The Importance of Postcodes in Queensland and your Immigration Pathway

Under the Skilled Nominated (Provisional) visa subclass 489 you may be able to obtain a four year temporary visa. This may lead to a permanent outcome, once you have lived in a regional area for two years and worked full-time for 12 months. Full time means at least 35 hours per week.

Under this visa, you can work for one or more employers; hold two part time jobs; or be self-employed by owning your own business.

You cannot live, work or study in the Greater Brisbane Area and the Gold Coast as these areas are not consider regional. You must live, work or study in these regional postcodes:

4124 to 4125, 4133, 4211, 4270 to 4272, 4275, 4280, 4285, 4287, 4307 to 4499, 4515, 4517 to 4519, 4522 to 4899.

When you select the regional area it is important that you consider you and your family needs and do some solid research to ensure you have the best chance of meeting the permanent visa requirement for your future. Such as job availability in your occupation or industry, schools, recreation, supermarkets, restaurants, sport, religious community groups, medical offices, hospitals, or whatever you need to help you truly settle into the regional area. You will also need to have enough money to cover all your expenses, including moving and settling in the area.

Some people try to choose a regional postcode near Brisbane or the Gold Coast such as (4124 to 4125, 4133, 4211, 4270 to 4262, 4275, 4280, 4285, 4287) and these may be areas where you will struggle for employment because they are mainly residential areas. You cannot work in any other postcodes that are not listed as regional for Queensland. This sometimes becomes a problem with your dependants as they cannot study in a non-regional area, including placing your children in a non-regional school. You may lose your visa if you study, work or live in an area not classified as regional. It is easy to make this mistake if you are living in a postcode that borders on the non-regional postcodes.

Queensland Government suggests that the postcodes where you have more freedom to move around should be selected from these 4307 to 4499, 4515, 4517 to 4519, 4522 to 4899. These postcodes start from 1 hour west of Brisbane and go all the way to the state borders and all the way to the top of Queensland.

Remember, under this visa, you cannot work in a non-regional area even if you have met the two years residency and 12 months employment criteria required to apply for the permanent visa. As long as you hold this temporary visa, you are obliged to live, work or study in the regional area only.

If you want to make an appointment to discuss this option for you, please call All About Immigration on 3310 8896.

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