Head to head · Checked 30 October 2026
Professional year vs Study in regional Australia
Both earn five points and both are planned before the course ends. The professional year is a 44-week program for graduates in accounting, ICT and engineering only, completed in Australia within the four years before the invitation, combining coursework and an internship, at its own fee; regional study is the five points for an Australian qualification obtained while living and studying in a designated regional area, earned by choosing a regional campus for the degree itself, on top of the Australian study points. A graduate in one of the three professions who studied in a city takes the professional year; a student choosing where to enrol takes the regional campus and keeps the professional year available as well.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed 30 October 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Points
- 5 · 5, in addition to the 5 for Australian study
- Who
- Graduates in accounting, ICT and engineering · Any student at a campus in a designated regional area
- When
- After graduation, within the 4 years before invitation · During the course; the qualification must meet the Australian study requirement
- Cost and time
- The program fee and 44 weeks · The course as chosen; regional living
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About the CPD →Side by side
| Professional year | Study in regional Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 5 | 5, in addition to the 5 for Australian study |
| Who | Graduates in accounting, ICT and engineering | Any student at a campus in a designated regional area |
| When | After graduation, within the 4 years before invitation | During the course; the qualification must meet the Australian study requirement |
| Cost and time | The program fee and 44 weeks | The course as chosen; regional living |
| Also serves | Work experience through the internship | The regional 485, the 491 nomination and the second 485 for some |
| Watch out | Only the three professions; the provider must be approved | The campus, not the provider’s head office, must be regional |
Charges are the current government application charges (from 1 July 2026, main applicant) — see the fee calculator for your family's total. Checked 30 October 2026.
The honest verdict
Both earn five points and both are planned before the course ends. The professional year is a 44-week program for graduates in accounting, ICT and engineering only, completed in Australia within the four years before the invitation, combining coursework and an internship, at its own fee; regional study is the five points for an Australian qualification obtained while living and studying in a designated regional area, earned by choosing a regional campus for the degree itself, on top of the Australian study points. A graduate in one of the three professions who studied in a city takes the professional year; a student choosing where to enrol takes the regional campus and keeps the professional year available as well.
Which side of that line you fall on depends on facts a table cannot hold — your age, score, occupation's lists, and what evidence you can actually assemble. That is consultation territory, not guesswork territory.
More head-to-heads: 482 vs 494 · 190 vs 491 · 189 vs 190 · 482 vs 186
General information only, not migration advice. Settings shown are the general rules; exemptions and stream variations exist. Migration advice is provided by Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536) after a paid consultation under the Migration Agents Code of Conduct.
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Questions we get asked first
Professional year or Study in regional Australia — which is better?
Both earn five points and both are planned before the course ends. The professional year is a 44-week program for graduates in accounting, ICT and engineering only, completed in Australia within the four years before the invitation, combining coursework and an internship, at its own fee; regional study is the five points for an Australian qualification obtained while living and studying in a designated regional area, earned by choosing a regional campus for the degree itself, on top of the Australian study points. A graduate in one of the three professions who studied in a city takes the professional year; a student choosing where to enrol takes the regional campus and keeps the professional year available as well.
What is the main difference between the Professional year and the Study in regional Australia?
Points: Professional year — 5; Study in regional Australia — 5, in addition to the 5 for Australian study. Who: Professional year — Graduates in accounting, ICT and engineering; Study in regional Australia — Any student at a campus in a designated regional area. When: Professional year — After graduation, within the 4 years before invitation; Study in regional Australia — During the course; the qualification must meet the Australian study requirement.
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