About 2000 more skilled foreign workers will be pushed to live and work in regional Australia each year under changes to the Morrison government's annual migration intake.

The nation's permanent migration cap was cut from 190,000 to 160,000 places earlier this year amid calls from the Coalition backbench to curb immigration levels, but 23,000 places were set aside for regional visas.

More skilled migrants will be allowed to settle and work in regional areas. Credit:Virginia Star

The government is now poised to increase the total number of regional places to 25,000 following huge growth in the number of regional visas granted in the first quarter of 2019-20.

Under the changes to the program, expected to come into effect on November 16, Perth and the Gold Coast will no longer be classified as major cities, allowing more skilled migrants to settle and work there.