Australian Capital Territory · Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional · 2026-27
Australian Capital Territory 491 state nomination guide
ACT 491 nomination uses the Canberra Matrix, a separate ranking system from federal visa points. Matrix submissions can be made, but the latest published October round issued only 190 invitations.
The ACT says its Matrix submission portal is open. The 12 October 2026 round issued no 491 invitations; later rounds are tentative. An open Matrix portal is not confirmation of an imminent 491 invitation.
The ACT explicitly says its 2026–27 allocation has not yet been confirmed. The 800/800 table on the invitation page is labelled 2025–26 and is not a current-year quota.
Official pages can change without notice. Confirm before acting.
Streams and pathways
Canberra residents
Check the current ACT resident requirements, the occupation or applicable business stream and all employment, residence and Matrix evidence before submitting.
Overseas applicants
Check the overseas occupation, experience, English and employability requirements separately from resident rules. Critical-skill Matrix cohorts are published separately.
Doctorate streamlined pathway
The invitation page identifies this as a separate cohort. Do not apply its results or eligibility to an ordinary Matrix applicant.
Key requirements
- Meet Home Affairs' requirements and the current ACT stream-specific eligibility for the chosen visa.
- Lodge the SkillSelect EOI and Canberra Matrix as separate submissions; do not add their scores together.
- Support every claimed Matrix factor and check that your occupation and residency category match.
- The ACT says selection depends on occupation demand, caps, monthly allocation, and Matrix submission timing.
- A pending application or previous ACT nomination can prevent another invitation; read the current restrictions.
How the process runs
Choose the correct ACT resident, overseas or eligible streamlined route.
Check current stream requirements and evidence.
Maintain the EOI and submit the Canberra Matrix through the official portal.
Wait for selection; the published timetable is tentative.
If invited, lodge the nomination application, then the separate visa application if nominated.
Before you rely on this
- The 2025–26 remaining-allocation table is historical and not an estimate of 2026–27 places.
- ACT Matrix scores are not federal SkillSelect points.
- The ACT says personal visa expiry or birthdays do not cause a Matrix to be prioritised.
Fees
Confirm the nomination application fee, GST treatment and refund conditions on the official application portal before paying. Commonwealth visa charges, assessments and professional fees are separate.
Invitation data
Official 12 October 2026 round: 190 cohorts comprised Doctorate 54, Canberra small business 18, Canberra critical skills 126 and overseas critical skills 63. Cohorts are reported separately; 491 had zero in each listed cohort. Matrix cutoffs vary by cohort and occupation.
| Date | Round | Invitations | Points | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 October 2026 | No 491 invitations in the four cohorts listed by the ACT for this 190-only round. This is a round count, not a program allocation. | 0 | Not published | Official (opens in a new tab) |
Points scores from past rounds are not cut-offs. States select on occupation, ranking factors and capacity, and a score that was invited before may not be invited again.
Official sources
Checked 23 October 2026. Links open in a new tab.
- ACT — portal and current-year allocation notice (opens in a new tab)
- ACT — dated round results and tentative schedule (opens in a new tab)
- ACT — skilled migrant stream requirements (opens in a new tab)
- Home Affairs — state and territory allocations (check the table's program year) (opens in a new tab)
Related reading
General information only, not migration advice or an eligibility assessment. Nomination is at the discretion of each state or territory.