On 27 July 2026, Migration Tasmania confirmed the state’s nomination allocation for the 2026–27 program year: 2,050 places, split between the Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) and Skilled Work Regional (subclass 491) visas.

On its own, that number means little. Read against the national planning levels released for 2026–27, it tells a much more useful story — and it changes the calculation for anyone weighing a regional pathway this year.

Tasmania’s 2026–27 Allocation at a Glance

Why These Two Numbers Come From Opposite Directions

Tasmania’s 190 places and its 491 places are drawn from two entirely separate national pools — and in 2026–27, those pools moved in opposite directions.

The Commonwealth’s Migration Program planning levels for 2026–27 set the national position as follows:

• State/Territory Nominated (subclass 190) — increased from 33,000 to 35,500 places
• Regional (subclass 491) — cut from 33,000 to 14,110 places, a reduction of 57%
• Skilled Independent (subclass 189) — increased from 16,900 to 21,090 places
• Employer Sponsored (subclass 186 and 494) — increased from 44,000 to 58,040 places

So Tasmania’s 1,250 subclass 190 places come from a national category that grew. Its 800 subclass 491 places come from a national category that was cut by more than half.

The Figure Worth Paying Attention To

There are only 14,110 subclass 491 places available across the whole of Australia in 2026–27. Tasmania is holding 800 of them.

That is roughly 5.7% of every subclass 491 place in the country, held by a state with a little over 2% of the national population. Relative to its size, Tasmania is carrying a disproportionate share of a pathway that has become significantly harder to access everywhere else.

For a candidate whose realistic route to permanent residence runs through the 491, that concentration matters. It does not make Tasmania the right answer for everyone — but it does mean the state deserves a serious look this year in a way it may not have last year.

The Catch: Tasmania’s Pathways Have Residence and Employment Requirements

Tasmania does not nominate on points alone. Its nomination pathways each carry their own eligibility criteria, and most are built around a genuine connection to the state:

• Tasmanian Skilled Employment (TSE) — for people already working in Tasmania in an eligible role
• Tasmanian Skilled Graduate (TSG) — for graduates of Tasmanian institutions
• Tasmanian Established Resident (TER) — for people who have lived in Tasmania for a qualifying period
• Tasmanian Business Operator (TBO) — for those operating an established business in the state
• Overseas pathways — limited streams for offshore candidates, including a subclass 190 health and education job-offer pathway and an invitation-only subclass 491 occupation pathway

Anyone treating Tasmania as a points shortcut without meeting one of these pathways will not progress. The allocation is generous; the eligibility is specific.

If You Already Have an Application or ROI Lodged

Migration Tasmania has confirmed several transitional points:

Applications lodged but not yet decided will continue to be assessed against the requirements that applied on the date they were lodged. If approved, applicants will be nominated in SkillSelect.

Subclass 491 applicants seeking subclass 190 nomination face an important restriction. A lodged but undecided 491 nomination application will not be considered for 190 nomination. To be considered for the 190, you would need to withdraw the current application and register afresh for the 190 when the 2026–27 program opens.

That decision carries real risk and should not be made casually. Withdrawing a live application to chase a different subclass means surrendering a position you already hold, with no guarantee of an invitation in return — a new invitation depends on the level of interest and the pro-rata places available at the time. It is worth getting advice specific to your circumstances before withdrawing anything.

What to Do Between Now and the Program Opening

Tasmania has said the program will reopen to new Registrations of Interest in the coming weeks, with details to follow. The window between announcement and opening is the useful part — the work done now determines how quickly you can move later.

1. Confirm which pathway you actually fit. Eligibility, not points, is the gate in Tasmania.
2. Get your skills assessment underway. Assessing authorities take time, and an ROI without a completed assessment is weaker.
3. Sit or re-sit your English test if a higher band would help. This is the most reliable lever most candidates control.
4. Read the 2026–27 program settings when published. Migration Tasmania has explicitly flagged that requirements may change from the previous year.
5. Compare Tasmania against your alternatives honestly — including subclass 190 in other states, the 189, and employer-sponsored routes, which received the largest increase of any category this year.

The Wider Point for 2026–27

The national numbers point somewhere specific. With regional 491 places cut 57%, skilled independent up, and employer-sponsored up 32%, the Government has shifted weight toward applicants already onshore in skilled employment and toward high-points independent candidates.

If your plan for the last two years has been “accumulate points and wait for a 491,” that plan is now competing for less than half the places it was. Reassessing early — while state programs are still opening rather than closing — is considerably better than discovering the problem in May.

Talk to a Registered Migration Agent

State nomination is where most skilled applications are won or lost, and the 2026–27 settings have moved enough that last year’s strategy may no longer be the right one. If you are weighing Tasmania against another state, deciding whether to withdraw a 491 application, or simply unsure which pathway you qualify for, we can work through it with you.

OVEC is led by Sohail Cheema, a Registered Migration Agent (MARN 1170438) based in Canberra, assisting clients across Australia and overseas.

Book a consultation to discuss your skilled migration options, or call 0430 586 030.

You may also want to read our guides to skilled visas (189, 190, 491) and the June 2026 subclass 189 invitation round.

This article provides general information only and does not constitute immigration assistance for your individual circumstances. Allocation figures are drawn from Migration Tasmania’s program update of 27 July 2026 and the Department of Home Affairs 2026–27 Migration Program planning levels. Program settings and requirements are subject to change — always confirm current requirements on the Migration Tasmania website before acting.