ACT Nomination: How the ACT Government Nominates Skilled Migrants

1. Submit an EOI. A valid expression of interest in SkillSelect, which Home Affairs runs, must come first.
2. Submit a Canberra Matrix. Complete one for each pathway you want (190 or 491) and pay the A$25 fee within seven days, or it lapses.
3. Wait for an invitation. The ACT ranks Matrix scores and emails an invitation, with a link, to those who rank high enough.
4. Apply for nomination. Upload the documents that prove each claim and pay the A$325 fee.

Nomination then triggers the visa invitation from Home Affairs. Read the Canberra Matrix, add up your points with the Canberra Matrix calculator, and check dates on Canberra Matrix invitation rounds. An invitation is never guaranteed, even for an eligible applicant.

The resident pathway is for people living in Canberra. It is closed to anyone living interstate or overseas, or whose dependants live or work interstate. The overseas pathway is closed to anyone living in Australia, and their dependants cannot live here either, apart from children enrolled in an ACT school. Check your nominated occupation against the ACT occupation list. An immigration lawyer in Canberra can check which criteria apply to your evidence.

Small business owner

A majority owner of an eligible registered ACT business can claim small business points. The nominated occupation need not be on the occupation list.

Doctorate streamlined

A resident who completed a research or professional doctorate at an ACT university, or an overseas applicant awarded one within the last two years, can use this pathway.

The ACT’s checklist includes the SkillSelect EOI summary and points advice, a valid skills assessment, passport, CV, VEVO, a signed and witnessed declaration of nomination obligations, bank statements and a valid English test. Each document type takes up to five files of 5 MB. Read the full key documents checklist. A Canberra immigration lawyer can check the records for consistency before they are uploaded.

After grant you must email the ACT Migration team the grant notice and complete settlement surveys at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months. The ACT states that applicants are not released from their signed obligations.

The ACT pages give no review step for a refused nomination. Read the refusal notice for any step it names. A visa refusal is a separate decision made by Home Affairs.

An application prepared by an Australian migration lawyer is more likely to succeed: the lawyer checks each claim against the ACT criteria and your documents before lodging, because one missing document can refuse an application. This is the work of immigration lawyers in Canberra for 190 and 491 nominations. Enquire about your migration matter.