ACT Nomination | Canberra Skilled Visa 190 & 491

ACT Nomination – Subclass 190

The Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) is a permanent skilled visa for eligible applicants nominated by the ACT.

ACT nomination provides 5 additional points under the Australian skilled migration points test.

A successful subclass 190 applicant can live and work in Australia as a permanent resident, subject to the visa requirements.

Applicants nominated by the ACT must commit to living and working in Canberra for at least two years from visa grant, or from arrival in Canberra for eligible offshore applicants.

ACT 190 applicants generally need:

• An eligible occupation or qualifying ACT nomination pathway
• A valid skills assessment
• The required English level
• The required points score
• A valid SkillSelect Expression of Interest
• Eligibility for subclass 190
• Eligibility for ACT nomination
• A competitive Canberra Matrix
• Health and character clearance
• A genuine commitment to Canberra

The exact requirements depend on whether you are a Canberra resident or an overseas applicant.

ACT Nomination – Subclass 491

The Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) is a five-year provisional skilled visa for eligible skilled workers.

ACT nomination provides 15 additional points under the Australian points test.

The 491 pathway can provide a potential route to permanent residence through subclass 191, once the applicable requirements are satisfied.

ACT 491 nominees must commit to living and working in Canberra for at least two years from visa grant, or from arrival in Canberra for eligible offshore applicants.

ACT 491 applicants generally need:

• An eligible occupation or qualifying ACT pathway
• Valid skills assessment
• Required English
• Required points
• Valid SkillSelect EOI
• Competitive Canberra Matrix
• ACT nomination
• Health and character requirements
• Genuine commitment to Canberra

What Is the Canberra Matrix?

The Canberra Matrix is the ACT's score-based system for selecting applicants who want to be considered for ACT nomination.

Applicants can claim Matrix points for factors including:

• ACT skilled employment
• English proficiency
• Formal qualifications
• ACT residence
• ACT study
• Investment activity
• Close family ties
• Small business activity
• Other applicable criteria

The Matrix is designed to identify applicants who have made, or are likely to make, a positive economic or social contribution to Canberra.

A higher Matrix score can improve your ranking, but there is no guaranteed invitation score.

The selection cut-off depends on demand, available nomination places, occupation and the number of invitations issued.

ACT Nomination Pathways

Current ACT nomination pathways include:

ACT Nominated Migration Program Occupation List

This is the general pathway for eligible applicants whose nominated occupation appears on the current ACT Nominated Migration Program Occupation List.

It can apply to:

• Canberra residents
• Overseas applicants

The exact criteria differ depending on the applicant's residency status and visa subclass.

ACT ranks Matrix submissions by occupation and visa subclass. For the general occupation-list pathway, the highest-ranked Matrix submission in each occupation can be invited, subject to demand and available places. ACT currently selects 491 Matrix submissions before 190 submissions in this pathway.

Doctorate Streamlined Pathway

The Doctorate Streamlined nomination pathway is designed to retain highly skilled graduates who have completed a professional or research doctoral degree at an ACT university.

Eligible applicants may benefit from a simplified nomination process.

For this pathway:

• The applicant must have completed a qualifying doctorate at an ACT university
• The occupation does not need to be on the ACT Nominated Migration Program Occupation List, provided it is on the relevant Home Affairs skilled occupation list
• Additional ACT nomination eligibility requirements may not apply
• Canberra Matrix points are not required
• The pathway can apply to eligible Canberra residents and certain interstate or overseas graduates

For eligible interstate or overseas applicants, the doctorate generally must have been awarded within the previous two years.

Small Business Owner Pathway

The Small Business Owner (SBO) pathway is designed for eligible entrepreneurs who actively contribute to the ACT economy.

Applicants generally need to:

• Be the majority owner of an eligible registered business
• Operate the business in the ACT
• Be living in the ACT or within eligible commuting distance in NSW
• Meet the applicable ACT nomination requirements
• Claim Canberra Matrix points in the Small Business Owner category

For this pathway, the nominated occupation does not necessarily need to appear on the ACT Nominated Migration Program Occupation List if it is included on the relevant Home Affairs skilled occupation list.

Significant Economic Benefit

The ACT may also identify applicants whose employment provides a significant economic benefit to the Territory.

This is not an application pathway that applicants can request.

An invitation under this pathway can only be initiated by the ACT Government.

Canberra Resident Nomination

ACT has specific eligibility requirements for people living in Canberra.

For example, current ACT 190 Canberra resident criteria require applicants to have:

• Lived in Canberra for at least six months
• Continued living in Canberra until invitation
• Evidence of Canberra residence
• At least 26 weeks of eligible Canberra employment
• A valid skills assessment
• Valid English evidence
• Eligibility for the relevant Home Affairs visa
• Commitment to live and work in Canberra

Applicants may live within certain commuting areas of NSW, including locations such as Queanbeyan, Jerrabomberra and Googong, subject to ACT's current criteria.

The detailed employment and English requirements depend on the nominated occupation and pathway.

English Requirements for Canberra Residents

The ACT can impose English requirements that are higher than the basic Home Affairs requirement for certain applicants.

For current Canberra resident 190 criteria, applicants generally need Proficient or Superior English, unless their nominated occupation is:

• Chef – ANZSCO 351311, or
• An occupation with ANZSCO skill level 3, 4 or 5

The relevant Home Affairs English requirement still applies.

This makes occupation-specific assessment particularly important for ACT nomination.

Overseas ACT Nomination

Applicants living outside Australia can also be considered for ACT nomination where they meet the current requirements.

For overseas applicants, the nominated occupation generally needs to appear on the current ACT Nominated Migration Program Occupation List, unless the applicant qualifies through a specific pathway such as the Doctorate Streamlined pathway.

Overseas applicants should understand that ACT nomination is competitive and that meeting the minimum eligibility criteria does not guarantee an invitation.

ACT Nominated Migration Program Occupation List

The ACT maintains an ACT Nominated Migration Program Occupation List.

The list identifies occupations that may be considered for ACT nomination under the relevant pathway.

Occupation eligibility can change, so applicants should check the current list before submitting a Canberra Matrix.

Your occupation must also satisfy the applicable Department of Home Affairs requirements for the visa you intend to apply for.

An occupation being eligible for ACT nomination does not automatically guarantee:

• Canberra Matrix selection
• ACT nomination
• Home Affairs invitation
• Visa approval

SkillSelect Expression of Interest

Before submitting a Canberra Matrix, you must generally submit a valid Expression of Interest (EOI) through the Australian Government's SkillSelect system.

Your EOI should accurately reflect:

• Age
• Occupation
• Skills assessment
• English
• Qualifications
• Skilled employment
• Points
• Location
• Partner information
• Other relevant visa information

The ACT checks your SkillSelect EOI when assessing your nomination application.

If the EOI contains incorrect information, your ACT nomination application can be affected.

Canberra Matrix Submission

Once you have confirmed that you meet the relevant ACT nomination criteria, you can submit a Canberra Matrix through the ACT Migration Application Portal.

When submitting your Matrix:

1. Select the appropriate visa subclass.
2. Select Canberra resident or overseas applicant.
3. Select the applicable nomination pathway.
4. Claim only points you can substantiate.
5. Submit your Matrix.
6. Pay the required service fee within the specified timeframe.

The ACT requires the service fee to be paid within seven days of submitting the Matrix. If payment is not received, the Matrix submission automatically lapses.

Canberra Matrix Ranking

ACT ranks eligible Matrix submissions according to its current selection methodology.

Factors can include:

• Residency
• Occupation
• Matrix score
• Economic contribution
• ACT employment
• English
• Qualifications
• ACT study
• Investment
• Family connections
• Program priorities

Critical sectors can receive priority.

The ACT currently identifies critical sectors including:

• Care
• Education
• Construction
• Renewables
• Advanced technology

However, priority does not guarantee selection.

ACT Invitation Rounds

ACT conducts invitation rounds throughout the year.

The selection cut-off depends on:

• Available nomination places
• Demand
• Occupation
• Matrix ranking
• Visa subclass
• Number of invitations being issued

There is no guaranteed Matrix score at which an invitation will be issued.

The ACT also does not prioritise applicants simply because their visa is expiring or because of other personal circumstances.

Canberra Matrix Validity

A Canberra Matrix submission generally remains valid for six months if no invitation is issued and the Matrix is not updated.

An update can extend the validity by another six months, subject to a maximum validity period of 12 months from the original submission.

If you update your Matrix, the updated submission is treated as a new Matrix for ranking purposes.

You must continue to meet the eligibility requirements and be able to substantiate your claims when the Matrix is updated.

ACT Nomination Invitation

If your Matrix is selected, the ACT may invite you to apply for nomination.

The ACT nomination application is currently active for 14 days.

You must submit the nomination application and pay the applicable service fee within this period. If you do not do so, the invitation lapses.

ACT Nomination Assessment

When assessing an application, the ACT can review:

• SkillSelect EOI
• Skills assessment
• English
• Qualifications
• Employment evidence
• Residence evidence
• Matrix claims
• Supporting documents
• Home Affairs visa eligibility

Your supporting documents must substantiate the claims made in your Matrix.

The ACT may make a decision based solely on the documents submitted with the application, so complete and accurate documentation is essential.

ACT Nomination and Permanent Residency

Subclass 190

The subclass 190 is a permanent visa.

A potential pathway is:

Skills Assessment → English → SkillSelect EOI → Canberra Matrix → ACT Invitation → ACT Nomination → Home Affairs Invitation → Subclass 190 → Permanent Residence

Subclass 491

The subclass 491 is provisional.

An eligible applicant may potentially progress to subclass 191 after meeting the applicable requirements.

A potential pathway is:

Skills Assessment → EOI → Canberra Matrix → ACT Nomination → Subclass 491 → Regional Requirements → Subclass 191 → Permanent Residence

The 491 pathway is subject to the requirements applicable to subclass 191 when the applicant becomes eligible.

ACT Nomination Places

The ACT receives a fixed number of nomination places from the Australian Government each financial year.

For 2025–26, the allocation was:

• 800 subclass 190 places
• 800 subclass 491 places

The ACT's published information states that the 2026–27 allocation had not yet been announced at the time of the latest available program information.

Nomination places are limited, which contributes to the competitive nature of the Canberra Matrix.

ACT Nomination Service Fee

A service fee is payable as part of the ACT nomination process.

The applicable fee can depend on the nomination pathway and applicant circumstances.

The Doctorate Streamlined nomination pathway is currently fee-free, while other nomination applications may attract an ACT service fee. Applicants should confirm the current fee through the ACT Migration Application Portal before submitting payment.

This fee is separate from:

• Australian Government visa charges
• Skills assessment fees
• English testing
• Medical examinations
• Police checks
• Professional migration advice fees

Documents for ACT Nomination

Depending on your pathway, you may need:

• Passport
• SkillSelect EOI
• Skills assessment
• English test
• Qualification certificates
• Academic transcripts
• Employment references
• Payslips
• Employment contracts
• Superannuation records
• Tax documents
• Bank statements
• Canberra residence evidence
• ACT employment evidence
• Study evidence
• Business documents
• Partner documents
• Evidence supporting Matrix claims
• Visa documents

The ACT requires supporting evidence for claims made in the Canberra Matrix.

ACT Nomination Commitment

Successful nominees are expected to genuinely establish themselves in Canberra.

For ACT nomination, applicants must commit to living and working in Canberra for at least two years from the relevant date.

This is an important consideration before selecting ACT nomination as your migration strategy.

ACT Nomination Is Not a Visa Grant

ACT nomination is only one stage of the migration process.

The ACT Government assesses applicants for nomination.

The Australian Government Department of Home Affairs makes the final decision on the visa application.

ACT nomination triggers the relevant Home Affairs invitation process, but ACT nomination does not guarantee that the visa will be granted.

Common ACT Nomination Mistakes

Applicants should avoid:

• Using an outdated ACT occupation list
• Claiming Matrix points without evidence
• Submitting an inaccurate SkillSelect EOI
• Selecting the wrong Matrix pathway
• Using an expired skills assessment
• Using invalid English evidence
• Claiming employment that does not meet ACT requirements
• Providing inconsistent residence information
• Updating the Matrix without checking continued eligibility
• Assuming a high Matrix score guarantees selection
• Assuming 65 points guarantees ACT nomination
• Missing the 14-day nomination application deadline
• Assuming ACT nomination guarantees visa approval
• Relying on old Canberra Matrix scores
• Providing false or misleading information

Why Choose The Visa?

ACT nomination is different from many other state nomination programs because the Canberra Matrix plays a central role in ranking applicants.

The Visa can help assess:

• ACT 190 eligibility
• ACT 491 eligibility
• Canberra Matrix score
• ACT occupation eligibility
• Skills assessment
• English requirements
• ACT employment
• Canberra residence
• ACT study
• Doctorate Streamlined pathway
• Small Business Owner pathway
• Overseas nomination options
• Regional PR pathways
• Alternative state nomination options
• Employer-sponsored alternatives

Our Registered Migration Agent can help you understand your ACT nomination options and develop a migration strategy based on your individual circumstances.

Get Your ACT Nomination Assessment

Are you planning to migrate to Canberra through skilled migration?

Contact The Visa for a personalised assessment of your ACT nomination and Australian skilled visa options.

Registered Migration Agent: Navneet Kaur
MARN: 2318181

Phone: +61 430 077 714
Email: [email protected]
Website: thevisa.com.au

ACT nomination is competitive and subject to current occupation lists, Canberra Matrix ranking, available nomination places and program settings. Meeting minimum eligibility requirements does not guarantee an invitation, nomination or visa grant.