Australian Capital Territory state nomination (190 and 491)

How ACT selects candidates

The ACT runs the Canberra Matrix: its own points-based ranking, separate from the federal points test. You submit a Matrix, the highest-ranked Matrices in each round are invited to apply for nomination, and an invitation is active for a limited period.

The Canberra Matrix rewards things the federal points test ignores - length of ACT residence, ACT employment in your nominated occupation, ACT study, and having your spouse working in Canberra.

What counts as regional in Australian Capital Territory

All of the ACT is a designated regional area for the 491 and 494. For the 491 and 494, everywhere in Australia except Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane is a designated regional area - which is why the regional visas are far less "remote" than most applicants assume.

The order to do this in

1. Check your occupation is on a federal list - occupation search.
2. Get a skills assessment from the authority named for your occupation (assessing authorities).
3. Sit English - score tables. Most states will not look at a candidate at the bare Competent level when the pool is deep.
4. Lodge an EOI in SkillSelect, selecting ACT.
5. Do whatever ACT requires on top: an ROI, a Matrix, a registration or a direct nomination application. Check the current criteria at www.act.gov.au.

What nomination actually buys you

• Points. State or territory nomination adds 5 points on the subclass 190; regional nomination adds 15 on the subclass 491. Run the numbers on the points calculator.
• A different queue. Nominated candidates are invited from a separate pool with its own allocation, so a score that is uncompetitive for the 189 can be comfortably competitive with a nomination.
• A shorter list. Every state publishes its own occupation list, and it is always shorter than the federal one. Check yours in the occupation search first, then check the state list.

What it costs you

• A commitment to live there. Nomination carries an expectation - and on the 491 a visa condition - that you live and work in the nominating state or region. On the 491 it is also the precondition for the 191 permanent visa: three years of holding the visa and taxable income at the required level.
• A separate application, fee and timeline. Nomination is assessed by the state, not the department, and most states charge their own processing fee on top of the visa charge.
• Uncertainty. States open and close streams during the year as their allocation is used. A criterion that was met last month can be closed this month.

Other states and territories

Frequently asked questions