Regions & nomination / ACT
ACTAustralian Capital Territory nomination
The ACT runs a matrix-based system, scoring candidates on ACT-specific factors - length of residence in Canberra, local employment, study in the ACT, English, and partner factors - and invites the top-ranked candidates rather than everyone above a threshold.
What connection they want
The ACT has strongly favoured people already living and working in Canberra. Offshore streams have existed but have been narrower and more competitive.
How the program behaves
- The ACT matrix is separate from the points test. You can be strong on the migration points test and weak on the ACT matrix, or vice versa.
- Canberra counting as regional means the 15-point 491 nomination is available in a capital city.
- Subclass 190
- Yes
- Subclass 491
- Yes
- Nomination points
- 190: +5 / 491: +15
- Regional coverage
- The whole of the ACT, including Canberra, is designated regional.
- Program year
- 2026-27
Current occupation lists, thresholds and opening dates live there, not here. Check it before you act on anything.
How Australian Capital Territory actually chooses people
The ACT scores you on its own matrix - separate from the migration points test - and invites the highest-ranked candidates each round.
How the selection works
- You must complete TWO things: your SkillSelect EOI and a separate Canberra Matrix submission. An EOI alone does not put you in front of the ACT.
- The matrix scores ACT-specific factors: how long you have lived in Canberra, local employment, study in the ACT, English, and family ties.
- Submissions are ranked by matrix score and the top-ranked are invited, with occupation demand and caps influencing who gets through.
Your migration points score and your Canberra Matrix score are different numbers. You can be strong on one and weak on the other - it is the matrix that decides your ACT invitation.
This describes the mechanism Australian Capital Territory uses to rank and select candidates, which changes rarely. It deliberately does not list current thresholds or occupation lists, which change through the year. Mechanism reviewed 22 July 2026.
Regional postcodes in ACT
These are the designated regional area postcodes for Australian Capital Territory, as published by the Department of Home Affairs. Category 2 and Category 3 are both regional; anything not listed is Category 1 and attracts no regional concessions.
| Category | Postcodes |
|---|---|
| Category 2 Cities and major regional centres | All remaining postcodes in Australian Capital Territory. |
| Category 3 Regional centres and other regional areas | None. |
Every postcode in the ACT is Category 2. The whole territory is regional.
Is your postcode regional?
Check any Australian postcode against the Department of Home Affairs designated regional area list.
Before you commit to ACT
- Confirm your occupation appears on the current ACT list - state lists are much narrower than the national list.
- Get your skills assessment and English test done. Most states will not consider you without them.
- Work out your points score, then check it against what ACT has recently invited.
- Check whether ACT requires its own registration separate from your SkillSelect EOI.
- Be honest about the commitment. Nomination is granted on the basis that you will live and work there.
Registered migration agents
We are building a directory of MARN-registered agents and immigration lawyers. Listings are checked against the public register before they appear.
How the directory worksPlacement shown on the ACT nomination page.