Skilled Migration Points Guide- Claiming Regional Study Points
What Are the 5 Regional Study Points and Who Can Claim Them?
Under the skilled migration points test, eligible applicants may claim 5 additional points for regional study if they completed the required Australian study while living and studying in a designated regional area of Australia.
The regional study points are available where the applicant satisfies the Australian Study Requirement and the relevant study was undertaken at a campus or campuses located in a designated regional area. The applicant must also have lived in a designated regional area while undertaking the study.
If your study involved multiple campuses, periods of online study, relocation between different areas, or other circumstances that make the regional status of your study unclear, your eligibility should be assessed against the requirements applicable to your particular study history.
Requirements for the 5 Regional Study Points
The 5 regional study points are available only where all of the requirements under the skilled migration points test are satisfied. The requirements combine the Australian Study Requirement with additional requirements concerning the location of your study and residence.
To claim the 5 points, you must satisfy the following:
- Australian Study Requirement: You must satisfy the Australian Study Requirement by completing one or more eligible degrees, diplomas or trade qualifications awarded by an Australian educational institution.
- Registered courses: The relevant study must be undertaken in registered courses, including courses registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS), where applicable to the Australian Study Requirement.
- At least 2 academic years of study: The qualifying study must amount to at least 2 academic years of study, which is generally referred to as 92 weeks of registered study.
- At least 16 calendar months: The qualifying study must have been completed over a total period of at least 16 calendar months.
- Study undertaken in Australia: The Australian Study Requirement must be satisfied through study undertaken in Australia while holding a visa that authorised the applicant to study.
- Regional campus: The location of the campus or campuses at which the relevant study was undertaken must be in a designated regional area.
- Regional residence: While undertaking the relevant course of study, you must have lived in a designated regional area.
- No distance education: None of the study undertaken can constitute distance education.
These requirements operate together. Meeting the Australian Study Requirement alone gives the applicable 5 Australian study points, but it does not automatically give the additional 5 regional study points. The additional regional points are available only where the separate regional campus and regional residence requirements are also satisfied.
The exact application of these requirements can become more complex where an applicant has studied across multiple courses or campuses, changed residence during their studies, or completed study across different periods. In such circumstances, the complete study history needs to be considered against the applicable legislation and regional location requirements.
Claiming the 5 regional study points and 5 Australian Study requirement points
The 5 regional study points are additional to the 5 points available for meeting the Australian Study Requirement. Claiming the regional study points does not replace or prevent you from claiming other points for which you separately qualify.
The distinction is important:
- +5 points — Australian Study Requirement: These points are available to eligible applicants who satisfy the Australian Study Requirement, regardless of whether their Australian study was completed in a metropolitan or regional location. See our Australian Study Requirement page for the requirements.
- +5 points — Regional study: These are additional 5 points available to applicants who satisfy the specific regional study requirements. In other words, completing the required Australian study in a qualifying regional location can provide another 5 points on top of the Australian study points.
Therefore, studying in a regional area does not mean you choose between Australian study points and regional study points. Where the relevant requirements are satisfied, the regional study points are an additional benefit that can be claimed together with the Australian Study Requirement points and other applicable points-test criteria.
Can Regional Study also Extend Your 485 Visa?
Regional study can provide benefits beyond the 5 additional skilled migration points. Eligible graduates may also be able to obtain a second Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) if they meet the separate requirements for the second visa.
The additional period available generally depends on the regional location where the applicant studied and lived:
- Category 2 regional area: generally provides an additional 1 year
- Category 3 regional area: generally provides an additional 2 years
These benefits are subject to the eligibility requirements for the second Temporary Graduate visa, including the applicable regional study and residence requirements. Completing a course in a regional area does not, by itself, guarantee eligibility for a second 485 visa.
See our full Designated Regional Areas guide for which campuses fall in Category 2 versus Category 3.
Regional Study — Part of Your Pathway to Permanent Residence
The 5 regional study points are one component of a broader strategy international students use to build a competitive skilled migration points score.
Related pages:
- Skilled Migration Points Test Table
- Australian Study Requirement Points
- Professional Year Points
- 485 Visa — Graduate Temporary Guide
- Designated Regional Areas
- 491 Visa — Skilled Work Regional
Book your free assessment and a VisaAid consultant will map how regional study fits into your complete skilled migration strategy.
