Tasmania has confirmed the opening date, the invitation schedule, the rule changes, and one significant closure that will affect overseas applicants. If you are considering Tasmania state nomination this year, the next two weeks are your preparation window.
Migration Tasmania has confirmed the program will open for new Registrations of Interest on 17 August 2026. The new Application Gateway portal will not be available until that date. If you have bookmarked the old portal address, update your bookmark now to apply.migration.tas.gov.au.
From Thursday 20 August 2026, Migration Tasmania will issue weekly invitations to apply for nomination. Invitations will be issued progressively throughout the program year rather than all at once. This approach is deliberate: it is designed to ensure nomination places remain available across the full year rather than being exhausted within the first few weeks.
Each week, Migration Tasmania will publish the following information on its website:
That last figure is particularly important. It is calculated as a three-month rolling average of the lowest scores invited. Migration Tasmania has been explicit about the consequence: if, during assessment, any of the priority attributes you have selected are found not to be met and your score falls below that published three-month average, your nomination will not be approved. Selecting the right attributes and supporting them with strong evidence is not optional. It is the difference between approval and refusal.
Migration Tasmania has reviewed the previous program's results and consulted with stakeholders. The feedback was clear in several areas, and the 2026-27 program reflects substantive changes in response.
The problems Migration Tasmania identified in the previous system
Some applicants found it genuinely difficult to choose the right priority attribute for their situation, particularly when an attribute involved a salary range or a required length of employment. The wording was ambiguous and led to incorrect selections that damaged nomination outcomes.
The previous system also did not clearly distinguish between candidates who had worked in Tasmania for different lengths of time. Someone who had worked in Tasmania for three years and someone who had worked there for six months could receive similar scores, which did not reflect their actual contribution or settlement stability.
The Gold Pass requirement, which was designed to identify the strongest candidates, was not always rewarding genuine commitment or long-term settlement potential. In some cases it was rewarding short-term or insecure work arrangements over applicants who had demonstrated much stronger and more sustained contribution to the Tasmanian economy.
What has been updated
Migration Tasmania has introduced clearer and easier-to-understand priority attribute wording throughout. This is intended to reduce the rate of incorrect selections and the consequent nomination refusals.
The scoring of priority attributes has been revised to better recognise longer contribution to Tasmania. Greater differentiation in points is now available based on the duration of employment. This means an applicant who has worked in Tasmania for two years will score more meaningfully higher than someone who arrived six months ago, which was not always the case under the previous system.
Policy guidance for leave periods and breaks between jobs has been updated and expanded. The previous guidance left too many applicants uncertain about how employment gaps would be treated during assessment.
The TSE Gold priority attribute now requires at least 30 hours per week in at least one job to qualify. This is a specific change designed to address situations where the previous Gold Pass standard was met by combining multiple part-time roles into a notional full-time arrangement without any single position meeting a meaningful hours threshold.
Income attributes have been updated in line with Australian median and average earnings and the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold. The Priority Income Level remains unchanged at $57,000 per year or $28.85 per hour.
Additional caveats have been introduced for specific occupations. Massage therapists and motor mechanics and service technicians now face additional requirements where their employment must be matched to their skills assessment or study history. If you work in one of these occupations, review the updated criteria carefully before selecting your priority attributes.
The fee has increased
The service fee to apply for nomination has increased to $387, or $425.70 including GST. There remains no charge to submit a Registration of Interest. Budget for this cost in your planning.
Migration Tasmania has explicitly advised that candidates who submitted an ROI in the last six months may wish to withdraw it and resubmit a new one. The updated priority attribute ranking criteria may significantly improve the chances of selection for many people.
This is not automatic advice to withdraw. It is conditional advice, and it requires careful individual assessment before acting.
Before withdrawing an existing ROI, you need to calculate your score under both the old and the new settings and compare them honestly. You need to check whether the new criteria actually strengthen your position rather than simply changing which attributes are available. You need to review whether your supporting documents remain current and complete under the new requirements. And you need to consider that withdrawing an ROI removes you from any pending invitation consideration while the new ROI is processed.
This office recommends that applicants do not withdraw and resubmit based on general advice alone. Have your score assessed under both frameworks before making that decision.
If you want to compare scores under the old and new settings, Migration Tasmania has made the 2025-26 priority attributes and scores available for reference on its website.
This is the most significant change in the 2026-27 program for overseas applicants, and it deserves direct attention.
Migration Tasmania will not issue invitations under the Subclass 491 Overseas Skilled Occupation Profiles Invitation Only pathway for the 2026-27 program year.
This pathway was specifically designed for overseas applicants who did not have a job in Tasmania but could demonstrate skills and experience that would make them readily employable in key areas of need. In previous years it provided a route for qualified offshore applicants to enter the Tasmanian program without first securing employment.
Migration Tasmania has confirmed that this decision is directly linked to the Australian Government's stated priority for visa processing for applicants already in Australia. With the national migration framework prioritising onshore applicants across most skilled pathways, Tasmania is aligning its state nomination approach with that direction.
For overseas applicants in health and education, a limited alternative remains available. Overseas health and teaching professionals who secure employment with a Tasmanian health provider or school may still be eligible for Subclass 190 nomination through the Overseas Applicant Health or Education Sector Job Offer pathway. A confirmed job offer from a recognised Tasmanian employer in these sectors is the gateway to this route.
For overseas applicants outside health and education, the practical message is straightforward: without a job in Tasmania, the 491 offshore invitation pathway is not available this year. You will need to either secure Tasmanian employment, explore another state's nomination program, or consider employer-sponsored pathways through the Subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa.
Migration Tasmania is hosting a free online webinar on Thursday 13 August 2026 from 11:00am to 12:00pm AEST. No pre-registration is required.
The webinar will cover:
This webinar is directly from Migration Tasmania and is the most authoritative briefing available before the program opens on 17 August. If you are seriously considering a Tasmania nomination application, attending this webinar should be treated as part of your preparation, not optional.
The priority attribute system that Tasmania introduced in 2025-26 continues into 2026-27 with the refinements described above. Understanding where your profile sits within this system is the single most important factor in assessing your competitiveness.
Gold Pass (1,000 or more priority points)
Gold Pass holders represent the highest priority category. Only applicants with Gold Pass classification continued to receive Subclass 190 invitations during the restricted period from March 2026 when the 2025-26 program tightened significantly. Under 2026-27, Gold Pass applicants are expected to remain the first priority for 190 invitations.
Achieving Gold Pass typically requires current skilled employment in Tasmania in an occupation directly related to your skills assessment, at or above the $57,000 salary threshold, working at least 30 hours per week in at least one position, with a well-established Tasmanian employer. The updated Gold requirement for 30 hours per week in at least one job is an important clarification that closes the multi-part-time loophole that existed previously.
Green Pass (301 or more priority points)
Green Pass applicants were eligible for Subclass 491 invitations from March 2026 when the 491 cutoff rose from 40 points to 301 points. Green Pass candidates typically have a skills assessment and Tasmanian employment in a related occupation but at a level that does not yet meet the Gold Pass threshold.
Orange Plus and Orange Pass
Orange Plus candidates have at least one qualifying attribute and are considered after Gold and Green holders. Standard Orange Pass candidates found their invitations paused from March 2026. The 2026-27 program changes, which better differentiate based on duration of employment and genuine contribution, may shift some candidates from Orange into higher categories depending on their individual circumstances.
The critical strategic insight remains the same as it was in 2025-26: Tasmania nomination is not primarily a points competition in the Home Affairs SkillSelect sense. It is a Tasmanian connection competition. A candidate with a strong Gold Pass profile and a lower Home Affairs points score will almost always be prioritised above a candidate with a higher Home Affairs score but weaker Tasmanian employment credentials.
This decision point has not changed in 2026-27 and remains one of the most consequential choices in the Tasmania nomination process.
Candidates nominated for Subclass 491 by Tasmania will not be renominated for Subclass 190 in the future.
This one-way gate means that choosing 491 when 190 might have been accessible is a significant strategic error that cannot be corrected later. Conversely, structuring your EOI to include both subclasses where you are eligible for both creates optionality: unsuccessful Subclass 190 applicants may be considered for 491 if that subclass is included in their EOI.
The 190 versus 491 distinction also matters for your long-term migration outcome. Subclass 190 grants permanent residence from the day it is granted, with a requirement to live and work in Tasmania for two years. Subclass 491 is provisional for five years, adds 15 points to your Home Affairs score rather than 5, and requires three years of regional residence and employment before you become eligible to apply for the Subclass 191 Permanent Residence Skilled Regional visa.
If your profile can support a Gold Pass 190 application, that is generally the preferred pathway. If your profile currently sits at Green Pass level, 491 may be more immediately accessible but requires a clear-eyed understanding of the three-year commitment and the 191 requirements that follow.
Twelve days is not long. Here is a practical sequence for the time available.
Review your occupation eligibility now. Confirm that your nominated occupation appears on the relevant skilled occupation list for your intended subclass. Check the Department of Home Affairs skilled occupation list and cross-reference against Migration Tasmania's current nomination pathways.
Check your skills assessment currency. A current positive skills assessment is mandatory. If your assessment is approaching three years old or was issued under different criteria, verify that it remains valid and accepted by Migration Tasmania before submitting your ROI.
Calculate your score under the new 2026-27 priority attributes. Do not rely on a score calculated under the 2025-26 framework. The updated attribute wording, the 30-hour Gold threshold, the revised duration differentiation, and the updated income benchmarks may each affect your score. If you submitted an ROI in the last six months, compare your score under both frameworks before deciding whether to withdraw and resubmit.
Gather your employment evidence. The 2026-27 program places stronger emphasis on the duration and stability of Tasmanian employment. Payslips covering the full relevant period, employment contracts showing start dates, and reference letters confirming hours and duties should be prepared before the portal opens, not after.
Confirm your portal access. Update any bookmarks to apply.migration.tas.gov.au. The portal will not be live until 17 August. Do not attempt to access the old domain.
Attend the 13 August webinar. Migration Tasmania will brief applicants directly on all the key changes before the program opens. This is free and requires no registration.
If you are an overseas applicant, reassess your strategy. With the 491 Overseas Skilled Occupation Profiles pathway closed for invitations this year, the realistic options for offshore applicants are limited to health or education sector job offers for 190 nomination, employer-sponsored pathways through the 482 visa, or considering other state and territory nomination programs.
| Date | What Happens |
|---|---|
| 13 August 2026 | Migration Tasmania free webinar, 11am to 12pm AEST |
| 17 August 2026 | Program opens to new ROIs, new portal goes live |
| 20 August 2026 | First weekly invitations issued |
| Weekly from 20 August | Invitation data published on Migration Tasmania website |
Tasmania's 2026-27 program opens in twelve days and the changes are real. The priority attributes have been refined to reward genuine, sustained contribution rather than short-term or constructed arrangements. The 30-hour Gold Pass threshold closes a loophole. The revised scoring gives more weight to how long you have been in Tasmania, not just whether you are there. And the closure of the 491 offshore invitation pathway removes what was, for many overseas applicants, the most accessible route into Tasmanian nomination.
For applicants already living and working in Tasmania, the changes may actually improve their position if they have built genuine, longer-term employment relationships in the state. For applicants considering Tasmania from outside the state or from overseas, the 2026-27 settings are more demanding than the previous year, and a clear-eyed assessment of competitiveness is essential before committing to a strategy.
The program opens once. The preparation window is now.
Book a Consultation
If you are considering Tasmania state nomination for Subclass 190 or 491 and want to understand your priority attribute score under the new 2026-27 settings, whether to withdraw and resubmit your existing ROI, or how to build your strategy before 17 August, speak with a registered migration agent before the portal opens.
Book at provisa.setmore.com or call 02 9007 4409.
Offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra. Video consultations available nationally.
Disclaimer: This article is based on the official Migration Tasmania program update dated 5 July 2026 and publicly available Department of Home Affairs information current as of August 2026. Program settings, priority attributes, and invitation criteria are subject to change. This article does not constitute migration advice. For decisions specific to your circumstances, consult a registered migration agent before taking any action. Professional Visa and Education Services, Registered Migration Agents.