Business operators should review the conditions and additional information as this could benefit your application or exclude you from applying for Tasmania state nomination.
Business operation is recognised as a priority attribute in the Tasmanian Skilled Graduate Pathway if operated for at least six months.
Businesses must meet all other requirements in the Tasmanian Business Operator Pathway along with all conditions and exclusions listed here under Business Operators.
The business must be capable of delivering an income of at least 85 per cent of the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (currently $59,500).
Eligible businesses in the Tasmanian Business Operator and Established Resident Pathways must have one owner/shareholder, unless co-owned with a spouse. This also applies to candidates in all pathways seeking to claim business operation for priority attributes.
Candidates who co-own or hold shares in a business with another person other than their spouse will need to have an employment relationship with the business and seek nomination under the Employment or Graduate Pathways.
The following types of businesses are not eligible in the Tasmanian Business Owner or Established Resident pathways, and will not be given weight when considering priority attributes for other pathways:
- massage therapy where the operator does not have a verifiable health fund number and related skills assessment
- taxi drivers, ride-share, food delivery
- service station / petroleum outlets
- convenience stores (businesses with fewer than 20 employees and with a primary emphasis on sales of items such as food to go, beverages, dispensed/barista coffee, snacks, confectionery, tobacco, basic groceries, ice, petrol and carwash)
- franchises (including post-office, newsagents) and passive business investments
- subcontracting businesses (except where accepted as employment, where the applicant has a related skills assessment or at least two years prior experience.) If the role is lower skilled (ANZSCO 4-5 equivalent, such as disability support worker) it is only recognised where the skills assessment is related to the industry in which the role is performed.
Evidence to support your business operation must include Business Activity Statements (BAS) for the 12-month period preceding an application. Acceptable BAS evidence includes:
- copies of BAS statements obtained from the ATO’s Business Portal. The evidence should include GST, your ABN/ TFN number and lodgement date to the ATO
- a copy of your most recently prepared BAS, which includes GST, your ABN/TFN, and evidence of lodgement with the ATO such as a bank statement showing the relevant payment or refund amount.
A well-established business actively operating in Tasmania is normally expected to have a combination of the following characteristics:
- a minimum 12 months operation in Tasmania
- permanent business signage
- active/ongoing online presence, advertising and marketing
- a Tasmanian address as a registered business location
- a local landline contact number
- an ongoing office space (not a residential address) that is not ‘casual’ or ‘virtual’ (including corporate/co-shared offices)
- permanent representation of employees at the stated business location.
Business operators can use the income they are drawing from the business to answer the pay and salary questions in the Gateway in order to meet the pay and salary priority attributes.
The amount claimed must be the actual personal income you have drawn from the business, not total sales, or turnover prior to expenses and must be demonstrated with evidence such as Australian Tax Office Notice of Assessments, payslips, payment summaries or a personal bank statement showing personal income.
If claiming business operation, candidates cannot also claim to be working. In this case candidates should answer the employment question in the Gateway ROI as “none of the above”.