Tasmania has received 2,050 skilled migration nomination places for the 2026–27 program year, with the state preparing to reopen its program to new Registrations of Interest in the coming weeks.
The allocation includes:
1,250 places for the Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190)
800 places for the Skilled Work Regional visa (subclass 491)
The subclass 190 visa provides a pathway to permanent residence for skilled workers nominated by an Australian state or territory. The subclass 491 visa is a provisional regional visa for eligible skilled workers who are prepared to live and work in regional Australia.
Registrations of Interest to reopen soon
Tasmania’s Skilled Migration State Nomination Program is not yet open to new Registrations of Interest, commonly known as ROIs. Migration Tasmania has confirmed that the program will reopen in the coming weeks, with further details to be announced.
Prospective applicants should not assume that the requirements will be identical to those applied during the previous program year. Once the program reopens, applicants should carefully review the new 2026–27 settings, nomination requirements and application guidelines before submitting an ROI.
An ROI is not a nomination application or a guarantee of receiving an invitation. It is the first stage through which Tasmania identifies candidates who may be invited to apply for state nomination.
Existing nomination applications will continue to be processed
Applicants who lodged a Tasmanian nomination application before the program update and are still waiting for a decision do not need to lodge a new application.
Migration Tasmania will continue processing these applications according to the requirements that applied when the application was originally submitted.
If an application is approved, the applicant will be nominated through SkillSelect for the relevant visa subclass.
This provides important certainty for applicants who may be concerned that new program requirements could affect an application already under consideration.
Subclass 491 applicants cannot automatically move to subclass 190
Migration Tasmania has also clarified the position for applicants who have lodged a subclass 491 nomination application but would now prefer to be considered for subclass 190 nomination.
A pending subclass 491 application will not be assessed as an application for subclass 190 nomination.
Applicants wishing to pursue subclass 190 nomination must withdraw their current subclass 491 application and register for subclass 190 consideration once the 2026–27 program opens.
However, withdrawing a subclass 491 application does not guarantee an invitation for subclass 190 nomination. Invitations will depend on the number of interested candidates, the strength of the applicant’s circumstances and the number of subclass 190 places available at that point in the program year.
Applicants should therefore obtain advice and carefully assess the risks before withdrawing an existing application.
What prospective applicants should do now
While waiting for the program to reopen, prospective applicants can prepare by:
Confirming that their occupation and skills assessment remain valid
Reviewing their English-language test validity and results
Ensuring their SkillSelect Expression of Interest is accurate
Collecting evidence of employment, income and residence where relevant
Monitoring the Migration Tasmania website for the new program requirements
Avoiding decisions based solely on the rules from the previous program year
The allocation of 2,050 places creates opportunities for skilled migrants seeking Tasmanian nomination, particularly those who can demonstrate a genuine connection and contribution to the state. Demand may nevertheless exceed the number of available places, especially within the subclass 190 category.
Migration Tasmania has advised applicants with questions about the program, an ROI or an existing nomination application to contact the department at skilled@migration.tas.gov.au or make contact with New World Immigration on hello@nwivisas.com