Nowak Migration

06/11/2025

States now received full nomination allocation for skilled visas for the 2025-26 program year.

Source: email from Migration Tasmania:

"Full 2025-26 Nomination Allocations Announced
Tasmania has now received its full nomination allocation for the 2025-26 program year.

In total, including interim allocations, this comprises:
· 1200 nomination places for subclass 190
· 650 nomination places for subclass 491.

Migration Tasmania has now commenced weekly invitations to apply for nomination.

Information will be posted on the Migration Tasmania website every week detailing:
· the number of Registrations of Interest (ROIs) invited to apply for nomination
· the lowest scores invited
· nomination places available
· number of ROIs on hand"

06/11/2025

The next invitation round for the 189 Skilled Independent visa (points tested stream) will be on 13 November.
Check your EOI to avoid dissapointment if Skills assessment or English expired.

Are you a highly skilled worker who wants to live and work permanently in Australia?

The next invitation round for the 189 Skilled Independent visa (points tested stream) will be on 13 November.

Australia wants a wide range of highly skilled workers – including educators, health workers and medical specialists.

Start getting your documents together and submit an expression of interest.

Don’t have enough time? There will be more opportunities. We're now planning quarterly 189 invitation rounds.

To learn more visit: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/skilled-independent-189/points-tested

15/09/2025

Here’s a summary of the Migration Queensland skilled program settings for FY 2025–26 (from today's seminar).
Changes at a glance (2025–26)
New onshore pathway for the Building & Construction workforce.
Offshore Energy Workers pathway removed.
491 Small Business Owner (SBO) changes.
Ongoing work requirement removed for onshore programs.
Minimum work hours reduced to 20 hrs/week.
Queensland work-experience rules changed; casual work accepted.
Settlement-funds requirement removed for offshore.
No need to create a new EOI each year.
No requirement to select only Queensland as State of Interest.
Revised occupation lists; onshore list published.
Selection factor tweaks: age, regional location, qualifications; updated partner questions in ROI.
New method for calculating ROI “annualised earnings.”
New evidence requirements for self-employed.
Skills lists (categories shown on the slides)
Onshore Skills List
Construction/Engineering/Production Managers; Sales & Marketing Managers; Accommodation & Hospitality Managers; Child Care Centre Managers; Engineering Professionals; Agricultural/Environmental/Forestry Scientists; Urban & Regional Planners; Teachers; Health Professionals; ICT Professionals; Psychologists/Counsellors/Social Workers; Automotive Trades Workers; Painters; Chefs & Cooks; Boat Builders & Repairers; Dental Technicians; Enrolled Nurses.
Streamlined (onshore Building & Construction occupations)
Construction & Engineering Managers; Architectural/Building/Surveying Technicians; Fabrication Engineering Trades Workers; Mechanical Engineering Trades Workers/Technicians; Bricklayers, Carpenters & Joiners; Floor Finishers; Glaziers/Plasterers/Tilers; Plumbers; Electricians; Electronics & Telecommunications Trades Workers.
Offshore Skills List
Construction & Engineering Managers; Engineering Professionals; Geologists/Hydrologists; Urban & Regional Planners; Teachers; Medical Imaging & Health Therapy Professionals; Registered Nurses; Psychologists; Building & Engineering Technicians; Fabrication Engineering Trades Workers; Bricklayers/Carpenters/Joiners; Floor Finishers; Glaziers/Plasterers/Tilers; Plumbers; Electricians; Electronics & Telecommunications Trades Workers.
Eligibility by cohort
Skilled workers living in Queensland (onshore)
Occupation: on the Queensland Onshore Skills List.
Points: 65+ (Home Affairs test).
English: at least Competent.
Work experience (before ROI):
6 months for 491; 9 months for 190.
Must be after qualification, closely related to nominated occupation, ≥20 hrs/week.
Work: you must still be in an eligible role at ROI, selection and nomination.
Casual work accepted; multiple eligible jobs can be combined for hours.
Work-from-home allowed where the employer has a physical presence in Queensland.
List sizes noted on slide: Onshore 190 list ~158 occupations; Onshore 491 list ~201 occupations.
Queensland Building & Construction workforce (onshore) – streamlined
Occupation: on Onshore Skills List and flagged for this pathway.
Points: 65+.
English: at least Competent.
Work experience: 3 months in QLD, after qualification, closely related, ≥20 hrs/week.
Visa outcome: invited candidates nominated for 190 (if they also meet Home Affairs’ 190 requirements).
Notes on slide: 46 occupations within onshore list; “closely related work” = same ANZSCO minor group (3-digit).
Queensland university graduates (onshore)
Occupation: on Onshore Skills List.
Points: 65+.
English: at least Competent.
Work experience in QLD: 6 months (491) or 9 months (190), after qualification, closely related, ≥20 hrs/week.
Study: 100% of a Bachelor/Master/PhD completed in Queensland; graduation after 1 July 2021.
Slide notes: degree doesn’t have to match nominated occupation; answer “Yes” to QLD graduate in the ROI if you meet criteria.
Skilled workers living outside Australia (offshore)
Occupation: on the Queensland Offshore Skills List.
Points: 65+.
English: at least Competent.
Work experience: ≥1 year skilled employment in the nominated occupation (only experience declared as related on the EOI is considered).
Must still be employed in the nominated occupation at invitation and nomination.
Slide notes: Offshore 190 list ~101 occupations; Offshore 491 list ~113; settlement funds requirement removed.
EOI & ROI rules (SkillSelect + MQ)
MQ will accept existing EOIs up to 715 days old.
No longer required to select only Queensland as State of Interest.
If applying onshore, Usual Country of Residence must be Australia in the EOI.
Only related work experience declared in the EOI is counted.
Once nominated, the EOI is locked and can’t be changed—ensure it’s correct before applying for QLD nomination.
Selection process & factors
Process
Invitation rounds run as needed to keep case officers supplied.
EOI/ROI submission date is not a selection factor.
No queue/line; meeting minimums and lodging an ROI doesn’t guarantee invitation.
Updated EOI data pulled from SkillSelect each round; ROI data matched/merged.

07/09/2025

Thinking about studying in Australia as a PR pathway? Read this first.
There’s no automatic invitation to a skilled visa (189/190/491) after you finish a course. Invitations are competitive and depend on points, occupation demand, state priorities, and program caps—none of which your enrolment can guarantee.
What to do instead:
Choose a course that leads to real, in-demand jobs (not just “PR-listed” buzzwords).
Map the full pathway: skills assessment, English, work experience, points strategy, state nomination rules.
Build employability while you study: relevant work, internships, regional exposure, networking.
Have a Plan B: line up an employer who can sponsor (482 → 186) so you’re not relying solely on invitations.
Start early—don’t wait until after graduation to plan.
If you want a study plan that keeps both options open

05/09/2025

Info valid as of 05 Sep 2025
Tasmanian Skilled Migration State Nomination Program Update
Interim nomination allocation

The Australian Government has allocated a small number of skilled visa nomination places to states and territories, as an interim measure while it considers full allocation numbers for 2025-26. For Tasmania, this allocation comprises a total of 165 places:
85 for subclass 190
80 for subclass 491

The final allocation for 2025-26 is expected to be confirmed in the coming weeks.

As this interim allocation is a small amount, it will only be used to confirm nomination for those applicants who are provisionally approved but could not be nominated with the 2024-25 nomination allocation. before all places were used.

All provisionally approved subclass 491 applicants will be formally nominated. However, as there are currently more than 85 provisionally approved subclass 190 applicants, not all these applicants can be nominated at this time. Those subclass 190 applicants in Australia whose current visas will expire soonest, or who currently hold a Bridging visa, will be nominated first. Provisionally approved applicants who cannot yet be nominated have been notified via email and advised that they will have their nominations confirmed as soon as we receive the full 2025-26 nomination allocation.

The 2025-26 Skilled Migration State Nomination Program has not yet opened to new registrations of interest. Further information about the 2025-26 program, opening dates and selection policies will be published in coming weeks on the Migration Tasmania website and newsletter.

04/09/2025

Migration Program planning levels
On 2 September 2025, the Australian Government announced that the 2025–26 permanent Migration Program (Migration Program) will be set at 185,000 places, maintaining 2024-25 program settings.
A skills focussed permanent Migration Program supplements Australia’s working-age population by boosting participation rates and the size of the labour force.
The 2025–26 permanent Migration Program has the following composition:
Skill stream (132,200 places, approximately 71 per cent of the program) – We have designed this stream to improve the productive capacity of the economy and fill skill shortages in the labour market, particularly those in regional Australia.
Family stream (52,500 places, approximately 28 per cent of the program) – This stream is predominantly made up of Partner visas. It enables Australians to reunite with family members from overseas and provide them with pathways to citizenship.
Special Eligibility stream (300 places) – This stream covers visas for those in special circumstances. This includes permanent residents returning to Australia after a period overseas.

03/09/2025

The Commonwealth Government have provided South Australia with a small interim allocation for the 2025-26 program year.

Given the small number of interim allocations, Skilled and Business Migration (SBM) will not open for new Registration of Interest (ROI) applications and instead focus on inviting strong applicants contributing to the state’s workforce requirements, including from the ROI’s submitted in the 24-25 program year.

Once the Commonwealth Government provides South Australia with its full allocation, SBM will release its full policy settings for the upcoming program year.

27/08/2025

🚪 If a sponsored worker leaves early, you don’t lose approval — just follow the rules and notify promptly. 📬

26/08/2025

🛠️ It’s not just trades and chefs — dozens of occupations qualify for sponsorship. Find out if yours does. 🧑‍💻

25/08/2025

📊 You don’t need perfect finances to sponsor — just meet the basic requirements and be a lawful business. ✅

24/08/2025

📰 Labour Market Testing doesn’t have to drag on — with the right template, it’s days, not months. 🗓️