From 5 March 2022, the Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Ipswich and Moreton Bay in Queensland have been reclassified as regional for migration purposes.
Ipswich and Moreton Bay are now a Category 2 designated regional area with the following visa incentives:
- Priority processing of regional visas
- Access to the Regional Occupation List (ROL) which comprises of more jobs compared to non-regional lists
- International graduates with a bachelor or higher qualification from a regional campus of a registered institution will be eligible to access additional year in Australia on a post-study work visa
The expansion of the designated regional areas within Australia seeks to allow Australian businesses to attract and retain skilled migrants.