Each program year reshuffles Australia's state and territory nomination settings, and 2026-27 is no different. Some jurisdictions have published numbers and opened up; others are still waiting. Whatever happens with places, one thing is largely in your hands: how ready your skills and work evidence are when an invitation arrives.
Below is where Tasmania, the ACT and Queensland stand, what employers using the Far North Queensland DAMA should note, and how a recognised qualification fits in.
Tasmania: confirmed places, fewer offshore options
Tasmania offers the most certainty this year. It has confirmed 2,050 nomination places: 1,250 for the Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) and 800 for the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491). Last year's figures were 1,200 and 650, so there is more room.
Registrations of Interest reopened on 17 August 2026, and weekly invitation rounds began on 20 August. Registering costs nothing, but the nomination application fee is now $387 plus GST, or $425.70 in total.
The big change for people outside Australia: Tasmania is not inviting offshore applicants for subclass 491 this program year, a result of the processing priorities in Ministerial Direction 119. There is one exception. Overseas health professionals and teachers with a job offer from an eligible Tasmanian employer may apply for subclass 190 through the Health or Education Sector Job Offer Pathway. Anyone with a 491 application already waiting has to withdraw it and lodge a new Registration of Interest for the 190, and a fresh invitation may not follow.
The ACT: a smoother portal, numbers still to come
Canberra launched a new Migration Application portal on 30 July 2026 for Canberra Matrix entries and nomination applications. It adds multi-factor login, works well on phones, shows progress in real time and lets you edit a submission after lodging. Older submissions move across automatically, but you need a new account under the email address you first registered with.
Fees now total $350: a $25 Matrix fee and a $325 nomination fee. A Matrix entry lasts six months and can be extended to twelve if you update it before it expires. Updating is free, but because ties go to the most recent update, it affects your tie-break position. Faster processing is available for urgent cases such as an expiring visa or document, though only after you have been invited.
The ACT has not yet confirmed its 2026-27 allocation, and its occupation list is under review, so there is no invitation timetable to plan around.
Queensland: waiting on its allocation
Queensland has not opened its 2026-27 program while it waits for a final allocation from the federal government. Fees rose from 1 July 2026 to $573 for offshore applicants and $630.30 (including GST) for onshore applicants, for both subclass 190 and 491 invitees. The sensible move is to have your documents ready so you can act fast once it opens.
Far North Queensland DAMA: notes for employers
Employers sponsoring through the Far North Queensland Designated Area Migration Agreement can get a 50% reduction on some subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme) endorsement fees, but only when the role is bundled with its matching subclass 482 (Skills in Demand) position. Age and English concessions are best asked for in the first endorsement, since adding them later can bring extra administration fees and slower processing. Three aged care roles, Personal Care Assistant, Nursing Support Worker and Aged or Disabled Carer, remain on the DAMA list for now; a proposed change that would have removed them is reportedly on hold, though that could change. Disability care roles are not affected.
Where your qualification comes in
Whichever state you target, nomination is only one step. Skilled visas generally involve a skills assessment for your nominated occupation, and skills assessments often ask for a recognised qualification alongside proof of your employment. Leaving this until an invitation lands can cost you valuable time.
If Trades Recognition Australia assesses your occupation, our guide to the evidence TRA asks for, document by document shows what to gather first.
If you have years of work experience but no Australian qualification, Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) may help. In general terms, a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) compares your evidence, such as references, payslips, photos of your work and any licences, with the units of competency in a qualification, and issues it if the requirements are met. RPL does not replace a skills assessment, but a recognised qualification can make your work history easier to understand. Check what applies to your occupation on the Department of Home Affairs website before you start.
A practical checklist
- Confirm your occupation and whether the 190 or 491 suits your situation, onshore or offshore.
- Gather proof of your work: references, contracts, payslips and examples of what you have done.
- Find out what your assessing authority expects, and whether a recognised qualification would strengthen your case.
- Budget for the nomination fees in the state you are aiming for.
Settings shift quickly between program years. Tasmania offers the clearest path today, the ACT is easier to use but still short of numbers, and Queensland is on hold. Getting your skills evidence in order now means you are ready whichever door opens first.
