Tasmania’s Nomination Criteria for the 489 Visa

Skilled Regional (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 489)

The Skilled Regional (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 489) is a state or relative sponsored visa that for those who are just shy of 60 points, or are struggling with a long wait because they are in a pro rated occupation, may consider.

The basic DIBP requirements:

• Under the age of 50 years
• Meet 60 points on the points test (489 sponsorship gives 10 points)
• Competent level English
• Relative sponsored (eligible relative) or state sponsored (meet state nomination criteria)
• Nominate occupation on relevant occupation list
• Suitable skills assessment for nominated occupation
• Meet health and character requirements

Find: 489 visa points test sheet

The state sponsored 489 visa requires an application to the state, and each state’s nomination criteria is independent from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection’s (DIBP) requirements. Both state nomination criteria as well as DIBP 489 visa requirements must be met.

Tasmania’s occupation list

Applicant’s for state sponsorship from Tasmania may nominate an occupation from two occupation lists; the Short Term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL) and the Tasmanian Skilled Occupation List (TSOL).

Find: Short Term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL)

Find: Tasmanian Skilled Occupation List (TSOL)

Tasmania’s nomination criteria

• Tasmanian graduate
• Job offer
• Small business owner
• Family in Tasmania

Tasmanian graduate

• completed and graduated from a CRICOS registered course at a Tasmanian tertiary institution.
• undertaken a course which is full time and on site in Tasmania.
• the course duration must have been a minimum of one academic year (46 weeks) and must have been completed in two consecutive semesters.
• you must have lived in Tasmania for a minimum of 12 months.

Job offer

• Requires a formal job offer with offer letter, employment contract or similar
• Must be for full time work at a minimum of 35 hours a week. The 35 hours can be an accumulated through multiple part time jobs
• Employer must be actively operating in Tasmania for at least the last 12 months
• Genuine position – Must demonstrate existing, ongoing and genuine need for the position in the business and capacity for the business to sustain the position

Small business owner

• Genuine intention to establish a business in Tasmania that is not a franchise or purchasing of an existing business (in part or whole)
• Must submit a comprehensive business plan
• Demonstrate past business or management experience in an industry closely related to the proposed business
• Evidence of substantial financial capacity to operate your business in Tasmania

Family in Tasmania

• is an Australian Permanent Resident or an Australian Citizen
• has lived as a permanent resident or an Australian Citizen in Tasmania for 12 months or more
• is your parent, child, sibling, aunt, uncle, first cousin, or grandparent
• agrees to support you when you arrive in Tasmania and assist you in the process of gaining employment in Tasmania.

The Tasmanian graduate, family and job offer routes are rather straightforward. What is interesting is the small business owner path, which does not require the applicant to already have established business (although business experience would definitely compliment one’s application). This opens doors for person with business skills and yet this pathway it is one that is unfortunately likely to be missed.

Those that are still unable to meet 489 requirements who are business owners and investors should consider the Business Innovation and Investor (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 188).

Business plan

The government offers tools and templates to help with writing a business plan. We strongly encourage interested parties to go through these tools and templates to understand what Tasmania is looking for but we do not suggest using it wholesale and without personalisation. These templates are made to be for generic use and it is important that your plan demonstrates an understanding of the industry for which your proposed business will be in.

Find: templates and tools

Learn more: Starting a Business in Tasmania (government site)

The business plan should include a business summary, market/industry trends and research, operations plan, budget, goals, financing plans and supporting documentation. Take care to remember that your business is to be in Tasmania and has to work for Tasmania.

Past business or management experience

Tasmania does not provide any guidelines on how to satisfy this criteria. We would suggest to follow along the lines of the documentation expected by the DIBP for business visas:

• Curriculum vitae
• Reference letters
• Statement outlining experience and documentational evidence of how the applicant has played an active role in the management of a business and how it has contributed to the operation or prosperity of the business
• Ownership interest, financial documents, contracts etc. if applicable

Substantial financial capacity

Tasmania does not detail any amount for what they define as substantial financial assets. However the business plan should include budgets, inclusive of budgets required to sustain the business for a reasonable buffer period. Logically, the applicant’s financial assets should show that it can comfortable support both the establishment of a business as well as the applicant’s (and dependents’ where applicable) move to and settlement in Australia.

Young entrepreneurs will certainly appreciate this visa. Tasmania’s government also has a relatively quick turnaround for 489 visas at 20 calendar days. Tasmania also claims that applicant’s nominated by Tasmania receive priority processing at the DIBP.

Visit: Migration Tasmania (official site)