Perth: A Regional Migration Destination

What “regional” means for skilled migration

For several of Australia’s skilled and employer-sponsored visa pathways, the Department of Home Affairs groups eligible locations into tiers, generally described as regional categories. Living, studying, or being nominated for a job in one of these areas can open up visa options, processing considerations, or points that aren’t available for a role based in Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane, which sit outside the regional framework entirely for this purpose.

This is a separate system from what most people picture when they hear “regional Australia,” meaning small country towns. Several major Australian cities, including some capital cities, are formally included.

Where Perth sits: Category 2

Perth is commonly classified in that second grouping, sometimes labelled Category 2, alongside other capital cities and major centres such as Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart, Geelong, Newcastle, Wollongong, the Gold Coast, and the Sunshine Coast. This grouping sits between the excluded east-coast capitals and the broader regional and remote areas that make up the third grouping.

In practical terms, this generally means Perth-based study, work, or nomination can count toward regional pathways for visas such as the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa, the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa, and the Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa, subject to the specific criteria of each subclass at the time you apply. It’s also worth knowing that Western Australia runs its own separate regional migration agreement (the WA Designated Area Migration Agreement), which uses its own area categories for employer-sponsored visas under that program specifically. The two systems use similar language but aren’t identical, which is exactly the kind of detail worth confirming for your specific pathway rather than assuming.

Not the same as the working holiday rules

If you’ve read about “regional Australia” in the context of a Working Holiday visa (subclass 417 or 462) and specified work for a second or third year, that’s a different framework entirely, with its own separate list of eligible postcodes and its own rules about which industries count. Perth generally does not fall within the regional definition used for working holiday specified work, because that framework is built around a different, generally narrower, set of areas.

The two systems exist for different purposes, use different criteria, and shouldn’t be assumed to line up. If you’re trying to work out whether time in Perth counts toward a second-year working holiday extension, that’s a separate question from the one this page addresses. We’ve written a general explainer on that topic, linked below, which covers why “regional” isn’t a single fixed list across the whole visa system.

Read: Understanding “Regional Australia” for Specified Work →

Why Perth, beyond the classification

A regional category on a government list is only useful if the place itself is somewhere you’d actually want to live. Perth’s case as a destination generally stands on its own merits.

Cost of living, relative to the east coast

Perth is generally reported as more affordable than Sydney across housing, rent, and everyday living costs, and broadly comparable with or somewhat cheaper than Melbourne and Brisbane depending on the suburb and year. For anyone weighing up where their income will stretch furthest, that gap is worth factoring in alongside any visa considerations.

Lifestyle

Perth combines a genuine city centre, Fremantle’s port and market culture, the Swan River, and a long run of ocean beaches, all within a compact metro footprint. The climate is Mediterranean, with a long dry summer and mild winters, and outdoor life (beach, river, parks, cycling paths) is built into how the city functions rather than being a weekend add-on.

Space and commute

Despite its population, Perth is spread out, and commute times and housing space per dollar are generally more favourable than in the larger east-coast capitals. For people relocating with family, that combination of city infrastructure and comparatively lower density is a genuine drawcard.

Perth’s job market and industries

Western Australia’s economy is heavily shaped by resources, and Perth functions as its corporate and services hub. That gives the city a distinct occupation mix compared with Sydney or Melbourne.

None of this guarantees a specific job or visa outcome. It’s general context on why Perth’s labour market looks different from the eastern capitals, which is relevant if you’re comparing cities for both lifestyle and career reasons.

How to check what applies to you

• Identify the specific visa subclass you’re considering, since regional benefits and definitions vary between them.
• Check that subclass’s current page on the Department of Home Affairs website for its regional area requirements, rather than relying on a general summary.
• If you’re looking at WA-specific employer sponsorship, check Migration WA’s designated area agreement separately, since it uses its own categories.
• Confirm any postcode or area detail against the current official list, since these are reviewed periodically and can change.
• For anything specific to your circumstances, points, or eligibility, speak with a registered migration agent or contact Home Affairs directly.

Frequently asked questions