If you have submitted a SkillSelect Expression of Interest with a strong points score and still have not heard from Migration Tasmania, you are not alone. Every week, our team at Kangaroo Migration Consultants hears from applicants who assume a high federal points total should automatically translate into a Tasmania nomination. In reality, the Tasmania 190 and 491 invitation round runs on its own logic. Tasmania does not simply rank candidates by their Department of Home Affairs score; it ranks them through a separate Registration of Interest, or ROI, system that weighs local employment, occupation demand, residence and salary far more heavily than a headline EOI number
What Happens in a Tasmania 190 and 491 Invitation Round
An invitation round is the point at which Migration Tasmania reviews submitted ROIs and invites the most competitive candidates to lodge a full nomination application. This is a separate step from submitting a federal EOI, and it sits before nomination approval and any subsequent visa invitation. Because Tasmania’s nomination allocation is limited for each program year, the pool of available places shrinks as the year progresses, which is part of why invitation numbers and scores shift from one round to the next.
Subclass 190 is a permanent visa that adds five points to the federal test, and nominees are expected to genuinely live and work in Tasmania for a sustained period after approval. Subclass 491 is a provisional regional visa that adds fifteen points, requires applicants to live and work in regional Tasmania, and can lead toward permanent residence through Subclass 191 once the relevant requirements are met.
The Latest Round: What the Numbers Show
According to Migration Tasmania’s update for the round on 10 September 2026, 40 Subclass 190 invitations were issued, made up of 6 Gold and 34 Green invitations, with the lowest invited ROI score sitting at 502 points and 890 ROIs still on hand afterward. The rolling lowest score resulting in nomination at assessment was reported at 536 points. For Subclass 491, the same update recorded 26 invitations 3 Gold and 23 further invitations with a lowest invited score of just 74 points, 603 ROIs remaining, and a rolling assessment threshold of 86 points.
| Metric | Subclass 190 | Subclass 491 |
| Latest round | 10 Sept 2026 | 10 Sept 2026 |
| Invitations issued | 40 | 26 |
| Gold invitations | 6 | 3 |
| Other invitations | 34 (Green) | 23 |
| Lowest invited ROI score | 502 | 74 |
| ROIs on hand | 890 | 603 |
| Rolling lowest score at assessment | 536 | 86 |
It is worth remembering that these scores are Tasmania ROI points, not SkillSelect EOI points, and the two systems are not directly comparable. The 190 and 491 figures also should not be compared against each other, since their applicant pools and priority categories differ.
Why Tasmania ROI Points Carry More Weight Than EOI Points
Tasmania’s Registration of Interest system exists because the state is selecting for workforce needs, not simply ranking the highest federal scores. When you lodge an ROI, Migration Tasmania assesses factors such as Tasmanian employment history, salary level, employment duration, relevant study completed in the state, genuine residence, and whether your occupation sits in a priority sector such as health, allied health or teaching. A candidate with a comparatively modest EOI score but strong, well-evidenced Tasmanian employment can rank ahead of someone who scores highly on the federal points test but has no real connection to the state.
Consider two hypothetical applicants. Applicant A has ninety-five EOI points but no Tasmanian employment, no relevant local study and a low-priority occupation. Applicant B has eighty EOI points but has worked in Tasmania for an extended period in a role matching their skills assessment, earns a solid salary and sits in a higher-priority pass category.
In practice, Applicant B is often the more competitive candidate for nomination, because Tasmania’s pass categories commonly described as Gold, Green and lower-priority tiers can determine the order in which applicants are assessed even before their ROI score comes into play. A lower score in a priority category may be invited ahead of a higher score sitting in a less prioritised group, which is why our team encourages clients to review their skilled migration points test results alongside their Tasmania-specific profile rather than in isolation.
Building a Stronger ROI Profile
Several factors can meaningfully improve where you sit in a future invitation round. Genuine employment in Tasmania, in a role connected to your skills assessment and supported by employer evidence, tends to carry significant weight, as does the length of that employment and whether your salary meets the relevant threshold for the current program year. Completing an eligible qualification within the state, and being able to demonstrate real residence through leases, utility bills, payslips and tax records, can also strengthen your position.
If your occupation falls within a currently prioritised sector, that alone can shift your pass category, so it is worth checking Tasmania’s latest occupation and priority lists before assuming your role qualifies. Because criteria and priority settings can change between program years, applicants preparing an ROI submission are usually better served by working through a current state nomination visa strategy rather than relying on last year’s benchmarks.
It is equally important that every claim made in an ROI can be substantiated. Migration Tasmania assesses supporting evidence at the nomination stage, and unverifiable or inflated claims can lead to a nomination being declined even after an invitation has been issued. An ROI is an expression of interest, not an approval, and receiving an invitation only opens the door to lodge a nomination application; it does not guarantee nomination, and nomination itself does not guarantee that the Department of Home Affairs will ultimately grant the visa.
Understanding Pass Categories: Gold, Green and Beyond
Tasmania sorts ROI submissions into pass categories before it even looks closely at score, and this classification often has more bearing on the outcome than the number itself. A Gold-level profile generally reflects an applicant whose attributes are considered especially valuable to the state; this can include priority occupations such as health, allied health or teaching roles, or a particularly strong employment history.
Green-level applicants typically meet a recognised nomination pathway through eligible employment, relevant study, or established residence, and remain genuinely competitive depending on how many places are left in that round. Lower-priority categories, sometimes referred to as Orange or similar tiers, can still lead to an invitation, but applicants in these groups are more exposed to fluctuations in ROI volume, occupation demand and remaining allocation.
Before assuming a particular ROI score guarantees anything, it is worth confirming which category you actually sit in, since Tasmania may work through Gold and Green submissions well ahead of lower-priority ones regardless of score. Our advisers frequently walk clients through this classification as part of a broader Australian PR pathways comparison, because the right pass category can sometimes matter more than chasing a higher raw score.
Subclass 190 or 491: Which Pathway Suits You
Choosing between Subclass 190 and Subclass 491 should not come down to points value alone, even though 491 offers fifteen additional federal points against five for 190. Subclass 190 delivers permanent residence immediately upon grant, which suits applicants who want long-term certainty and are prepared to meet Tasmania’s residence and employment commitments from day one. Subclass 491 is provisional and regional, better suited to applicants who are comfortable building their life in Tasmania over a longer runway before transitioning to permanent residence through Subclass 191.
The two pathways also draw from different applicant pools and are assessed against separate priority settings, which is why the lowest invited scores for 190 and 491 in any given round can look so different and should not be read as a measure of which visa is “easier.” Applicants weighing this decision, particularly those considering Australian PR without employer sponsorship, should factor in their long-term settlement plans alongside their current employment and residence situation in Tasmania.
What Happens After You Receive an Invitation
Receiving a Tasmania invitation is an important milestone, but it is still several steps away from a visa grant. Once invited, applicants generally need to review the deadline attached to the invitation, gather supporting evidence for every claim made in their ROI, and lodge a formal nomination application. Migration Tasmania then assesses that application on its merits, checking that employment, salary, residence, study and occupation claims are properly supported.
If nomination is approved, applicants proceed to the relevant SkillSelect invitation and visa application stage with the Department of Home Affairs, which involves its own points test, English, health, character and skills assessment requirements. An invitation does not guarantee nomination approval, and nomination itself does not guarantee a visa grant; each stage is assessed independently, so documentation is best prepared early.
A Note on Reading the Statistics
The lowest score invited in any single round reflects only what happened in that round. It is not a fixed cut-off, and treating it as one is one of the most common misunderstandings applicants bring to us. Scores move because the number of available places changes, because the volume and quality of submitted ROIs shifts, and because Tasmania periodically adjusts its priority occupations to match labour-market needs. Rather than fixating on last round’s lowest figure, it is generally more useful to track the rolling assessment threshold over several rounds and to keep an eye on official Migration Tasmania updates for any changes to program-year settings. Applicants weighing whether Subclass 190 or Subclass 491 better fits their goals.
FAQs
What is the difference between Tasmania 190 and 491 visas?
The Tasmania 190 visa is a permanent skilled nomination pathway, while the Tasmania 491 visa is a provisional regional visa that may lead to permanent residency through Subclass 191. The points, eligibility criteria, and nomination conditions differ for each pathway.
Do EOI points or ROI points matter more for Tasmania 190 and 491 invitations?
For Tasmania 190 and 491 invitations, ROI points and priority attributes play a major role in ranking candidates. EOI points are still required for federal visa eligibility, but a high EOI score alone does not guarantee a Tasmanian nomination invitation.
What ROI score is required for Tasmania 190 and 491 invitations?
The required ROI score changes according to the number of applicants, available nomination places, priority attributes, and program demand. Migration Tasmania publishes the lowest invited scores and rolling score thresholds during its invitation rounds.
What are Gold, Green, and Orange passes in the Tasmania 190 and 491 process?
Gold, Green, and Orange passes indicate how competitive an applicant’s ROI is. Gold pass holders may apply immediately, while Green and Orange pass holders may receive an invitation later depending on nomination places, ranking, and priority attributes.
How can applicants improve their chances in the Tasmania 190 and 491 invitation round?
Applicants can improve their chances by meeting the correct pathway requirements, gaining relevant Tasmanian employment, meeting salary and work-hour thresholds, maintaining accurate ROI information, and claiming only those priority attributes they can prove with valid documents.
Can a high EOI score guarantee a Tasmania 190 and 491 invitation?
No. A high EOI score does not guarantee an invitation for Tasmania 190 and 491 nomination. Migration Tasmania primarily ranks candidates according to their ROI score, priority attributes, pathway eligibility, available places, and current state migration needs.
Can I apply for Tasmania 190 and 491 at the same time?
Applicants must carefully select their preferred nomination pathway based on eligibility and priority ranking. In some cases, an unsuccessful Subclass 190 application may be considered for Subclass 491 if the applicant has included Subclass 491 in their SkillSelect EOI. However, multiple nominations are not permitted.
Final Thoughts
Every applicant’s Tasmania profile looks different, and a strong EOI score is only one part of a much larger picture. If you are unsure how your employment history, occupation, salary and residence stack up against the current ROI criteria, or you want a clear-eyed assessment of whether Subclass 190 or Subclass 491 is the better fit for your circumstances, our registered migration advisers at Kangaroo Migration Consultants can review your full profile, benchmark it against the latest invitation-round data, and help you prepare a well-evidenced ROI and nomination application. Reach out today for a Tasmania eligibility assessment and take the guesswork out of your state nomination strategy.