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ACT skilled nomination uses the Canberra Matrix to select applicants, but a Matrix score is only one part of the process. Your location, occupation, employment history and chosen visa subclass determine which eligibility rules apply.
This guide focuses on the ordinary nominated-occupation route for Canberra employees and overseas applicants. Small business owners, self-employed applicants and ACT doctoral graduates need a separate check of their pathway rules.
QUICK ANSWER
Does a Canberra Matrix score mean you qualify for nomination?
A Matrix score does not establish eligibility or guarantee an invitation. You must first meet the relevant ACT nomination criteria and Department of Home Affairs (Home Affairs) visa criteria. The Matrix then ranks claims such as employment, English, qualifications and ACT connections.
As checked on 30 October 2026, the Matrix portal is operating, but the ACT homepage says the Australian Government has not yet confirmed its 2026–27 nomination allocation. Portal access should not be read as confirmation of an allocation or a future invitation.
What does a Canberra employee need for subclass 190?
For the ordinary nominated-occupation route, your occupation must be on the current ACT Nominated Migration Program Occupation List. The resident criteria require at least six months living in Canberra at Matrix submission, continuing until invitation.
An employee must have worked at least 30 hours a week in at least 26 of the 30 weeks before Matrix submission. Payslips and bank records must support the claimed employment, and the job must be genuine and paid under Australian employment conditions. The employer must provide the required statutory declaration.
For employees of an interstate employer, there must be a genuine reason for working in Canberra. Online work or work from a home office does not satisfy that arrangement.
If you have a spouse or partner, they must have lived in Canberra for at least six months, or be living overseas. Resident applicants must also sign a commitment to live and work in Canberra while the visa is processed and for at least two years from visa grant.
ACT 190 generally requires Proficient or Superior English. The additional ACT English requirement has exceptions for Chef (351311) and occupations at ANZSCO skill levels 3–5; those exceptions do not remove the applicable Home Affairs visa requirements.
How are the Canberra 491 employee requirements different?
The ordinary resident 491 route has shorter residence and employment thresholds: at least three months living in Canberra, continuing until invitation, and at least 15 hours a week in at least 13 of the 15 weeks before Matrix submission.
If you have a spouse or partner, the resident 491 rule requires at least three months in Canberra, or residence overseas. The resident commitment also covers visa processing and at least two years from visa grant. The interstate-employer restriction described above applies here too.
The occupation-list requirement still applies to this ordinary route. English must meet the Home Affairs Competent English requirement unless the assessing authority requires a higher level.
The same need for genuine employment, supporting payment records and an employer declaration remains. Unpaid internships, stipends, scholarships and volunteer positions are not qualifying employee work. Do not use these employee hours to assess self-employment or business-owner eligibility; their criteria differ.
The ACT residence rules also recognise specified nearby NSW commuting arrangements. Check the actual location criteria rather than assuming any NSW address counts as Canberra residence.
What if you are applying from overseas?
Overseas applicants use separate criteria, rather than the Canberra resident work thresholds. The ordinary route requires an occupation on the ACT list. Subclass 190 requires at least three years of full-time, post-graduation work in the nominated occupation within the last five years; subclass 491 requires at least one year within the last five years. Where the assessing body provides points advice, it must assess the work as relevant.
For 190, the additional English requirement is generally Proficient or Superior, with the Chef and ANZSCO skill-level exceptions described above. For 491, Competent English applies unless the assessing authority requires more.
Both overseas routes require:
- ACT labour-market research and an employability statement.
- Sufficient settlement funds.
- A commitment to live and work in Canberra for at least two years from permanent arrival in Australia.
The overseas commitment starts from arrival, rather than the visa-grant date used in the resident criteria. Relevant registration or licensing must be held where required. A vacancy is not suitable merely because it is in Canberra: citizenship or security-clearance restrictions can affect access to Australian Government jobs.
The applicant and migrating dependants must generally be overseas, must not have lived in Australia during the last 12 months, and must not hold a current Australian or bridging visa other than an Australian visitor visa. The published exception for children enrolled at an ACT school must be considered separately.
Can you update a Matrix while waiting?
You can update or withdraw a Matrix before an invitation is issued. An update replaces the previous submission and is treated as a new Matrix for ranking purposes. You must substantiate eligibility and claims at the update date.
Claims generally need evidence from submission or the last update, while Home Affairs visa eligibility must continue until nomination. In particular, English and skills-assessment evidence must remain valid at the required stages.
What should you check before submission?
Check the evidence against your exact applicant group before calculating or submitting the Matrix:
- The correct subclass and resident or overseas criteria.
- Occupation-list eligibility or a separately assessed special pathway.
- Residence dates, qualifying weeks and weekly hours where relevant.
- English, skills assessment and any professional registration.
- Evidence for each Matrix claim and any partner claims.
- Current portal rules, program notices and settlement commitments.
View sources · 7
- ACT Migration (opens in a new tab)
ACT Government — ACT Migration · Checked
- Canberra resident applicant eligibility — 190 (opens in a new tab)
ACT Government — ACT Migration · Checked
- Canberra resident applicant eligibility — 491 (opens in a new tab)
ACT Government — ACT Migration · Checked
- Overseas applicant eligibility — 190 (opens in a new tab)
ACT Government — ACT Migration · Checked
- Overseas applicant eligibility — 491 (opens in a new tab)
ACT Government — ACT Migration · Checked
- Canberra Matrix (opens in a new tab)
ACT Government — ACT Migration · Checked
- Library — guidelines and invitations (opens in a new tab)
ACT Government — ACT Migration · Checked
CONSULTATION
Planning your Canberra nomination?
Hans Immigration Services can review your residence and employment history, English results and skills assessment against the relevant ACT route. We can help you understand which requirements apply and how your records support the Canberra Matrix claims.
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