Regional migration · Western Australia
Regional Areas in Western Australia
Yes — Western Australia is regional for migration purposes, and that includes Perth. The whole state is a designated regional area: Perth is a Category 2 major regional centre and everywhere else in WA is Category 3. That opens the 491 (15 extra points), the employer-sponsored 494, the permanent 191 after three years, and — in the Goldfields and Pilbara — DAMA concessions on top.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed August 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Rule
- All of WA is regional
- Category 2
- Perth
- Category 3
- All other WA
- Key visas
- 491 · 494 · 191 · DAMA
The rule in Western Australia
For skilled migration, every part of Australia is a designated regional area except Greater Sydney, Greater Melbourne and Greater Brisbane. Western Australia has no excluded city, so the entire state is designated regional — including Perth. There is no boundary to fall on the wrong side of, no growth-corridor trap of the kind that catches applicants in Melbourne and Sydney.
The qualifying postcodes are still set out in legislative instruments and reviewed by the Department, so confirm your workplace postcode on the Home Affairs regional postcodes page before relying on a regional pathway. Not sure about a town? Use the free checker.
Perth — Western Australia’s Category 2 centre
Perth is a Category 2 designated area ("cities and major regional centres"). This is the answer most people do not expect: a capital city with full regional status. Living and working in Perth qualifies for the 491 and 494, regional points, and the 191 pathway — a major labour market without leaving the regional framework.
Category 3 — the rest of WA
Everything in Western Australia outside Perth is Category 3 ("regional centres and other regional areas"), which attracts the most generous settings, including priority processing and access to DAMA agreements where one applies. Centres include:
- Bunbury and the south-west
- Mandurah, south of Perth
- Geraldton, on the mid-west coast
- Kalgoorlie and the Goldfields
- Broome and the Kimberley
- The Pilbara and the remainder of regional and remote WA
DAMA regions in Western Australia
Designated Area Migration Agreements have historically operated in several Western Australian regions, including the Goldfields and the Pilbara. A DAMA is a regional labour agreement between the Government and a Designated Area Representative: endorsed employers in the region can sponsor workers under the 482 Labour Agreement stream in occupations outside the standard lists, often with salary, English and — in some agreements — age and PR concessions. Agreements are renewed, varied and replaced over time, so verify the current list and the DAR on the Department’s Labour Agreement pages. See the DAMA guide for how endorsement works.
What regional status opens in WA
- Subclass 491 — skilled work regional, via WA state nomination or family sponsorship; 15 extra points, 191 pathway after three years
- Subclass 494 — employer-sponsored regional, for any WA employer; three years of experience, a five-year visa, 191 after three years
- DAMA (482 Labour Agreement stream) — where a WA agreement covers the region and occupation
- Regional study — extra points and extended post-study work rights for study at a regional campus, which in WA means any campus in the state
- Subclass 191 — the permanent destination after three years of regional residence and work
Which of these fits depends on your occupation, points and circumstances — and no outcome can be guaranteed. If you want it settled in one sitting, book a consultation with Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536) — $220 inc. GST, credited toward your engagement fee if you proceed.
Is my city regional? — WA answers
One-page answers, with postcode, category and what the status opens, for the places people ask about most. Not listed? Use the regional checker.
Regional: Perth · Fremantle · Joondalup · Rockingham · Mandurah · Bunbury · Busselton · Albany · Geraldton · Kalgoorlie · Karratha · Port Hedland · Broome · Kununurra
Which regional pathway does your area open?
The 491, 494 and the 191 that follows all depend on where you will live and work, your occupation, and the state's nomination settings. Tell us the area and what you do, and a registered migration agent will come back with the pathways that actually apply. Free, no obligation.
Ready now? Skip the form. Pick a time and talk to Keshab directly — your documents on the table, a straight answer, and a written summary afterwards. $220 inc. GST, credited toward your fee if you engage.
Pick a time — no enquiry needed →Questions we get asked first
Is Perth regional for migration purposes?
Yes. Perth is a designated regional area for skilled migration, even though it is a capital city — the whole of Western Australia is regional. Only Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are excluded. Living and working in Perth can attract the regional concessions, including 15 bonus points on the Subclass 491, and the 191 pathway to permanent residence.
Is all of Western Australia regional, or just parts of it?
The entire state is designated regional. Perth is a Category 2 major regional centre; the rest of WA — Bunbury, Mandurah, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie, Broome and everywhere else — is Category 3, which attracts the most generous settings including priority processing and access to some DAMA agreements.
Does Western Australia have a DAMA?
DAMAs have historically operated in several Western Australian regions, including the Goldfields and the Pilbara. A DAMA lets endorsed employers in the region sponsor workers under the 482 Labour Agreement stream with concessions on occupation, salary or English. The active list changes over time — verify the current agreements and the Designated Area Representative on the Department of Home Affairs Labour Agreement pages.
Which visas benefit from regional status in WA?
The Subclass 491 (state nomination or eligible-relative sponsorship, 15 extra points), the Subclass 494 (regional employer sponsorship — three years of experience, a five-year visa), and the permanent Subclass 191 after three years of regional residence and work on either. Where a WA DAMA applies, the 482 Labour Agreement stream is a further route.
Do I still need to check my postcode if the whole state is regional?
The rule is simpler in WA than in the eastern states, but the boundaries are postcode-defined in legislative instruments and reviewed by the Department. Confirm your workplace postcode on the Home Affairs regional postcodes page before relying on a regional pathway — it takes a minute and removes the doubt.
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