Tasmania 491 Visa Requirements (2021-2022)

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:

• • 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:

• • 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:

• • 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:

• State requirements for 190 visa
• State requirements for 491 visa
• Tasmanian Skilled Occupations List (TSOL)
• Tasmania Small Business Owner Stream – 491 visa
• Tasmania Skilled Migration Nomination Requirements (2021-2022)