Subclass 190 · ACT

Australian Capital Territory nomination for the subclass 190 visa

Permanent residence with Australian Capital Territory Government nomination. Canberra Matrix selection through ACT Government Migration. The first 2026-27 round, in the week starting 12 October 2026, issued 261 invitations for 190 nomination.

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The Australian Capital Territory Government nominates skilled migrants for the Subclass 190 Skilled Nominated visa under the General Skilled Migration program. The program is administered by ACT Government Migration and uses the Canberra Matrix. The ACT's 2025-26 allocation was 800 190 places and 800 491 places. Its 2026-27 allocation has not yet been announced, and as at 15 October 2026 the Department of Home Affairs has not published 2026-27 state and territory allocations.

State nomination is one stage of a two-stage process. Australian Capital Territory assesses applicants against territory-specific criteria; the Department of Home Affairs then assesses the federal visa application following nomination. The strategic question is whether your profile matches ACT's critical sectors and selection mechanism well enough to receive nomination, given that the ACT states demand for 190 nomination far exceeds the places available.

ACT 190 eligibility

Federal eligibility

You must meet the standard 190 federal criteria: under 45 at invitation, a suitable skills assessment, at least Competent English at invitation, at least 65 points on the points test (including the five points for state nomination), and health and character requirements.

Nominated occupation

Your nominated occupation must be on the latest ACT Nominated Migration Program Occupation List, which covers 105 ANZSCO unit groups and was last updated on 10 October 2025. Some listed occupations are available for the 491 only. The occupation must also be on the Home Affairs list of eligible skilled occupations for the 190.

Selection mechanism

Australian Capital Territory uses the Canberra Matrix, a score-based registration of interest with points for skilled employment, English, qualifications, length of ACT residence or study, investment activity and close family ties. Canberra residents must have lived in Canberra for at least six months at the date of Matrix submission. The ACT also requires Proficient or Superior English for 190 nomination, unless the occupation is Chef (351311) or has an ANZSCO skill level of 3 to 5.

Priority sectors

The ACT states that Matrix submissions with a nominated occupation in a critical sector may be prioritised. The critical sectors it lists are care, education, construction, renewables, experience and advanced technology.

Doctorate streamlined pathway

Holders of a professional or research doctorate completed at an ACT university have a separate Doctorate Streamlined pathway, and the nominated occupation need not be on the ACT list. Canberra residents must have lived in the ACT for at least 12 months; overseas and interstate applicants must have been awarded the doctorate in the last two years.

How Australian Capital Territory selection works

ACT's 190 selection process operates through ACT Government Migration and is documented at act.gov.au/migration. The ACT's tentative 2026-27 schedule lists invitation rounds in the weeks starting 12 October 2026 (190 only), 25 January 2027, 22 March 2027 and 24 May 2027, subject to change. The 12 October 2026 round issued 261 invitations for 190 nomination: 54 on the Doctorate Streamlined pathway, 18 to Canberra resident Small Business Owners (minimum Matrix score 120), 126 to Canberra residents in critical skill occupations and 63 to overseas applicants in critical skill occupations. No 491 invitations were issued. Those invited apply for ACT nomination; nomination triggers the federal invitation and a 60-day window in which to lodge the complete visa application.

The ACT program publishes nomination guidelines and round results that are updated regularly. Confirm the current settings before lodging an EOI or Canberra Matrix.

Speak with an immigration lawyer about your ACT 190 application

We assess your profile against ACT's priority sectors and selection mechanism, identify the strongest claim available to you, and prepare the Canberra Matrix, the ACT nomination application and the federal application to a litigation-ready standard.

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If your application is refused

Refusal at the Australian Capital Territory state nomination stage is a state administrative decision. Internal review or reconsideration may be available depending on the ACT program's guidelines. State nomination decisions are not directly reviewable by the Administrative Review Tribunal.

If the federal visa is refused following nomination, the refusal letter states whether merits review by the ART is available. Judicial review in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia is limited to jurisdictional error. Time limits are strict.

Australian Capital Territory 190 nomination activity

Checked on 22-10-2026 against Home Affairs SkillSelect and the Australian Capital Territory nomination page.

Subclass 190 nominations recorded in SkillSelect, 1 July 2026 to 31 August 2026
Fewer than 5
Latest round published by Australian Capital Territory
12 October 2026: 261 subclass 190 invitations across the Canberra Matrix streams; no subclass 491 invitations.
ACT Government, Canberra Matrix invitation rounds Rounds in every state and territory

Common questions

How does the ACT 190 nomination process work?
The ACT Government selects candidates for 190 nomination through the Canberra Matrix, a score-based registration of interest submitted through the ACT Migration Application Portal. Applicants also need a SkillSelect Expression of Interest, and must meet the ACT 190 nomination criteria when they submit the Matrix. ACT Government Migration ranks Matrix submissions and invites the highest ranked in each occupation to apply for ACT nomination. ACT nomination triggers the invitation from the Department of Home Affairs, after which the applicant has 60 days to lodge the visa application.
What is the ACT 190 allocation for 2026-27?
As at 15 October 2026, the ACT Government has not yet announced its 2026-27 allocation, and the Department of Home Affairs has not published state and territory allocations for 2026-27. The ACT's 2025-26 allocation was 800 places for the 190 and 800 for the 491. Home Affairs recorded fewer than five ACT 190 nominations between 1 July and 31 August 2026. The first 2026-27 Canberra Matrix round, in the week starting 12 October 2026, issued 261 invitations to apply for 190 nomination.
Which occupation list applies?
Your nominated occupation must be on the latest ACT Nominated Migration Program Occupation List, which covers 105 ANZSCO unit groups and was last updated on 10 October 2025. The ACT applies the latest list to every Canberra Matrix, whenever it was submitted, and marks some occupations as available for the 491 only. The Doctorate Streamlined pathway, and the Small Business Owner pathway for Canberra residents, do not require an occupation on the ACT list. The occupation must also be on the Home Affairs list of eligible skilled occupations for the 190.
What are the priority sectors?
The ACT states that Canberra Matrix submissions with a nominated occupation in a critical sector may be prioritised. The critical sectors it lists are care, education, construction, renewables, experience and advanced technology.
What residency or commitment is required?
Canberra residents must have lived in Canberra (or within a 30-minute commute in NSW, such as Queanbeyan, Jerrabomberra or Googong) for at least six months at the date of Matrix submission and continue to do so until invitation, and must have worked in Canberra for at least 26 weeks. Overseas applicants must be living overseas, must not have lived in Australia for the last year, and need at least three years of full-time post-graduate work experience in the nominated occupation in the last five years. Every ACT 190 nominee commits to living and working in Canberra for at least two years from visa grant, or from arrival in Canberra for those moving from overseas.
What if my ACT 190 nomination is refused?
State nomination decisions are administrative decisions of the Australian Capital Territory Government. Internal review may be available depending on the ACT program's published guidelines. State nomination decisions are not directly reviewable by the Administrative Review Tribunal in the way federal visa decisions are. If the federal visa is refused after nomination, the refusal letter states whether review is available; ART merits review and judicial review in the Federal Circuit and Family Court are subject to strict statutory time limits.

Information current as at 15 October 2026. Australian Capital Territory program settings, occupation lists, invitation round dates and allocations are revised through the program year. Confirm current settings at act.gov.au/migration before lodging an EOI or Canberra Matrix.

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