About the ACT nomination process

Registration of interest

You must be invited to apply for ACT nomination.

Read the eligibility criteria carefully for your chosen nomination pathway. Once you are satisfied that you meet the eligibility criteria, you can register your interest in ACT nomination by completing the Canberra Matrix. We use the Matrix to fairly manage the nomination process and select applicants who will best contribute to the Canberra region.

The Matrix is a merit based assessment tool where you can score points for your economic and / or social contribution to Canberra e.g., length of ACT residence, occupation, business activity, employment, English, study, investment and close family ties.

We will rank your Matrix based on the number of points you’ve claimed. Those who rank high enough will receive an invitation email to apply for ACT nomination with a web link to the online application.

Remember your supporting documents must prove that you meet the eligibility criteria and any Matrix score claimed at the date you submit the Matrix.

Please note: the demand for ACT nomination far exceeds the annual allocation of nomination places. There is no guarantee that your Matrix score will be ranked, even if you meet the eligibility criteria.

One Nomination Place Only

ACT only offer one nomination place per person. If you are successfully nominated for a 491 / 190  visa, you cannot apply for another ACT nomination place.

ACT have a fixed number of nomination places available each year. There are more people who want ACT nomination than the number of nomination places available. It is not fair to the thousands of people in the Matrix queue if their chance of ACT nomination is lost because you were given two or more nomination places.