2023-24 Program Allocations
The Australian Government has issued Tasmania’s allocation for the state and territory nominated visa categories for the 2023-24 program year. The allocations are:
Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) visa: 600 places
Skilled Work Regional (subclass 491) visa: 600 places
No new nomination allocations have been provided for the Business Innovation and Investment Program (BIIP) in the 2023-24 program year for any jurisdiction.
This allocation is significantly lower than anticipated. The Department of Home Affairs has advised that reductions have been enacted across the entire State and Territory Nominated Program due to the large number of visa applications on-hand following the high quotas and subsequent number of nominations issued in 2022-23.
Related: Tasmania Skilled Migration Nomination Requirements
Caseload processing details (at 24 August 2023)
Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) visa:
- Nominations – 0 of 600 places used
- Nomination applications lodged but not decided – 160
- Invitations to apply for nomination issued but not yet accepted – 7
Skilled Work Regional (subclass 491) visa:
- Nominations – 0 of 600 places used
- Nomination applications lodged but not decided – 149
- Invitations to apply for nomination issued but not yet accepted – 42
Key features of the new program will include:
For graduates
o No course or occupation restrictions or mandatory employment requirements.
o Permanent pathway for PhD students.
For skilled employees
o An expanded list of occupations and employment eligible for permanent subclass 190 visa nomination.
o No occupation requirements for subclass 491.
o Inclusion of part-time employment to meet work experience requirements.
o Subcontractors with a related skills assessment included in skilled employment pathway.
For business operators
o Extension of qualifying business operation time from six to twelve months for business operations which commenced after 15 April 2022.
o Introduction of a new personal business income requirement, set at a minimum 80% of TSMIT (i.e., $43 120).
For long-term residents
o A new nomination pathway for candidates who have lived in Tasmania for an extended period and established themselves in employment or business.
o Qualifying residence period of at least three years for permanent subclass 190 visa nomination, or two years for the provisional subclass 491 visa.
o Business operators will be eligible for subclass 190 nomination if they have lived in Tasmania for two years, and run their eligible business successfully for two years.
For overseas candidates
o No occupation restrictions where a candidate has a job offer.
o More invitations to apply for nomination from Skillselect where candidates have skills needed by Tasmanian businesses.
o New industry skills-needs profiles to help potential candidates tailor their Skillselect EOI to increase chances of invitation.
For all candidates:.
o Simplified eligibility requirements.
o Invitation only – candidates will be able to register interest in Tasmanian nomination in the Migration Tasmania Gateway if they meet the minimum eligibility requirements, and the most competitive will be able to apply for nomination.
o More clearly defined exclusions and exceptions regarding employment and business roles and location of dependants.
o Clear sets of published priority attributes, describing the additional characteristics needed to be competitive. Only those candidates that meet the competitive threshold will be invited to apply for nomination. These attributes will include:
- duration and industry of employment
- employment in skilled roles which are critical to the Tasmanian economy
- connections between employment, skills assessment and study
- rate of salary compared with the Australia average and median
- nature, level and duration of Tasmanian study
- completion of work placements related to study
- graduate employment offers
- duration and success of business operation
- level of business investment, turnover and local employment
- length of residence in Tasmania
- English language ability
- location, length of residence, employment and skills of dependants.
Details of the new requirements and processes, as well as the opening date for registrations of interest, will be published in the coming weeks on the Migration Tasmania website, and in future news updates.
Migration Tasmania will also be hosting online webinars to discuss the new framework in detail with details to be advised.
2021-22 Program Year processing
Migration Tasmania continues to process applications lodged in 2021-22 and will record nominations in Skillselect for successful applicants after the 2022-23 program year quota is received.
All applications lodged in the 2021-22 year will be processed against the 2021-22 year nomination criteria.
The Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) is a provisional visa for skilled workers which allows you to live and work in Tasmania for up to five years. You may be eligible to apply for permanent residency through the Subclass 191 Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa after you have lived in Tasmania for at least three years and earned a minimum taxable income that meets the minimum threshold determined by the Department of Home Affairs for at least 3 years (currently set at AU$53,900).
Tasmania’s nomination quota for the 2021–22 program year is:
Subclass 491 – 2200 places
Subclass 190 – 1100 places
Around 500 of these places are expected to be used for applications carried over from the 2020-21 program year.
For recent changes to Nomination Requirements, click here.
Categories in subclass 491 nomination
There are 6 categories under which you might apply for a 491 nomination in Tasmania.
Tasmanian Graduate requirements
There are different requirements depending on whether you commenced your last course before or after 30 June 2021.
If you commenced your last course of study in Tasmania before 30 June 2021
- You must have completed and graduated from a CRICOS registered tertiary institution in Tasmania. The course undertaken:
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- must be a degree (bachelor or any higher degree), a diploma (standard, advanced, associate or graduate) or a trade qualification (minimum Cert III level for a skilled occupation in Major Group 3 in ANZSCO)
- must have a minimum duration of one academic year (40 weeks)
- must be full time and on-site in Tasmania
- You must have lived in the state for at least 1 year and during your period of study prior to applying for visa state nomination
- You and your dependents must currently be living in Tasmania and able to provide evidence of your genuine ongoing commitment to remain in Tasmania
- If you are not currently in skilled employment you must provide a career plan that explains how your studies have increased your ability to find skilled work in Tasmania. This may include areas unrelated to your Tasmanian study
If you commenced your last course of study in Tasmania commenced after 30 June 2021
- You must have completed a course of study and obtained a letter of completion from a tertiary institution in Tasmania registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS)
- Your course of study must be listed on CRICOS with a duration of at least 40 weeks and must have been completed full time and on-site in Tasmania You must have lived in Tasmania for least one year from the commencement of your course and for the duration of your studies
- You and your dependents must be currently living in Tasmania and can provide evidence of your ongoing genuine commitment
- If you are not currently in skilled employment you must provide a career plan that explains how your studies have increased your ability to find skilled work in Tasmania. This may include areas unrelated to your Tasmanian study
- Your study does not need to be related to your nominated occupation, however a relevant skills assessment will be highly regarded
- If you held a Student visa (subclass 500) when you completed your last course of study in Tasmania, the study must be:
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- a degree (bachelor, masters or any higher degree), or a diploma (standard, advanced, associate or graduate); or
- a qualification directly related to a Priority Industry Training and Workforce Development Area (current at the time you commenced study) at the minimum qualification level specified for that area.
- If you held a visa that was NOT a Student visa (subclass 500) at the time you completed your last course of study in Tasmania, the study MUST be directly related to a Priority Industry Training and Workforce Development Area (current at the time you commenced study) at the minimum qualification level specified for that area.
Working in Tasmania requirements
To be considered for this category you must meet all the following criteria:
- you must have been working in Tasmania for 6 months immediately prior to your application for state nomination. You do not have to be working in your nominated occupation.
- if you have a skills assessment and related employment in an occupation listed on the Tasmanian Skilled Occupations List (TSOL) – you may be eligible for nomination after 3 months of employment.
- your employment needs to be at least 35 hours per week, (20 hours per week when completing industry specific training for ANZSCO skill level 4 or 5 positions) in one full-time job or in two or more part-time jobs.
- you and your dependents must currently be living in Tasmania and provide evidence of genuine commitment to continue to live in Tasmania.
- your employer must have a well-established business that has been actively operating in Tasmania for the past 12 months.
- there must be a genuine, ongoing need for your position within the business (including a minimum 12 month contract with at least 3 months remaining at the time you apply for nomination).
- your wages and conditions must be no less favourable than those that would apply to an Australian citizen or permanent resident, and salary or wages are equivalent to the market salary rate.
- Employment in positions classified at ANZSCO skill level 4 or 5 will not be eligible for the purposes of state nomination unless:
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- the employment is ongoing, for at least 6 months beyond the application date
- you have reasonable career development prospects in the industry
- it is located at least 50km from a population centre of more than 5000 people in a position for which there is a genuine and demonstrated severe labour recruitment difficulty^^, unless
- it is associated with aged care and individual support (Unit Group 4233 Nursing Support and Personal Care Workers) (relevant qualifications of at least Certificate III required), or
- the position involves specialist qualifications or experience that are not available in the local community, and
- evidence of prior related employment experience and/or qualifications are provided
- you are engaged in / have completed a course of relevant, industry-specific training while working with your employer
Overseas Applicants (TSOL) requirements
To be considered for this category you must be invited to apply and meet all the following criteria:
- your nominated occupation should be listed on the Tasmanian Skilled Occupation List (TSOL)
- you, or any of your dependents have not lived in another Australian state or territory within the last twelve months
- you have achieved the English requirement specified on the TSOL for your nominated occupation
- you have read and meet the ‘other requirements and notes column’ specified on the TSOL for your nominated occupation
- you have access to sufficient financial assets to fund your migration and settlement in Tasmania for at least 6 months while you seek employment
- you have researched the Tasmanian labour market, have been invited to seek nomination, and unless your occupation is listed as “High Demand” in the TSOL, provide evidence that there are sufficient employment opportunities in Tasmania or that you have reasonable prospects for employment related to your occupation
- if your occupation is listed as “High Demand” and you meet the specified requirements, employability evidence is not required.
You cannot directly apply for the nomination under this category. You must create an Express of Interest and wait for the Tasmanian Government to invite you to apply for the nomination.
Overseas Applicant (Job Offer) requirements
To be considered for this category you must meet all the following criteria:
- have received a formal job offer for a job that is based in Tasmania that is in your nominated occupation
- if the job offer is in an area related to the TSOL you must have a Skills Assessment in that area and should meet the additional English and registration/experience requirements listed for that occupation on the TSOL
- you, or any of your dependents have not lived in another Australian state or territory within the last 12 months
- your employer must have a well-established business that has been actively operating in Tasmania for the past 12 months
- your wages and conditions must be no less favourable than those that would apply to an Australian citizen or permanent resident, and salary or wages are equivalent to the market salary rate
- there is a genuine and ongoing need for your position within the business and the capacity for the business to sustain your employment
Family in Tasmania
To be considered for this category you should be applying from outside Tasmania and have an IMMEDIATE family member who meets all of the following criteria:
- has been an Australian Permanent Resident or an Australian Citizen for a minimum of 12 months prior to the lodgement of your application
- is currently residing in Tasmania and has been for a minimum of 12 months
- is a parent, brother, sister, child, aunt, uncle, or grandparent
agrees to support and assist you in the process of gaining employment in Tasmania upon your arrival in Tasmania.
Small Business Owner requirements
This category is for those who have been running an eligible business in Tasmania for at least 6 months.
Details about the requirements can be found here.
Application Process
Related:
Bridging Visa R
Genuine Student (GS)
Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early-professionals Scheme (MATES)
NSW 491 Pathway 1 – Apply directly to NSW
Upcoming Immigration Changes 2024