The Australian Government wants to encourage international students to study and live in designated “Regional Areas” of Australia. If you live and study in one of these Regional Areas for at least two years, you can gain an extra 5 points on the Immigration Points Tests, which may increase your chance of PR in Australia. There are also numerous other benefits to studying in regional areas that will be introduced in November 2019 including increased points for Regional State Nomination and an additional year on the graduate work visa.

However, there are plenty of other reasons to consider studying in a regional area including the cheaper cost of living and lifestyle.

Regional Areas have recently been reclassified to include every where in Australia Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Yes, The Gold Coast and Perth are now classified as regional areas by immigration!