Government Registers New ‘Designated Areas’ Instrument, Redefining Regional Australia for Migration Purposes

On 21 September the Federal Government registered Migration Instrument LIN 26/004, updating the list of “designated areas” used across numerous visa categories and concessions. The entire Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia retain designated status, while large swathes of regional New South Wales and Queensland are confirmed via updated postcode schedules. The Australian Capital Territory and Norfolk Island also remain fully included. The instrument repeals and replaces the 2016 version, reflecting population growth and infrastructure shifts over the past decade. Although LIN 26/004 does not change substantive visa criteria, it is critical for programmes that confer points, fee waivers or relaxed labour-market testing where employment is in a designated area – notably the Specialist Skills Stream of the forthcoming Skills-in-Demand visa and several agritech labour-agreement pathways. For employers, the biggest practical implication is certainty. Ongoing limbo about whether fringe metropolitan postcodes would lose regional concessions has now been resolved, enabling workforce planners to finalise recruitment strategies for the 2027 financial year. Prospective applicants should double-check that a worksite’s postcode still falls within the new schedules before lodging an Expression of Interest or signing a contract. Migration agents expect a short surge in enquiries from businesses near the Sydney-Newcastle-Wollongong and Brisbane Gold-Coast corridors, where postcode boundaries are most granular. Because the instrument commenced the day after registration, concessions are immediately available for any applications lodged from 22 September onward.