Following announcement is made by Tasmania state nomination authority in regard to the applicants holding Bridging Visa A and affected by s48 bar and travel bans.

The rapidly evolving situation regarding COVID-19 has necessitated temporary changes to eligibility for the Subclass 491: 3A Overseas Applicant (TSOL) nomination category.

As of 20 March 2020, applications for this category are temporarily restricted until further notice to only occupations listed in the ‘High Demand’ section of the Tasmanian Skilled Occupation List (TSOL).

Applications under Category 3A lodged prior to this date which specify other occupations will still be considered. Applicants with ‘High Demand’ occupations will, however, be given priority. This means processing times for other Category 3A applications with occupations not listed in the High Demand section will become extended (approximately 6 months from lodgement).

The updated Tasmanian Skilled Occupation List (TSOL) can be found here.

Bridging Visa holders: s48 bar – unable to lodge due to travel restrictions

If supported for visa state nomination a Subclass 491 applicant who holds a Bridging Visa A, B, C or E while seeking review of a decision would be required to depart Australia in order to lodge their visa application with the Department of Home Affairs. While travel restrictions are in place many applicants will find it difficult to depart Australia and all will be unable to enter Australia (unless exempt).

In an effort to manage this situation, as of 2 April 2020 all applications on hand and lodged thereafter by candidates who hold a Bridging Visa associated with Administrative Appeal Tribunal (AAT) or Federal Court review will continue to be assessed as normal.

Unsuccessful applicants will be advised of the outcome and should not reapply until travel restrictions are lifted. All other applications will be placed on hold in our system and when travel restrictions are lifted, we will contact applicants to obtain an update of circumstances (such as current residential location and employment details if applicable) to then finalise their application accordingly.

For more information regarding the Tasmania temporary changes to eligibility for the Subclass 491 please get in touch with our migration team at info@australasiaeduconnect.com.au

Source: Subclass 491: Category 3A – Overseas Applicant Restrictions