Sources & method
Everything on this site comes from official Australian sources. Here's exactly how.
Data version
| Tables last changed | 5 Apr 2025 (LIN 25/048) |
|---|---|
| Last checked | 19 Oct 2026 |
| Home Affairs page last updated | 12/10/2026 16:29 |
| Data version | 31e3577d517d6850 |
Where the lists come from
- The six postcode tables on the Home Affairs pages for subclass 417 and subclass 462.
- The law behind them: Migration (Specified work and areas for subclass 417 visas) Instrument (LIN 22/012) 2022.
- UK exemption: Migration (Specified Subclass 417 Work Exemption) Instrument (LIN 24/039) 2024.
Suburbs, regions and remoteness
Suburb and locality names, ABS regions, remoteness areas and each postcode's centre point come from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 3, 2021: the postal area, suburb and locality, mesh block, remoteness area and urban centre allocation files, and the postal area boundaries. © Commonwealth of Australia (ABS), used under CC BY 4.0. We joined the files by mesh block; a suburb is listed for a postcode when a fair share of it lies inside that postcode. ABS postal areas approximate Australia Post postcodes, so a few edge suburbs can differ.
PO-box-only postcodes have no ABS postal area, so they have no page here, even when a number is inside an official range.
How we check
- We download both official pages and read the six tables. The date we last did this is shown on each page.
- We clean up formatting quirks in the source (for example a blank item in the 462 Queensland row) without changing any postcode.
- We compare the result with the previous version. If anything changed, a person reviews it before it goes live, and we log the change.
Change history
- 5 Apr 2025: New postcodes added to the bushfire and natural disaster declared areas (Tables 5 and 6). Natural disaster recovery work counts for applications lodged on or after this date.
- 1 Jul 2022: Postcodes 4406, 4416, 4498 and 7215 added for tourism and hospitality (Table 2), for applications lodged from this date.
- 5 Mar 2022: Tourism and hospitality in Northern and Remote and Very Remote Australia counts for applications lodged from this date (work from 22 June 2021).
How the calculator works
Each job starts with its postcode and type of work, checked against the six tables. Only jobs that are listed count. Then you add the job's payslips (dates and hours, including paid leave). 38 hours = 7 days, a normal full week with the weekend included. A payslip can't count more days than its dates; extra hours only fill days that no payslip covers, such as a week off. A month can't count more days than it has, and nothing counts outside your first and last payslip dates. Only whole days are shown.
What we don't do
We don't tell you whether your visa will be granted or whether your work counts. That's a decision for Home Affairs. For advice on your own case, talk to a registered migration agent or an Australian lawyer.
Open data
Our cleaned version of the lists is free to use under CC BY 4.0: postcodes.json.
Corrections
Found a mistake? Email [email protected]. We fix errors quickly and note them here.
Photo credits
Photos are from Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License. Thanks to @timmossholder, @pros_ajgroup, @ledainelliott, @josholalde, @nicosmit99, @olenkasergienko, @onkysf, @rstar50, @jonfordphotos, @haileytong, @terras, @the_ahnafpiash, @brooksieg, @katwallace65, @smil_e_s, @fiscuk, @samuel_solcan.