Well-established business definition
All employment and salary claims must be with a well-established business operating in Tasmania.
A business is considered well-established if it has been under the same ownership for at least 12 months. Some pathways may require a longer period of operation—see the Occupational Caveats section for details.
A well-established business would normally include a combination of following characteristics:
- permanent signage
- existing, active online presence
- a registered address in Tasmania
- commercially leased office space, that is not in a residential building or corporate/co-shared offices
- permanent staff presence during publicised office opening hours.
- Additional outlets or franchises of the same business must individually meet the 12-month operational requirement (or a longer period if required by a relevant occupational caveat).
For example:
- If a business called Harvest and Hearth opens a new outlet in Kingston under the name Fresh Bites but the ABN is the same, then that outlet must operate for at least 12 months before qualifying. This is the case even if the original Harvest and Hearth has been running for five years.
Remote work is only accepted in the Subclass 190 Tasmanian Established Resident pathway if you have earned at least $57,000 a year (or $28.85 an hour) for at least 12 months.
Remote work for the Tasmanian Established Resident Pathway
For this pathway, remote work refers to employment arrangements in which individuals residing in Tasmania perform work duties from within the state for a company or organisation that is located outside Tasmania, whether elsewhere in Australia or overseas. This includes roles where the worker delivers services, expertise, or digital outputs - such as IT support, software development, design, or consulting - to the external company, not to Tasmanian clients or consumers.
For example, a software engineer living in Hobart who provides backend development services to Google in California is engaged in remote work under this definition.
Individuals working for companies located outside Tasmania who deliver services to Tasmanian clients or markets are not considered remote workers under this definition. They will be classified as employees of a well-established Tasmanian business if those services are delivered at a Tasmanian worksite or worksites.
Excluded employment
The following types of employment will not be accepted in relation to minimum nomination requirements or priority attributes for any pathway:
- unpaid internships, scholarships, stipends and volunteer work
- taxi drivers and ride-share drivers
- food and alcohol delivery drivers
- massage therapists without a recognised skills assessment and a health fund provider number
Important to note:
- Massage therapists must have a relevant skills assessment, and a health fund provider number issued to them personally, not to their business or employer. Evidence must be provided to support all claims.
- Paid internships associated with professional registration, such as for pharmacists, are accepted as employment.
Employment for the Tasmanian Skilled Graduate Pathway
Employment is not necessary to meet the minimum requirements for nomination in the Tasmanian Skilled Graduate Pathways. However, it will be used to assess an application against priority attributes where that employment is with a well-established Tasmania business. Employment must average minimum 9 hours per week during study, 20 hours after completion of study. Excluded employment or business operation will not be considered in relation to Priority Attributes.
Migration industry related employment
Employment that depends heavily on the Tasmanian Skilled Migration State Nomination Program is not a priority for nomination. This includes registered training organisations (RTOs) that rely upon the program for their business. The main test is whether the business or job would continue if the State Nomination Program no longer existed. While this does not automatically exclude an applicant, current employment in these industries will not count toward priority attributes — except for those that ask for a base salary received for the last 12 weeks.
Indicators of concern – genuine employment / business operation
Tasmania’s Skilled Migration State Nomination Program supports the local economy by prioritising skilled migrants whose abilities align with Tasmania’s long-term needs. It complements other visa pathways and is not intended as the primary method for businesses to secure skilled migrants.
To ensure effective use of limited nomination places, Migration Tasmania conducts due diligence on applications. This includes verifying that the business is genuinely operating, the employment is authentic (not created solely for nomination), and the applicant receives fair pay and conditions comparable to local workers. Nomination decisions focus on supporting genuine, ongoing skills needs.
Migration Tasmania considers a range of indicators that may raise concerns about the authenticity of employment or the legitimacy of a business. These indicators do not automatically determine the outcome of an application but may prompt further investigation or requests for additional evidence. All available information is considered, and decisions are made based on the balance of evidence, which may result in an application being declined.
The indicators outlined are based on assessments since 2018 but are not exhaustive. Other relevant factors may also be considered during the assessment process.
Indicators of concern for an employer include
- The business does not appear to be a well-established operation because it may be newly registered, have a limited trading history, or have a minimal physical presence such as an office space without? signage or a shop front.
- There is a heavy reliance on temporary visa holder workforce.
- There is a lack of genuine local recruitment efforts, which might include advertisements on mainstream platforms such as Seek or Indeed, or through recruitment agencies.
- There is a sole reliance primarily on social media for recruitment, particularly when targeting specific ethnic or community groups.
- There are direct or indirect links to migration or education agents, including shared office space or ownership structures.
- There is a high staff turnover, especially among previous employees who also sought or secured Tasmanian nomination.
- Inadequate or poorly maintained online presence, such as business websites that are incomplete, non-functional, or contain outdated or unprofessional content.
- The applicant lacks a relevant migration skills assessment, despite claiming extensive experience or qualifications directly aligned with the nominated skilled role.
- There are pay inconsistencies, such as discrepancies between payslips submitted in the application and bank statement evidence of salary deposits, or wages falling significantly below industry standards.
Mitigating factors may include
- A known and verifiable history of genuine business operation, including consistent trading activity and established reputation.
- Prior positive interactions with Migration Tasmania, where the business has demonstrated compliance and transparency.
- A broader history of positive engagement with the Department of State Growth or other Tasmanian government agencies.