State nomination season is officially underway after Migration Tasmania confirmed the first invitation round of the 2026-27 programme year on 1 October 2026. The island state issued 38 invitations for the permanent Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) and 34 for the provisional Skilled Work Regional visa (subclass 491). Published minimum selection scores were 331 for 190 applicants and 71 for 491 aspirants, using Tasmania’s internal points grids rather than the federal SkillSelect matrix. The round follows last year’s decision to prioritise “Gold” applicants—those with skills in healthcare, trades and advanced manufacturing—but only seven Gold invitations were recorded this time, suggesting the pool in key occupations is thinning. Migration Tasmania continues to draw heavily from graduates of its tertiary institutions, a boon for employers looking to retain international talent trained locally. For companies with operations in Hobart, Launceston or regional centres, the 491 visa remains a flexible pathway to secure mid-level professionals willing to live outside major mainland cities. Holders can transition to permanent residence after three years while meeting residence and earnings thresholds—a factor global firms often leverage to attract staff to regional projects. Other states are yet to open or have flagged delays: Victoria’s 190 programme is closed pending new allocations, Queensland’s ROI window is shut and the ACT has pencilled its first round for the week of 12 October. Employers eyeing state-nominated talent should monitor staggered openings and prepare evidence packages in advance. Stakeholders await federal invitation rounds for subclass 189, which have not occurred since the massive 10,000-invite event in June 2026. Analysts predict smaller, more targeted 189 rounds later this year once Home Affairs digests new priority settings.
