This morning the Tasmanian state government released the draft state nomination policy for the new financial year — the first review since the programme officially commenced in 2016 — and is now publicly inviting community feedback. The state government’s determination to see this ‘state nomination reform’ through is unmistakable!
An Analysis of Tasmania’s Draft New Policy
1. Reasons for Policy Changes and Overall Direction
The current draft state nomination policy addresses a number of existing issues:
The assessment requirements and processes are overly complex; the state nomination criteria lack clarity; the employment stream’s full-time work requirement has made the graduate stream the only option for many applicants with part-time work only; and low-skilled applicants are experiencing low invitation rates — all of these issues are being reviewed.
The key proposed changes are as follows:
– Clearer state nomination assessment criteria for applicants;
– Better incentives for applicants who possess skills needed by the Tasmanian labour market;
– Clear and objective state nomination assessment criteria, with incentives for applicants capable of settling in Tasmania;
– Encouraging international studentsto choose courses relevant to the skills required for their future employment,rather than courses chosen solely to satisfy state nomination requirements;
– Encouraging and increasing the number of state nomination nominees whochoose to live and establish themselves in Tasmania long-term.
2. [Draft] New Tasmanian State Nomination Requirements
*The following is a framework only; the final version will incorporate adjustments and further detail.
*The new policy will take effect on 1 July 2022. Applications submitted before that date will not be affected; any outstanding applications not yet assessed will be processed under the policy in place at the time of submission.
A. Tasmanian Skilled Employment (Employment Stream — with some relaxation)
Eligibility is limited to applicants with ANZSCO Levels 1–3 nominated occupations,orLevel 4 aged and disability care workers, nursing support workers, personal care workers, or specialist care workers.
Holdingpart-time workthat meets the eligibility criteria is now also acceptable.
Applicants with skills-assessment-related work experience may apply for Subclass 190,and skills-assessment-related work will be assessed on the basis of its contribution to Tasmaniaand will no longer be limited to the TSOL occupation list.
B. Tasmanian Skilled Graduate (Graduate Stream — higher bar)
Applicants must holdan undergraduatedegree or above.
Non-student visa holders will no longer be required to complete training courses related to priority industry and workforce development areas.
Applicants must have, after graduating,at least three months of work experience relevant to their course and nominated skills assessment.
Completing multiple qualifications to satisfy the study duration requirement will no longer be accepted.
Holding a Certificate III or IV qualification will no longer satisfy the application requirements.
C. Tasmania Established Resident (New Pathway — an Opportunity)
This new stream is available tothose who have lived in Tasmania for at least 2 years to apply for Subclass 491,andthose who have resided for 3 or more years to apply for Subclass 190.
Having accumulated at least 6 months of work at ANZSCO Level 4,and being able to demonstrate the capacity to reside in and develop long-term in Tasmania.
This new state nomination pathway provides access for graduates who do not qualify under other streams(including those with only a Certificate-level qualification), as well as applicants who have returned to live in Tasmania and wish to apply for state nomination.
How to check the ANZSCO level of your occupation —
Search Google for your occupation name plus ABS, e.g. waiter ABS,
then click through to view the result.
D. Tasmania Business Owner (Small Business Stream — minimal changes)
The small business stream will see very few changes, with only minor adjustments.
The required operating period for applicants will be extended from 6 months to 12 months.
Personal business income must reach at least 85% of $53,900.
E. Overseas Application (Overseas Applicants — Invitation Only)
The TSOL list will be removed; in its place, this stream will be open to applicants who possess skills required by Tasmanian employers in select industries.
Applicants must first submit an EOI and receive an invitation before applying for state nomination.
F. Overseas Application (Overseas Applicants — Job Offer)
No changes.
G. Family in Tasmania (Family Sponsorship Stream)
This stream will be abolished.
3. Improving the State Nomination Application Management System
Due to the high volume of state nomination applications, more than 30% of applicants who meet the minimum requirements are being refused. To provide applicants with greater certainty of receiving an invitation,the state government is considering developing a new state nomination application management system,which would only accept applications from those with a high probability of receiving an invitation — meaning applicants who only barely meet the minimum requirements may no longer be able to lodge an application at all!
4. Case Studies Provided by the State Government
The following illustrates the difference in available streams under the current and new policies for the same set of circumstances,with two representative case studies to share:
Case Study 1
Accounting Graduate + Unrelated Level 4 Work
● An accounting student who completed a local two-year postgraduate programme, working as a Level 4 sales assistant, with 3 years of Tasmanian residency.
Currently eligible for the local graduate stream;after 1 July, applications may be submitted via the established resident pathway,meaning with 6 months of work and 3 or more years of residence, Subclass 190 is available. With fewer than 3 years of residence, Subclass 491 would apply instead.
Case Study 2
Chef + Completion of 2-Year Certificate III/IV Programme
● A chef who has completed a 2-year Certificate III/IV programme, with 6 months of part-time chef work, and at least 2 years of Tasmanian residency.
Currently eligible for either the Tasmanian graduate or employment stream;after 1 July, the local graduate stream will no longer be available, but the employment stream remains an option.
Case Study 3
External Auditor + Diploma & Advanced Diploma of Leadership and Management (2 years of Tasmanian study) + 12 months of waiter work + at least 2 years of Tasmanian residency
Under the current policy, they may be eligible for Subclass 190 (if a satisfactory career plan is provided) or Subclass 491 (if the career plan is less convincing). After the 1 July new policy, Subclass 491 via the Established Residence Pathway becomes available, and those with 3 or more years of residence may potentially qualify for Subclass 190 under the Tasmania Established Resident category.
Case Study 4
Mechanical Engineer
● A mechanical engineer working full-time as an aquaculture worker (Level 5) for 12 months, with 24 months of Tasmanian residency, currently enrolled in a Diploma of Leadership and Management.
Under the current policy, they may be eligible for Subclass 491 (though the refusal rate is relatively high), or could pursue the graduate stream upon completing the course (also with a relatively high refusal rate, with demonstrating a clear career direction being particularly challenging).
Under the new policy, no state nomination options are currently available; employer-sponsored pathways such as Subclass 482/484 transitioning to PR may be worth exploring.
For all case studies, please see
Key Outstanding Issues in the Draft
Issue 1: If an applicantmeets the requirements — or passes the system’s lodgement threshold — are they guaranteed to receive an invitation(particularly under the Tasmania Established Resident category)?
Issue 2: The specific work requirements for each stream:Currently, apart from the employment stream, no clear requirements have been specified regarding work duration or type(such as full-time / part-time / casual / ABN self-employment)?
Issue 3: Under the Tasmanian graduate stream, the requirement that ‘after graduation, applicants must have at least three months of work experience relevant totheir course and nominated skills assessment’ raises the question:Is it sufficient for the work experience to be related to either the course or the nominated skills assessment, or must both conditions be satisfied?
We are currently drafting an email to the state government and will share any updates as they become available.
Newstars’ Overall Analysis
Tasmania’s quota for the current financial year remains unchanged — 1,100 places for Subclass 190 and 2,200 places for Subclass 491. Based on the latest data as of 28 March,remaining allocations stand at 229 for Subclass 190 and 785 for Subclass 491, with backlogs of 610 and 860 applications respectively.
Applications lodged within the current financial year will be assessed under the policy in place at the time of lodgement:
Applications lodged in the current financial year, or held over to the new financial year, will continue to be assessed under the current financial year’s state nomination policy; those with skills-assessment-related work will be prioritised; applications will be processed in order of lodgement date; the new policy is expected to take effect on 1 July of the new financial year and will apply to all state nomination applications lodged in the new financial year.
The new financial year state nomination draft policyis broadly likely to benefit those who have already been living in Tasmania for a number of years,,but imposes higher requirements on those who have not yet moved to Tasmania or who are about to graduate.For those who meet the state nomination requirements but have not yet submitted an application:
– If your profile is relatively strong, consider lodging in the current financial year;if you do not receive an invitation in the current financial year, your application will be held over to the next financial year and assessed under the current financial year’s requirements;
– For applicants with a weaker profile,lodging a state nomination application in the current financial year is likely to result in refusal; we recommend waiting until the draft is finalised and then selecting an eligible stream to lodge after 1 July;
The new financial year state nomination draft has not yet been finalised, and the state government is currentlyseeking publicfeedback. We have set up asurveyand encourage everyone to take a moment to fill it in — the information will help us providerelevant feedback to the state government.If you have any specific comments, you are also welcome toleave them in the comments below,and we will relay them to the state government based on your circumstances and feedback!
For any questions about the draft policy or Tasmanian state nomination applications, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
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