michelle loves to travel and enjoys walking by the beach.