If your business relies on state-nominated skilled migrants to fill roles, the start of the 2026-27 program year brings a mix of good news, new red tape, and a few deadlines worth flagging to your HR team now. Here's what's actually changed across Tasmania, the ACT, Queensland, and the Far North Queensland DAMA — and what it means for how you plan your sponsorship pipeline this year.

Far North Queensland DAMA: The Most Actionable Changes for Employers

Employers using the FNQ DAMA to sponsor overseas workers have the most direct changes to respond to this year, and some come with real cost savings attached.

A 50% fee cut is now available on subclass 186 endorsements. If you're nominating a worker for the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) and that position is bundled with its corresponding Skills in Demand (subclass 482) position, you now qualify for a 50% reduction on the endorsement fee. Worth checking your current nomination structure against this — if you're not pairing the two, you may be paying more than you need to.

Build concessions in from the start. Age and English concessions are cheaper and faster to secure if requested during the initial endorsement application rather than added later. Late additions can trigger extra administration fees and add to Department processing times. If there's any possibility a role will need a concession, request it upfront — retrofitting it later costs more in both time and money.

Aged care roles are safe — for now. Personal Care Assistant, Nursing Support Worker, and Aged or Disabled Carer remain available occupations under the DAMA. A proposed change that would have removed them has reportedly been paused, but nothing is confirmed long-term. If your business sponsors any of these roles, it's worth lodging requests sooner rather than waiting to see what happens — and note this protection applies to aged care specifically, not disability care positions.

Tasmania: More Places, But a Narrower Overseas Pathway

Tasmania has increased its 2026-27 allocation to 2,050 nomination places (1,250 subclass 190, 800 subclass 491) — both up from 2025-26. Registrations of Interest reopened 17 August 2026, with weekly invitation rounds starting 20 August. Nomination fees have risen to $387 (excl. GST) — worth budgeting into onboarding costs for any Tasmania-based hires.

The change employers most need to understand: Tasmania will not issue subclass 491 invitations to overseas applicants at all this year. If you're trying to sponsor or support a candidate currently living outside Australia into a Tasmanian regional role, the 491 route is off the table for now. The only overseas exception is for health and teaching roles — candidates in those sectors can still pursue subclass 190 nomination if they already hold a job offer from an eligible Tasmanian employer, via a dedicated Health or Education Sector Job Offer Pathway.

If any of your sponsored candidates already have a pending 491 application, know that it won't convert automatically to a 190 — they'll need to withdraw and reapply, with no guarantee of a fresh invitation. Worth communicating this early if it affects anyone in your pipeline.

ACT: Easier to Administer, Still Short on Numbers

Canberra rolled out a new Migration Application portal on 30 July 2026, replacing the previous system for Canberra Matrix and nomination submissions. For employers helping candidates navigate the process, the practical upshot is a smoother experience: multi-factor authentication, mobile access, live status tracking, and the ability to edit submissions after lodging — all previously unavailable.

Existing submissions carry over automatically, but candidates need to register a new account using the email tied to their original submission — worth flagging to anyone you're supporting through the process so they don't get caught out.

Nomination now costs $350 total ($25 Matrix submission + $325 nomination fee), and expedited processing has been introduced for candidates facing visa or document expiry or other urgent circumstances — though this only applies after an invitation is already issued, so it won't speed up getting invited in the first place.

The gap employers should watch: the ACT hasn't yet confirmed its 2026-27 allocation or finalised its occupation list, so there's no invitation timeline to plan hiring around yet. If you have roles pending ACT nomination, factor in the uncertainty until the allocation lands.

Queensland: Program Still Closed, Fees Already Up

Queensland's 2026-27 program hasn't opened — the state is still waiting on confirmation of its allocation from the federal government. Employers with candidates waiting on Queensland nomination should be aware that fees have already increased regardless: $573 for offshore applicants and $630.30 (incl. GST) for onshore applicants, applying to both subclass 190 and 491 invitees. Budget for the higher cost now so it's not a surprise once the program reopens.

What This Means for Your Sponsorship Planning

The clearest window to move on right now is Tasmania, provided your candidate is already onshore or fits the narrow health/education overseas exception. FNQ DAMA employers have concrete fee savings and concession timing to build into current nominations. ACT and Queensland both remain in a holding pattern on allocations, which is worth communicating to any candidates or hiring managers expecting a fast turnaround.

Given how much these settings shift between program years, it's worth reviewing your current sponsorship pipeline against the latest rules for each jurisdiction before lodging new nominations. Get in touch with our team to check your sponsorship strategy against these updates before your next round of nominations.