Tasmania Skilled Migration Program Opens 17 August 2026 with 2,050 Nomination Places

Migration Tasmania opened the 2026-27 Tasmanian Skilled Migration State Nomination Program to new Registrations of Interest on 17 August 2026. The state has been allocated 2,050 nomination places for the program year, and the first weekly invitation round was scheduled for Thursday 20 August 2026.^[1][2]

This is a larger allocation than last year, but it arrives alongside a significant restriction: Tasmania will not issue invitations under the offshore subclass 491 pathway at all during 2026-27. For candidates outside Australia, that single change reshapes the entire strategy.^[1][3]

Nomination Places for 2026-27

Tasmania's allocation has increased in both categories compared with the previous program year.^[1][2]

The increase is welcome, but places are distributed across a full program year through weekly invitation rounds rather than released in bulk. An allocation of this size does not translate into an easy invitation, because ranking against other candidates still determines who is invited.

Key Dates

Migration Tasmania has also moved its application portal to a new address at apply.migration.tas.gov.au, which went live on 17 August 2026. Anyone with a bookmarked link from a previous year should update it.^[2]

The Biggest Change: Offshore Subclass 491 Suspended

Migration Tasmania has confirmed it will not issue invitations under the subclass 491 Overseas Skilled Occupation Profiles pathway during the 2026-27 program year. This reflects the Australian Government's broader shift toward prioritising applicants already in Australia.^[1][3]

There remains one route for offshore candidates. Applicants working in the health or education sectors may still be eligible under the subclass 190 Overseas Applicant pathway, provided they secure employment with a Tasmanian health provider or a Tasmanian school.^[1][3]

For everyone else offshore, the practical position is that Tasmania is currently not a viable state nomination target unless circumstances change. This is consistent with the direction we covered in our analysis of Ministerial Direction 119, which similarly ranks onshore applicants ahead of offshore ones in processing priority.

How Invitations Are Ranked

Tasmania does not invite on a first come, first served basis. Registrations of Interest are ranked using a priority attributes system, and candidates are grouped into bands that indicate how competitive their profile is.^[2]

Meeting the basic eligibility criteria is not the same as being competitive. The band you fall into depends on the strength of your priority attributes, and those attributes have been revised for this program year.

Revised Priority Attributes

The 2026-27 changes place greater weight on genuine, sustained employment in Tasmania and on evidence of a longer term commitment to the state.^[1][2][3]

• •Employment duration: more distinction in the points awarded based on how long you have been employed in Tasmania.
• •TSE Gold attribute: now requires at least 30 hours per week in at least one position, rather than hours aggregated across multiple jobs.
• •Priority Income Level: maintained at $57,000 per year, or $28.85 per hour.
• •Clearer wording: the attribute definitions have been rewritten to reduce ambiguity about what qualifies.

The shift to 30 hours in a single position is the change most likely to affect existing candidates. Anyone relying on combined hours across two part time roles to reach the threshold should reassess their position before submitting.

Fees and ROI Validity

The ROI itself costs nothing, so there is no financial barrier to registering. The nomination fee only applies once you have been invited and choose to proceed.^[1][2]

What Applicants Should Do Now

• •Read the revised priority attributes before submitting rather than assuming last year's rules still apply.
• •Check your weekly hours against the 30 hour single position requirement if you are targeting the TSE Gold attribute.
• •If you already have an ROI in the system, consider whether resubmitting under the updated criteria would improve your ranking.
• •Gather employment evidence early, including contracts, payslips and confirmation of ongoing hours.
• •If you are offshore and not in health or education, look at other states rather than waiting on a Tasmanian 491 invitation this year.
• •Update your bookmark to the new portal address before the round you intend to apply in.

Conclusion

Tasmania has opened its 2026-27 program with more places than last year, which is genuinely positive for candidates already living and working in the state. The message underneath the numbers, though, is one of increasing selectivity. More places, but weighted toward applicants who are already contributing to Tasmania, working substantial hours in a single role, and able to demonstrate they intend to stay.

For onshore candidates with stable Tasmanian employment, this is a good year to register. For offshore candidates outside health and education, the door to the 491 is closed for now, and planning should proceed on that basis. We covered the closing of the previous program year in our June 2026 report on the Tasmania ROI closure.

References

• [1]Migration Tasmania, Tasmanian Skilled Migration State Nomination Program, official program information, pathways, priority attributes and application portal. migration.tas.gov.au
• [2]Aussizz Group, Tasmania 190 and 491 Visa Program Opens on 17 August 2026. Allocation figures, invitation schedule, priority ranking bands, fees and ROI validity. aussizzgroup.com
• [3]Visas Update, Tasmania Opens Skilled Migration Program for 2026-27 with 2,050 Nomination Places. Allocation split, offshore 491 suspension, revised attributes and portal change. visasupdate.com
• [4]Salia Migration, Tasmania Opens Skilled Migration Program on 17 August 2026. Key changes, TSE Gold hours requirement and Priority Income Level. salia.com.au