For employers · Melbourne · 482 · 494 · 186
Employer sponsored visas in Melbourne's outer suburbs
Melbourne's growth corridors straddle the line between Greater Melbourne and designated regional Australia. For a business sponsoring a worker, that line decides whether the regional 494 is available and whether a 186 nomination costs anything. Here is where it runs, suburb by suburb, from the Home Affairs regional postcode ranges.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed on 11 November 2026 · Check the OMARA register
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Greater Melbourne
- Not regional: 482 and 186
- Regional postcodes
- 494 also open
- 186 TRT/LA, regional
- No nomination fee
- Consultations
- On Zoom
The migration agent that other migration agents learn from. WIDEN is an OMARA-approved CPD provider — our training is rated ★4.8 by 40+ registered migration agents.
About the CPD →Suburb by suburb
| Suburb | Postcode | Regional for migration? |
|---|---|---|
| Tarneit | 3029 | No — Greater Melbourne |
| Wyndham Vale | 3024 | No — Greater Melbourne |
| Werribee | 3030 | No — Greater Melbourne |
| Point Cook | 3030 | No — Greater Melbourne |
| Melton | 3337 | No — Greater Melbourne |
| Bacchus Marsh | 3340 | Yes (Category 2) |
| Sunbury | 3429 | No — Greater Melbourne |
| Mickleham | 3064 | No — Greater Melbourne |
| Craigieburn | 3064 | No — Greater Melbourne |
| Epping | 3076 | No — Greater Melbourne |
| Thomastown | 3074 | No — Greater Melbourne |
| South Morang | 3752 | Yes (Category 3) |
| Mernda | 3754 | Yes (Category 3) |
| Wollert | 3750 | Yes (Category 3) |
| Cranbourne | 3977 | No — Greater Melbourne |
| Clyde North | 3978 | Yes (Category 3) |
| Officer | 3809 | Yes (Category 3) |
| Pakenham | 3810 | Yes (Category 3) |
From the Home Affairs regional postcode ranges, read 3 November 2026. Some suburbs span more than one postcode, and the boundary can fall between neighbouring estates, so check the exact postcode of the workplace with the regional postcode checker.
If your workplace postcode is in Greater Melbourne
- 482 Skills in Demand: the usual route, for an occupation on the Core Skills list at A$79,423 or more and the market rate. See how to sponsor an employee.
- 186: permanent residence, through the Temporary Residence Transition stream after 2 years on a 482 with you, or Direct Entry. The nomination fee is A$540.
- 494: not available for a position in Greater Melbourne.
If your workplace postcode is regional
- 494: available, with no nomination fee and a wider occupation list, after advice from a Regional Certifying Body; the worker can move to permanent residence through the 191 after 3 years. See the 494 employer guide.
- 186: no nomination fee for a Temporary Residence Transition or Labour Agreement position in regional Australia (Migration Regulations reg 5.37).
- 482: still available, on the same terms as in the city.
- Processing: the current processing directions give no separate priority to regional applications, so do not plan on a faster decision.
Costs side by side: 186 and 494 cost for employers.
Regional Victoria DAMAs
The Goulburn Valley and Great South Coast DAMAs cover parts of regional Victoria, not Melbourne's growth corridors. If your business is in one of those regions, a DAMA may open occupations the standard lists do not: see DAMA by region.
Sponsor from anywhere in Melbourne, on Zoom
WIDEN is based in Sydney, and the work is the same for a Melbourne business: consultations run on Zoom, and every application is lodged online. In a sponsor consultation Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536, registered since 2015) confirms whether your workplace postcode is regional, which visa fits the role and the worker, and what the nomination needs. A$330 inc. GST for 30 minutes or A$550 for 60 minutes, credited in full if you engage the practice. No outcome can be promised.
Book a sponsor consultation on Zoom →
In other currencies: A$330 is about US$225, €205 or £170; A$550 is about US$380, €340 or £285 (approximate, November 2026).
General information, not migration advice. Regional status from the Home Affairs regional postcode ranges; check your exact postcode before relying on it.
Not sure which visa fits you?
Answer three questions. An automated guide points you to the route that usually applies. General information only.
Book 30 minutes with Keshab.
Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536), reads your situation with you and tells you which route fits, what it costs and what happens next.
Video consultation. A$330 inc. GST for 30 minutes, credited in full if you go ahead. Advice on your own case is given in the consultation, and you leave it with a clear plan in writing.
What you get
- 30 minutes (A$330) or 60 minutes (A$550) by video with a registered migration agent, Keshab Chapagain, MARN 1576536.
- A written summary of your options and next steps after the session.
- What to bring: ABN, what the business does, the role and salary, the candidate’s CV and current visa.
- Prefer no call? The sponsorship readiness check is done in writing, A$550.
Book an employer sponsorship consultation — A$330 inc. GST, credited In writing, no call — A$550
Need 60 minutes, or bringing a partner, employer or documents to go through? Extended consultation, A$550 inc. GST.
MARN 1576536 · practising since 2015 · contact details
Questions we get asked first
Can a business in Tarneit, Melton or Wyndham Vale use the 494 regional visa?
No. Those postcodes are part of Greater Melbourne, which is not a designated regional area, so the 494 is not available for a position there. The 482 and the 186 are.
Which Melbourne fringe suburbs count as regional?
On the Home Affairs regional postcode ranges (read 3 November 2026), Bacchus Marsh, South Morang, Mernda, Wollert, Clyde North, Officer, Pakenham fall inside the regional bands, while Tarneit, Wyndham Vale, Werribee, Point Cook, Melton, Sunbury, Mickleham, Craigieburn, Epping, Thomastown, Cranbourne do not. The line runs through the growth corridors, so always check the exact postcode of the workplace.
Does a regional postcode make sponsorship faster?
Not by itself. The current processing directions give no separate priority to regional applications; the benefits are access to the 494 and, for a 186 Temporary Residence Transition or Labour Agreement position in regional Australia, no nomination fee.
Can WIDEN help a Melbourne business from Sydney?
Yes. Consultations run on Zoom, and sponsorship, nomination and visa applications are lodged online, so the business's location makes no difference to how the work is done.
Keep reading
