491 Visa Postcode Checks: Grant Dates, Homes, Workplaces and Schools
For a subclass 491 visa, check the complete address and the regional definition applicable on your visa grant date. Today's postcode table is a useful starting point, but it is not the whole answer for an older grant. Before signing a lease or accepting a workplace transfer, separate where you will live, physically work and study, then check the relevant dates and conditions.
The grant date is part of the location check
Home Affairs' current explanation of condition 8579 says that, while in Australia, a 491 holder must live, study and work in an area designated when the visa was granted. Start with your own grant notice rather than a friend's date. Keep each family member's notice available if grants occurred at different times.
Do not borrow the timing rule from a 494 article. The official condition explains that494 arrangements refer to the primary holder's most recently approved employer nomination. A491 postcode enquiry should therefore identify the 491 grant date explicitly, instead of substituting an employer nomination date.
What the Queensland footnote actually says
The current postcode page marks certain Queensland entries with an asterisk and says those entries do not apply to visas granted before 5 March 2022. The note concerns the marked entries. It does not say that every Queensland postcode has the same history, or that an entire city became suitable for every visa holder on that date.
If your proposed address falls within a marked entry and your grant predates that date, do not treat the present table as clearance to move. Ask for the applicable designation to be checked against your documents. An undated screenshot, or a screenshot that crops out the footnote, can conceal the point that matters most.
If the historical position cannot be established, record it as unresolved. A newer webpage does not itself explain how an older grant is affected. Obtain a specific review before making a non-refundable commitment around the location.
Check an address in a repeatable order
First, obtain the street number, street, suburb or town, state and postcode. A nearby station, shopping centre or advertised neighbourhood is not a substitute for the property address. Where an address is incomplete, ask the landlord or employer to confirm it before drawing a conclusion.
Second, open the official designated regional postcode table and find the relevant state or territory. Compare the exact number with the entries and ranges shown. Do not fill a gap between two ranges yourself, or assume that a neighbouring postcode receives the same treatment.
Third, read the category and any footnote alongside the entry. Save the page reference, check date and relevant extract together with the visa date you used. This is a preparation record, not a government approval of the proposed arrangement.
Regional is an immigration classification, not a description of isolation. The table includes substantial cities such as Perth, Adelaide and Canberra. Likewise, a rural appearance or a long drive from a city centre is not evidence that an unlisted address qualifies.
Keep home, workplace and campus separate
Write three lines in your planning sheet: residential address, actual workplace and actual campus. Give each its own postcode, start date and supporting record. An employer's head office may differ from the branch or client site where you perform duties. A school's administration office may differ from the campus where a child attends.
For remote work, describe where you will physically work and any regular attendance elsewhere. For rotating sites or travel, provide the actual locations and pattern. A postcode lookup classifies an address; it does not decide every question about a person's full work and residence arrangements.
Distinguish plans from completed events. Viewing a property, signing a lease, receiving keys and moving in are different facts. Keep the real dates rather than choosing the date that makes a timeline look simplest. Use the same approach when a proposed job location changes before employment begins.
What the check does not settle
A location check does not confirm that a state or territory has accepted a change to nomination commitments. It also does not complete any notification required by your visa conditions. Review the relevant commitments, personal conditions and official update procedures separately.
Do not treat a 491 postcode record as proof of eligibility for the 191 Hong Kong stream, or as automatic permanent residence. Those questions involve different requirements and evidence. Keep this worksheet focused on the actual address, designation and timing question it was prepared to answer.
For a review with 卓越移民 Premiervisa Group, prepare the grant notices, proposed addresses and a short account of work and school arrangements. Send detailed identity records through an agreed private channel. Ask the reviewer to identify the source, applicable date and any unresolved issue before you commit to relocation.
Official information checked: 2 November 2026.
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