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act 491 / 190 nomination guidelines

ACT 491 / 190 Nomination Guidelines January 2021

ACT 491 / 190 Nomination Guidelines

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) offers Territory nomination  to Canberra Residents under the following skilled migration streams:

• Skilled Work Regional (provisional) subclass 491 visa.

• Skilled Nominated (permanent) subclass 190 visa.

Before applying for ACT nomination, you must complete the Department of Home Affairs (Home Affairs) SKILLSELECT and meet the Home Affairs points test (currently 65 points).

Applying for ACT nomination is a two stage process:

  1. You must formally express an interest in applying for ACT nomination by completing a score-based ‘Canberra Matrix’ where you are allocated points against demonstrated economic contribution or benefit and/or a genuine commitment to be part of the ACT community. You can select either ACT 491 nomination or ACT 190 nomination.  The highest ranked candidates in each stream will then be selected and invited to apply for ACT nomination. There is not guarantee that your Matrix score will be ranked as the demand for ACT nomination far exceeds the number of nomination places available each year.
  2. If you are invited to apply for ACT nomination, you must complete and submit the online application (and pay the service fee) within 14 days. You must attach the required documents to evidence your eligibility and Matrix score claimed at the date of Matrix submission.

You must read the ACT nomination guidelines carefully to ensure that you are eligible to complete the Canberra Matrix for ACT 491 / 190 nomination. If you are invited to apply for ACT nomination, your supporting documentation must evidence your eligibility and Matrix score claimed at the date you submitted the Matrix.

 

 

Part ONE

ACT nomination priorities

The Australian Government’s priority for migration in 2020-21 is supporting Australia’s economic and public health response to, and recovery from, the COVID-19 pandemic.  This includes an emphasis on migrants who will make productive investments in Australia, create jobs for Australians, provide critical health and medical skills, and support economic productivity.

Under the Territory Migration Agreement, the ACT is allocated a fixed number of nominations each year. The Australian Government has directed that nominations provided to states and territories are focused on applicants critical to supporting the effort in response to COVID-19 pandemic. This includes individuals providing critical or specialist medical services, with critical skills required to maintain the supply of essential goods and services; and those who deliver services in sectors critical to Australia’s economic recovery. See ACT Critical Skills List January 2021.

ACT Nomination Guidelines

These guidelines explain how to express interest in applying for ACT nomination by completing a score-based ‘Canberra Matrix’. The Matrix allocates points against demonstrated economic contribution or benefit, English proficiency, formal qualifications, length of ACT residence/study, investment activity and close family ties. All Matrix scores are then ranked with the highest-ranked candidates invited to apply for ACT nomination.

Please note: You must read the ACT nomination guidelines carefully. You must meet the eligibility criteria before you complete the Canberra Matrix. If you are invited to apply for ACT nomination, your supporting documents must evidence your eligibility and all Matrix points claimed at the date of Matrix submission.

 

Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) with Home Affairs SkillSelect.

Before completing the Canberra Matrix, you must be eligible to apply for a skilled migration visa to Australia. You must submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to migrate to Australia through the Department of Home Affairs SkillSelect. You must:

  • Have a suitable skill assessment in your nominated occupation and meet the Home Affairs points test (currently 65 points).
  • Select the ACT as your preferred location to live in Australia. If the ACT is not selected, you will not meet the genuine commitment criteria for ACT nomination.
  • Meet the Home Affairs criteria at the date of ACT nomination decision. The ACT is unable to nominate an applicant who does not meet the age criteria, has an expired skill assessment or English test result.

 

If you are invited to apply for ACT nomination and your application is approved, your Home Affairs SkillSelect EOI will be confirmed and Home Affairs will automatically issue the visa invitation.

Only one ACT nomination place is offered per applicant. We will not confirm a new SkillSelect EOI if you made an error and/or are unable to apply for the visa.

Choose an ACT nomination pathway – provisional 491 or permanent 190

The ACT offers nomination under the following State / Territory nominated skilled migration streams:

  • Skilled Work Regional (provisional) subclass 491 visas.
  • Skilled Nominated (permanent) subclass 190 visas.

You must meet the eligibility criteria for ACT 491 nomination or ACT 190 nomination before you can complete the Canberra Matrix:

  • Canberra resident:
  • Eligibility criteria – ACT 491 nomination or ACT 190 nomination
  • Canberra Matrix 491 / 190 scoring table
  • Overseas applicant: The Canberra Matrix is currently closed to overseas applicants.

How to complete the Canberra Matrix

  • Migration agents acting on behalf of a client must register and create an ACT agents account. The Canberra Matrix can be accessed from the ACT agent portal.
  • Individual candidates not using a migration agent are not required to create an account. The Canberra Matrix can be accessed at the Canberra Your Future

Before you complete the Canberra Matrix:

  • Read the nomination guidelines carefully and make sure that you are eligible to complete the Matrix.

Completing the Canberra Matrix:

  • Enter your personal information.
  • Select either ACT 491 nomination or ACT 190 nomination.
  • Select Canberra resident.
  • Select Eligibility criteria – either an occupation on the ACT Critical Skill List January 2021 or 457 / 482 visa holder (if you select 457 / 482 visa holder, your must meet the 457 / 482 eligibility criteria)
  • Select a Matrix score in each category. Remember, your supporting documentation must evidence the Matrix points claimed at the date you submitted the Matrix. Documents dated after the Matrix is submitted will not meet the criteria.

Once you submit the Matrix, you will receive an email with a summary of the Matrix score claimed. The Matrix cannot be updated or withdrawn once it is submitted. If the claimed Matrix points increase/decrease due to an error or change in circumstances, you must complete a new Matrix; noting that your submission date/time will also change.

The Matrix will automatically expire six months after date of submission if an invitation is not issued. Once a Matrix has lapsed, it cannot be reactivated.

ACT Critical Skills List

The ACT Critical Skills List was reviewed and updated on 11 January 2021. The ACT Critical Skills List will be reviewed every four months and updated as required to ensure that the ACT Migration Program adapts and responds to the evolving critical skills needs of the ACT economy

                                     

2020-21 Ranking and selection process

Separate invitation rounds will be held for the 491 and 190 nomination streams. The highest ranked candidates in each stream will be invited to apply for ACT nomination. Please note: an invitation may not be issued if an occupation cap is met.

  • Only Matrix with a nominated occupation on the ACT Critical Skills List January 2021 will be selected and, if ranked, invited to apply for ACT nomination.
  • If your nominated occupation was removed from the ACT Critical Skills List January 2021, your Matrix will NOT be selected and will automatically lapse after six months.
  • 457 / 482 visa holders who have a Matrix score of 60 plus points will be invited to apply for ACT nomination.

 

Invitations to apply for ACT nomination

We will issue invitations on a regular basis; pro rata against the ACT allocation of nomination places set by Home Affairs. The number of invitations issued will vary in each round. The cut‑off for selection will depend on the occupation cap and the number of Matrix submitted. If there are more candidates with the same Matrix score than the number of invitation places available, selection may be based on the date and time of the Matrix submission. Candidates may be selected and invited if their nomination is deemed to be of significant economic benefit to the Territory.

One ACT nomination place only
The policy to offer only ONE ACT nomination place per applicant is strictly enforced given the limited number of nomination places available. An invitation may not be issued if you have been previously nominated by the ACT; or if you have an active invitation / application in the system.

Cap on Occupations

The number of ACT nomination places may be capped for each occupation on the ACT Critical Skills List. Invitations may not be issued when the monthly cap for an occupation is reached.

Invitation to apply for ACT nomination
You will be notified by email if you are invited to apply for ACT  Nomination.  The application must be lodged, and service fee paid, within 14 days of date of invitation. If you do not accept the invitation, the Matrix will automatically lapse after 14 days.  Once lapsed, the Matrix cannot be reactivated.

Requests for ranking information

Invitations are not guaranteed. The ACT Skilled Migration team will not respond to requests for information on ranking or the likelihood of receiving an invitation. Candidates will not be prioritised or issued invitations based on personal circumstances. This includes, but is not limited to, visa expiry dates or a change in circumstances including critical birthdays.

 

 

Part TWO – eligibility criteria

Canberra resident – ACT provisional 491 nomination

Canberra Resident 491 – you must meet the following criteria before you are eligible to submit a Canberra matrix for ACT nomination of a Skilled Regional (provisional) subclass 491 visa:

  • You must be residing in Canberra for the last three months immediately before the date of Matrix submission (and continuing until date of any invitation). Residence is defined as living and settled in Canberra. Visiting Canberra for short periods does not meet the residence criteria. You are not eligible for ACT nomination if you, your spouse/partner or children are living or working in another Australian state or territory.
  • You must meet one of the following two eligibility criterion:
  1. Your nominated occupation is on the ACT Critical Skills List January 2021.

OR

  1. You are the primary holder of a subclass 457/482 visa sponsored by an ACT employer:

You have worked in Canberra for the sponsoring ACT employer for at least three months as the holder of a 457/482 visa; and

The 457/482 visa must have a minimum 12 months validity at date of Matrix submission.

 

  • You must be working in Canberra for at least three months immediately before the date of Matrix submission:
  • You must be working a minimum 20 hours per week in each of the thirteen weeks immediately before date of Matrix submission.
  • Your employment must be continuous:
    • Paid leave (annual, personal or maternity) meets the continuous employment criteria.
    • Unpaid leave only meets the continuous employment criteria if it is evidenced by a valid medical certificate (the certificate cannot be backdated). Any period of unpaid leave cannot be counted towards meeting the three months ACT employment For example, if you had five days unpaid leave (with medical certificates) you cannot submit the 491 Matrix until three months plus five days
    • Unpaid leave not evidenced by a valid medical certificate does not meet the continuous employment criteria.
  • You must be in paid employment. Internships, stipends, scholarships and volunteer positions are not considered employment for this criterion.
  • You may work for more than one employer and/or be self- employed:
    • Your total income must be at least $500 pw for each week of the employment period claimed.
    • Your income must not be less than the relevant award or market salary rate.
    • The terms and conditions of employment must be in accordance with Australian legislation.
    • If you are employed, your employer must be actively operating in the ACT for at least 12 months at date of matrix submission.
    • If you are self-employed on an ABN, you must evidence at least 12 months ACT business activity at date of Matrix submission.
    • If you are working in Canberra but you are employed by an interstate employer, your employer must have an office / branch located within a
      30-minute commute of Canberra (a serviced office or home office does not meet this criterion).
  • If you are nominating an ANZSCO Major Occupation Group 1 (Managers) or Group 2 (Professionals) occupation, you must have a current English test result that meets the Home Affairs level of ‘proficient’ or ‘superior’ English.
  • If you are including a spouse/partner and/or child in your application and they are in Australia, they must have lived in Canberra for the three months immediately before the date of Matrix submission. If they are not living in Canberra, you must attach evidence that they are living overseas.
  • If you wish to claim Matrix points for a spouse/partner, you must have evidence of the relationship: either a marriage certificate, civil partnership/union registration, or VEVO (Visa Entitlement Verification Online) secondary applicant status for yourself or spouse/partner. The document must be dated before the Matrix is submitted.
  • If you wish to claim Matrix points in the spouse/partner employment category, your spouse/partner must hold a current English test result with a competent or higher level of English; or hold an Australian or valid passport as defined by Home Affairs.
  • You must sign a Statutory Declaration committing to living and working in Canberra while your visa is processed and for at least two years from date of visa grant (see Attachment A).

Canberra resident – ACT permanent 190 nomination

Canberra resident 190 – you must meet the following criteria before you are eligible to submit a Canberra Matrix for ACT nomination of a Skilled Nominated (permanent) subclass 190 visa:

  • You must be residing in Canberra for the last six months immediately before the date of Matrix submission and continuing until date of any invitation. Residence is defined as living and settled in Canberra. Visiting Canberra for short periods does not meet the residence criteria. You are not eligible for ACT nomination if you, your spouse/partner or children are living or working in another Australian state or territory.
  • You must meet one of the following two eligibility criterion:
  1. Your nominated occupation is on the ACT Critical Skills List January 2021.

 OR

  1. You are the primary holder of a subclass 457/482 visa sponsored by an ACT employer:

You have worked in Canberra for the sponsoring ACT employer for at least six months as the holder of a 457/482 visa; and

The 457/482 visa must have a minimum 12 months validity at date of Matrix submission.

 

  • You must be working fulltime in Canberra for at least six months at date of matrix submission:
  • You must be working a minimum of 35 hours per week in each of the 26 weeks immediately before date of Matrix submission.
  • Your employment must be continuous:
    • Paid leave (annual, personal or maternity) meets the continuous employment criteria.
    • Unpaid leave only meets the continuous employment criteria if it is evidenced by a valid medical certificate (the certificate cannot be backdated). Any period of unpaid leave cannot be counted towards meeting the six months ACT employment For example, if you had five days unpaid leave (with medical certificates) you cannot submit the 190 Matrix until six months plus five days.
    • Unpaid leave not evidenced by a valid medical certificate does not meet the continuous employment criteria.
  • You must be in paid employment. Internships, stipends, scholarships and volunteer positions are not considered employment for this criterion.
  • You may work for more than one employer and/or be self- employed:
    • Your total income must be at least $1000 pw for each week of the employment period claimed.
    • Your income must not be less than the relevant award or market salary rate.
    • The terms and conditions of employment must be in accordance with Australian legislation.
    • If you are employed, your employer must be actively operating in the ACT for at least 12 months at date of matrix submission.
    • If you are self-employed on an ABN, you must evidence at least 12 months ACT business activity at date of Matrix submission.
    • If you are working in Canberra but you are employed by an interstate employer, your employer must have an office / branch located within a
      30-minute commute of Canberra (a serviced office or home office does not meet this criterion).
  • If you are nominating an ANZSCO Major Occupation Group 1 (Managers) or Group 2 (Professionals) occupation, you must have a current English test result that meets the Home Affairs level of ‘proficient’ or ‘superior’ English.
  • If you are including a spouse/partner and/or child in your application and they are in Australia, they must have lived in Canberra for the six months immediately before the date of Matrix submission. If they are not living in Canberra, you must attach evidence that they are living overseas.
  • If you wish to claim Matrix points for a spouse/partner, you must have evidence of the relationship: either a marriage certificate, civil partnership/union registration, or VEVO (Visa Entitlement Verification Online) secondary applicant status for yourself or spouse/partner. The document must be dated before the Matrix is submitted.
  • If you wish to claim Matrix points in the spouse/partner employment category, your spouse/partner must hold a current English test result with a competent or higher level of English; or hold an Australian or valid passport – see Home Affairs criteria.
  • You must sign a Statutory Declaration committing to living and working in Canberra while your visa is processed and for at least two years from date of visa grant (see Attachment A).

 

 

 

PART THREE – Canberra Matrix scoring

Canberra residents

The Canberra Matrix is completed for both ACT 491 nomination and ACT 190 nomination.

You can only select one option in the drop-down menu for each category. Claims must be true at the date of Matrix submission. If you are invited to apply for ACT nomination, you must provide supporting documents to evidence any Matrix score claimed. If the supporting documents are dated after the Matrix was submitted, the Matrix score claimed will not be accepted.

 

CANBERRA RESIDENT
CATEGORY OPTION POINTS
LENGTH OF Current ACT residence

How long have you lived in Canberra in the last eight years?

·      Your bank statements must evidence your date of arrival and the claimed period of residence in Canberra.

·      You must record any period away from Canberra (seven days or more) in the ‘Summary of ACT residence’ at
Attachment D.

·      Your claimed period of ACT residence does not have to be continuous.

·      You may have holidays away from Canberra for a maximum of six weeks in any year without it affecting your claim for a year of residence

·      You can study interstate for one or two days a week. However, if you studied more than two days (one night) a week interstate, you will not be considered an ACT resident for that period.

·      You cannot claim ACT residency for any period that you lived or worked interstate or overseas.

·      You can live in NSW if you are within a 30 minute commute to where you work in Canberra e.g. Queanbeyan.

 

 

 

Five years plus.

 

 

25

Four to five years. 20
Three to four years. 15
Two to three years. 10
One to two years. 5
Less than one year. 0

 

 

CANBERRA RESIDENT
English proficiency

What is your English proficiency level as defined by Home Affairs?

 

You must have a valid English test result.

 

Superior. 15
Proficient. 10
Competent. 0
Spouse/partner English proficiency

What is your spouse/partner’s English proficiency as defined by Home Affairs?

 

They must have a valid English test result to claim points.

Superior/proficient.

Competent.

Not Applicable.

5

0

0
Nominated Occupation

Is your nominated occupation on the ACT Critical Skills List?

Your nominated occupation is ON the ACT Critical Skills List.

Your nominated occupation is NOT on the ACT Critical Skills List.

20

 

0

Length of ACT employment

How long have you worked for an ACT employer in Canberra in the two years immediately before the date of Matrix submission?

·      You may be working in any occupation.

·      While the employment does not have to be fulltime or permanent, you must be working a minimum 20 hours per week for each week that you claim towards the period of employment.

·      You may work for more than one ACT employer and / or be self-employed on an ABN.

·      The employment does not have to be continuous.

·      If you are claiming any period of self-employment:

o    Your gross weekly income must exceed $500 for each week of employment claimed; and

o    Your business must have been operating in Canberra for at least 12 months.

 

 

Employed for 12 months plus.

 

 

10

 

Employed for six to 12 months.

 

5

 

Not applicable.

 

0

 

 

 

CANBERRA RESIDENT
ACT employment – skill level

Are you currently working for an ACT employer in Canberra in a highly skilled position? You must meet the minimum criteria below:

·      You must be working a minimum 20 hours per week for the last three months immediately before date of Matrix submission.

·      The employment must be continuous. Unpaid leave does not meet this criterion.

·      You may work for more than one ACT employer and/or be self-employed if you are working in the same occupation and at the same skill level.

·      Your gross income must be no less than $50,000 per annum for fulltime employment; or $26 per hour (excluding casual loading) for part time/casual employment.

·      Your employer must provide a Statutory Declaration confirming employment.  See Attachment E.

·      If you are self-employed on an ABN:

Your gross weekly income exceeds $1000 for each week of employment claimed; and

Your business has been operating in Canberra for at least 12 months.

·      You must have a tertiary qualification relevant to your occupation. Your qualification must be dated before you commenced employment. A RPL certificate is not recognised as a tertiary qualification.

·      Any employment claimed must be recorded on your SkillSelect EOI.

 

 

1.      You are working in your nominated occupation which is on the current ACT Critical Skills List. Your occupation must be recorded as ‘relevant’ on your SkillSelect EOI.

 

2.      You are the primary holder of a subclass 457 / 482 visa and you are working for the ACT employer who sponsored your visa. Your occupation must be recorded as ‘relevant’ on your SkillSelect EOI.

 

3.      You are working in an occupation that is on the current ACT Critical Skills List; but it is not your nominated occupation.

 

4.      You are working in an occupation that has an ANZSCO skill level 1 to 3.

 

5.   Not applicable.

 

 

20

 

 

 

15

 

 

 

10

 

 

 

 

5

 

 

 

0

 

 

 

CANBERRA RESIDENT

Spouse/partner employment

Is your spouse / partner currently working in the ACT or surrounding ‘commuter’ region? They must meet the minimum criteria below:

·           They must be working a minimum 20 hours per week for the three months immediately before the date of Matrix submission.

·           Their employment must be continuous.

·           Any period of unpaid leave cannot be counted towards the three months employment criteria.

·           They must have a valid English test result at a minimum level of ‘competent’ English; hold an Australian passport; or hold a valid passport as defined by Home Affairs.

·           They may work for more than one employer and / or be self-employed.

·           Their employer must provide a Statutory Declaration confirming their employment.  See Attachment E.

·           If they are self-employed on an ABN:

Their gross weekly income exceeds $500 for each week of employment claimed; and

Their business has been operating in Canberra for at least 12 months.

 

 

1.      They are working in an occupation on the ACT Critical Skills List. They must have a skill assessment relevant to their current employment. Their taxable income must be no less than $26 per hour (excluding casual loading).

 

 

15

2.      They have a current skill assessment and it is relevant to their current ACT employment. Their gross income must be no less than $26 per hour (excluding casual loading).

 

10
3.      They are currently working in any occupation, at any skill level, in Canberra.

 

Spouse employability

5
4.      They do not meet the 3 months employment criterion, but they have a:

·      Tertiary qualification (requiring at least 3 years full time continuous study) from an Australian or overseas institution in any occupation; and

·       A valid English test result at a minimum level of ‘competent’ English; or hold an Australian or valid passport as defined by Home Affairs.

 

 

 

5

5.      Not applicable. 0

 

 

CANBERRA RESIDENT
terTiary Qualification

What tertiary qualification do you hold from an Australian or international educational institution?

Your selected qualification must be recorded on your Home Affairs SkillSelect EOI

 

Doctoral degree.

Master’s Degree

Bachelor’s degree or trade certificate

Diploma qualification/s – at least two years full time study.

Not applicable.

20

15

 

10

 

5

 

0

years of study at an ACT Tertiary Institution.

For how many years did you study fulltime to complete a CRICOS* registered course, and / or attend a Professional Year (PY) program, at an ACT institution in the last eight years?

·      You must have a letter of course completion from the ACT institution to evidence the claimed period and location of study. 

·      You must be resident in Canberra during your claimed period of study.

·      Distance education or online attendance is not accepted.

·      A PY undertaken in the ACT meets the one-year study criteria.

·      Two or more courses, including a PY, may be counted to evidence the period of ACT study.  The courses cannot be concurrent.

·      The courses do not have to be continuous.

CRICOS* – Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students. An academic year is at least a total of 46 weeks.

 

Four academic years or more of study.

 

Three academic years of study.

 

Two academic years of study.

 

One academic year of study.

 

Not applicable.

 

20

 

 

15

 

10

 

5

 

0

Close family ties

Do you have a close family member who has lived in Canberra for the last two years?

A close family member is defined as a spouse/ partner, parent, child, brother, sister or grandparent of the main applicant or their spouse/ partner.

Australian citizen/permanent resident spouse/partner, child.

Australian citizen/permanent resident parent, grandparent, brother, sister.

Not applicable.

20

 

 

10

 

0

 

 

CANBERRA RESIDENT
Assets in Canberra

1.      You (and a spouse/partner if applicable) have invested at least $250,000 cash to purchase a residential or commercial property in Canberra (purchase of land only does not meet this criteria)? You must hold the Certificate of Title or a rates notice to evidence ownership.

2.      You have purchased/established a business in Canberra. You have majority ownership and minimum $200,000 turnover in one of the last two years.

3.      You have invested in a start-up business in the ACT that is typically technology oriented and has high growth potential.

 

 

1.      Minimum $250,000 cash investment in ACT residential or commercial property.

 

2.      Minimum $200,000 investment to purchase / establish a business.

 

3.      $200,000 third party investment in a start-up ACT business.

 

4.      Not applicable

 

 

5

 

 

5

 

 

 

5

 

0

 

 

PART FOUR

 

Overseas applicant – ACT 491 / 190 nomination

Overseas applicant: – The ACT is not offering 491 / 190 nomination to overseas applicants in 2020-21.

 

PART FIVE

Invitation to apply for ACT nomination

If you are selected to apply for ACT nomination, you will receive an invitation email with a web link to the online application. Migration agents may access the application via their agent account.

If you do not wish to accept the invitation e.g. you submitted multiple matrix or you cannot evidence the matrix scores claimed, the invitation will lapse after 14 days.

By accepting the invitation and submitting the application for ACT nomination, you are agreeing to reside in Canberra during the nomination and visa application process. If the ACT nominated visa is approved, you agree to continue residing in Canberra for at least two years from date of visa grant.

The signed declaration ‘Nomination Obligations to the Australian Capital Territory (ACT)’, must be attached to your application for ACT nomination. See Attachment A.

Completing the application for ACT nomination

An invitation does not guarantee that ACT nomination will be approved. You must complete the application for ACT nomination and provide the required supporting documents to evidence your eligibility to apply for ACT nomination and the Matrix score that the invitation was based on. Claims must be true at the date of Matrix submission.

See: Document checklist at PART SIX (page 18)

Your application for ACT nomination must be submitted (with service fee payment confirmed) within 14 days of date of invitation. If the application is not submitted within 14 days, the invitation will automatically expire and cannot be reactivated.

Once payment of the service fee is confirmed by email (within three working days), the application will be lodged and queued for processing.

Assessing the application

All applications are processed in submission date order. No requests for priority processing will be considered.

The standard processing period is 15 working days. For the current processing date click here.

Assessment of your application for ACT nomination will be based solely on the supporting documents provided at the time of lodgement. Additional documentation will not be accepted once the application is submitted. The case officer will not contact you for additional information or for clarification if your supporting documentation does not clearly demonstrate your eligibility or Matrix score claimed.

If the application is incomplete, or it does not clearly evidence the eligibility criteria or Canberra Matrix score claimed as at the date of Matrix submission, the application will be refused.

Offer of ACT nomination

Approval: If the application for ACT nomination is approved, your SkillSelect EOI will be confirmed and Home Affairs will simultaneously issue the visa invitation. You will be unable to update the SkillSelect EOI once ACT nomination is confirmed. You will then have 60 days to apply to Home Affairs for the ACT nominated skilled migration visa. ACT nomination does not guarantee that the skilled migration visa will be granted.

Only one ACT nomination place is offered per applicant. We will not confirm a new SkillSelect EOI if you made an error and/or are unable to apply for the visa.

Refusal: If the application for ACT nomination is refused, you will be informed of the reasons. You may only request a reconsideration of the refusal decision if you can show that your original supporting documents met the eligibility criteria and Matrix score. A request for reconsideration must be in writing. Additional documentation will not be accepted.

Applying for the ACT nominated skilled migration visa

Once the visa invitation is issued by Home affairs, you must lodge the visa application within 60 days. If the visa application is not lodged with Home Affairs within 60 days, the offer of ACT nomination will expire. This timeframe will not be extended.

Please note: If your application for an ACT nominated visa is refused by Home Affairs, the ACT Government will not, under any circumstances, appeal to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal on your behalf.

Nomination obligations – living in Canberra

As part of your application for ACT nomination, you signed a declaration agreeing that ACT nomination is exclusive to the ACT and is NOT transferable to any other state or territory in Australia.

The ACT Government expects you to meet your obligations to live in Canberra for at least two years from the date of visa grant / permanent arrival in Australia. The ACT Government will inform Home Affairs if you do not make a genuine effort to meet your obligations to live in Canberra.

Notification of Home Affairs Visa Decision

You must inform us when your visa is granted, by email and attach a copy of the visa grant notification. If you are overseas, you must let us know your expected arrival date in Canberra.

Email: welcometocanberra@act.gov.au

 

Welcome to Canberra Settlement Service

The ACT Skilled Migration team provides a free settlement service to help ACT-nominated overseas migrants settle in Canberra. The Welcome to Canberra team will:

  • Provide information and advice while you are waiting for your visa, and, if you have questions about living in Canberra, refer you to the relevant websites;
  • Follow up with a phone call or email eight weeks after you have arrived in Canberra.

For more information email: welcometocanberra@act.gov.au

Monitoring Program

As part of your signed nomination obligations you have agreed to:

  • Live and work in Canberra for at least two years from visa grant/arrival in Australia
  • Complete settlement surveys at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months after arrival
  • Inform us of any change to your contact details for two years after visa grant/arrival.

 

Disclaimer

The Australian Migration Programme does not guarantee a migration outcome for any temporary resident / international student in Australia. Neither is ACT nomination guaranteed for ACT residents who may be eligible for nomination. The demand for ACT nomination may exceed the Home Affairs allocation of nomination places; and many candidates may not rank highly enough to be selected and invited to apply for nomination.

The ACT Government and its employees are not liable for any inaccuracies or omissions in the information provided to the applicant in the context of their application for ACT nomination. The ACT Government is not responsible for finding employment, accommodation or providing financial incentive or assistance to ACT nominated skilled visa holders or other migrants.

These guidelines are subject to change without notice at any time; and must be read in conjunction with the information on the Canberra Your Future website.

 

PART SIX – DOCUMENT CHECKLIST

Mandatory documents

All applications for ACT nomination must include the following supporting documents to evidence your eligibility and Matrix score claimed as at date of Matrix submission.

Once the application is lodged, additional documents will not be accepted or requested by the case officer.

  • Home Affairs SkillSelect EOI summary: showing personal, education, English and employment details submitted
  • Home Affairs SkillSelect points advice.
  • International Movement Record’ from the Department of Home Affairs (if applicable).
  • Current skill assessment in the nominated occupation (all pages of the assessment must be attached).
  • Passport bio-page.

·           Bank statements (Canberra residents only): must evidence your claimed date of arrival in Canberra. You must also provide a bank statement for each year claimed as a period of ACT residence; and from the date of Matrix submission until date of invitation.

  • Your bank statements must reflect that you were living and settled in Canberra. They must include your transaction history including regular shopping activity and bill payments. The bank statement must also evidence your claimed period of employment. Salary payments must be highlighted on the bank statement; and the corresponding payments recorded on the Summary of Working Hours (at Attachment C)

·           Curriculum Vitae (CV) or Resume: which clearly states personal details, educational qualifications and work experience.

·           Declaration of ACT nomination Obligations: a signed and witnessed declaration that you acknowledge and accept ACT nomination obligations (at Attachment A)

  • Summary of Working Hours (Canberra residents only): a clear record of the total hours worked, and net salary paid for each pay cycle in the claimed period of ACT employment at date of Matrix submission. The net salary must correspond with the bank statement. You must record every pay period: weekly (minimum 20 hrs), fortnightly (minimum 40 hrs), or monthly (minimum 86.6hrs) for the length of employment claimed. If you did not work in a particular period, you must leave that period blank.  Any period of unpaid personal leave must be evidenced by a valid medical certificate. If you are working for more than two employers in any claimed period, you can construct your own spreadsheet to clearly evidence the employment claims made (at Attachment C)
  • Summary of ACT residence (Canberra residents only): a clear record of your ACT residence and any period you were not living in Canberra for more than seven days at a time; including holidays interstate or overseas. (at Attachment D)

 

 

  • ACT employment (Canberra residents only):
  • Employees
  • All payslips or pay advice for the claimed period of ACT employment. If your income is consecutively paid into your bank account, you are only required to provide the first, mid and last payslips to evidence the claimed period of employment (if your bank statements evidence the regular net salary payments).
  • Employment contract or employer statement of service. The commencement date and period of employment must be specified.
  • Cash salary payments:
  • All payslips for the claimed period of ACT employment. If there are corresponding cash deposits of your net income into your bank account (for each pay period) you are only required to provide the first, mid and last payslips to evidence the claimed period of employment (as long as your bank statements evidence the regular salary payments).
  • Employment contract or employer statement of service.
  • ‘Pay As You Go (PAYG) payment summary – individual non-business’, to evidence annual salary for the relevant period. If you do not have the PAYG payment summary to evidence the payment of salary in cash, the claim for employment is unlikely to be accepted.
  • For self-employed only:
  • Australian Business Number (ABN); and
  • Evidence of work undertaken e.g. tax invoices; client schedules; work sheets; partner payment summaries; working hours log sheets etc.
  • Evidence of 12 months ACT business activity: Australian Tax Office (ATO) Pay as you go (PAYG) instalments for last 12 months.
  • Bank statements to evidence that your minimum income exceeds $500 per week (or $1000 per week if fulltime) for any claimed period of employment.

Please note: The ACT will not condone the employment of intending migrants where the terms and conditions of employment do not comply with Australian legislation; including compliance with the relevant Award or Agreement. In addition, Skills Canberra must be satisfied that you are working in a genuine position. If concerns are held that the position is not genuine, or there is evidence of significant churn of employees working in the same position for the same employer, the claim for employment points will not be accepted.

  • English:
  • Either a valid passport issued by the United Kingdom; Canada; New Zealand; United States of America; or Republic of Ireland (to evidence competent English only); OR
  • A valid English language test result accepted by Home Affairs evidencing the claimed level of English ability (within the last three years).
  • Spouse/partner (if applicable):
  • Passport bio-data page.
  • Evidence of relationship: marriage certificate, civil partnership/union registration, or VEVO secondary applicant status for yourself or spouse/partner.
  • Canberra residents only:
  • Evidence of ACT residence immediately before date of matrix submission.
  • Summary of ACT residence (at Attachment D).
  • Bank statements to evidence the minimum period of ACT residence, and up to the date of invitation.
  • One of the following: phone account; utility account; electronic Confirmation of Enrolment (eCOE); employment payslips; credit/store card statement.
  • If your spouse is not living in Canberra, provide evidence that they are living overseas.
  • Commitment statement: In no more than two pages, explain in your own words why you want to live in Canberra for at least two years from visa grant/permanent arrival.
  • Current Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO). Attach a copy of the visa grant notification for the last substantive visa held for main applicant; and partner/spouse if applicable.
  • Financial capacity:
  • For Canberra residents – while you are not required to provide evidence of your financial capacity, you must declare your assets available for settlement when completing the online application.

Service fee: A$300

A non-refundable service fee is charged for processing applications for ACT nomination. The service fee is an administration charge only and does not guarantee the approval of a nomination. The service fee of $300 may be paid by one of the following options:

·           Credit Card – ‘pay now’ or ‘pay later’.

Select ‘pay now’ on the online application.

Select ‘pay later’ and access ‘Pay an ACT Government Account’

·           Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) – pay later

Westpac Bank – City Walk, Canberra, 2600
Account name: ‘EDD Operating Account’
BSB: 032-777

Account Number: 000145
Reference: Application reference number

Email the EFT receipt and a copy of the ‘payment pending’ email to: migrationservices@act.gov.au

 

Additional documents to evidence the Matrix score claimed

The following documents must be attached to must evidence your Matrix claims as at date of Matrix submission. Once the application is lodged, additional documents will not be accepted or requested by the case officer.

  • ACT employment – Skill Level
    • A Statutory Declaration from your ACT employer confirming your position title, position description, duties, salary and commencement date (at Attachment E).
  • Partner/spouse employment (Canberra residents only):
    • Bank statement to evidence claimed period of employment; with salary payments highlighted.
    • Summary of Working Hours: a clear record of the total hours worked, and net salary paid for each pay cycle in the thirteen weeks immediately before date of Matrix submission (at Attachment C).
    • Employment contract/statement of service; and first, middle and last pay slips for claimed period of employment.
    • Minimum competent level English: current English test result, Australian passport or valid passport issued by the UK, the USA, Canada, NZ or Ireland.
    • A Statutory Declaration from their employer confirming the position, duties, salary and commencement date (at Attachment E).
    • Skill assessment relevant to current occupation (if applicable).
    • For self-employed only:
  • Australian Business Number (ABN); and
  • Evidence of work undertaken e.g. tax invoices; client schedules; work sheets; partner payment summaries; working hours log sheets etc.
  • Evidence of 12 months ACT business activity: Australian Tax Office (ATO) Pay as you go (PAYG) instalments for last 12 months.
  • Bank statements to evidence that your minimum income exceeds $500 per week (or $1000 per week if fulltime) for any claimed period of employment.
  • If not working, academic transcript and completion letter from the tertiary institution to evidence three years full time study.
  • Tertiary qualification (if applicable)
    • Academic Transcript – record of your enrolment history, including results received, courses attempted, and awards conferred.
    • Letter of course completion from tertiary institution.
  • Period of completed ACT study (if applicable)
    • Academic Transcript from ACT institution- record of your enrolment history, including results received, courses attempted, and awards conferred.
    • Letter of course completion from ACT tertiary institution.
  • Close family members living in Canberra
  • Evidence of the close familial relationship with the Canberra resident:
    • Spouse/partner: marriage certificate, civil partnership/union registration; or
    • Birth certificates to evidence the familial relationship between you and the ACT family member.
  • From your Canberra relative:
    • Evidence of two years ACT residence: bank statements, rates notice, utilities bill or PAYG summary; and
    • Evidence of Australian citizenship or residency.

                   Please note: Statutory Declarations will NOT be accepted as evidence of relationship.

 

  • ACT assets
  • Residential or commercial property: Certificate of Title; purchase settlement statement; evidence of minimum $250,000 cash investment; letter of mortgage approval (if applicable).
  • Majority business ownership: ABN; ASIC Business Name Summary; evidence of minimum $200,000 turnover in one of the last two years; Business Activity Statements (BAS) for the last two years.
  • Evidence of $200,000 investment in a start‑up ACT business, and description of ACT business activity.

 

Attaching documents to your application

Supporting documents must be attached in one of the following supported formats to be accepted (MS word, Excel, JPG, GIF, TIF, Acrobat PDF).

Maximum file size for each document is 10 Megabytes (10 MB)

Only one document can be attached per field. Documents already uploaded will be overwritten by trying to attach a second document in the same field.  If you wish to attach additional supporting documents against a criterion, please use the ‘Additional Supporting Documents’ screen.

ATTACHMENTS

Attachment A – Nomination obligations

Attachment B – Financial declaration (overseas applicants only) – Not included

Attachment C – Summary of working hours (Canberra residents only)

Attachment D – Summary of ACT residence

Attachment E – Statutory Declaration from ACT employer

 

 

 

 

Attachment A

Nomination Obligations to the Australian Capital Territory (ACT)

I (name)………………………………………………………………………………. (DOB)….…/..…../.……

of (address)……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

do solemnly and sincerely declare that:

  • The information contained in my application for ACT nomination of a Skilled Migration visa is true and accurate.
  • I have read and understand my obligations in relation to ACT residence as provided in the ACT Nomination Guidelines, and my commitment to reside permanently in Canberra is ongoing and genuine.
  • (For applicants who are Canberra residents): I agree to reside in Canberra during the ACT nomination and visa application process.
    • I understand that the ACT Government reserves its right to withdraw ACT nomination if, at any time until the visa is granted, they are satisfied that I do not have a genuine commitment to reside in Canberra.
    • If the ACT nominated skilled migration visa is approved, I agree to reside in Canberra for at least two years from date of visa grant.
  • (For applicants who are overseas): I have researched relevant employment opportunities in Canberra and am satisfied that there are sufficient employment opportunities in my nominated occupation relevant to my skill set and experience in Canberra. I am aware that Australian labour market conditions may vary significantly as the employment market fluctuates at different times of the year; and from year to year. I understand that I need to be realistic about employment expectations as it can take, on average, six months to secure employment. I understand that I will compete for employment vacancies with all people in the labour market as part of a normal selection process.
    • If the ACT nominated skilled migration visa is approved, I agree to reside in the ACT for at least two years following the date of my permanent arrival in Australia.
  • I will inform the ACT Skilled Migration team when the visa application is decided by Home Affairs and, if travelling from overseas, my expected arrival date in Canberra.
  • I agree that ACT nomination is exclusive to the ACT and is NOT transferable to any other Australian state or territory. I understand that the ACT Government will inform the Department of Home Affairs if I do not make a genuine effort to reside in Canberra for at least two years from date of visa grant / permanent arrival.
  • I understand that the ACT will monitor my settlement in Canberra for two years from date of visa grant / permanent arrival and I agree to complete the six monthly settlement surveys for the first two years.
  • I have access to enough financial resources to support myself (and any dependents) while securing employment in Canberra if my visa application is successful.
  • I understand that the ACT Government is not responsible for finding employment, accommodation or providing a financial incentive to ACT nominated skilled migrants.
  • I understand that the ACT Government or employees of the ACT Government are not liable for any inaccuracies or omissions in the information provided to the applicant in the context of their application for ACT nomination.

The information you provide with your application is collected by Skills Canberra, Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development, a Directorate of the ACT Government and will be used to assess your application for an ACT nomination. For details on the collection of personal information please refer to the Canberra Create Your Future privacy notice. Information you provide in the settlement surveys will be used to monitor your settlement if you are a successful applicant. Depersonalised settlement information may be used to compile statistical reports for ACT Government internal reporting and may be published in media releases. Any information submitted by you in and/or with your application and in the settlement surveys which contains personal information will be stored, used and disclosed in accordance with the requirements of the Information Privacy Act 2014.

 

Signature of applicant: ……………………………………..…………..                         Date: ……./..…./…….

Name of Witness ………………………………………………………….

Signature of witness: ………………………………………………….…..                         Date……./……./……..

 

 

 

 

Attachment C

SUMMARY OF WORKING HOURS

 

Name: ………………………………………………………………………………. (main applicant/spouse)                                                                       

 

Date Matrix submitted: ……/……/……

You must record your employer, occupation and every pay cycle (weekly, fortnight or monthly) for the length of

employment claimed.  If you did not work, you must leave that pay cycle blank. Any period of

unpaid personal leave must be evidenced by a valid medical certificate. If you are working for more than two

employers in any claimed period, you can construct your own spreadsheet.

If the case officer is not satisfied that your ‘summary’ clearly records the total hours worked for each pay period,

your claims against the employment criteria will not be accepted. 

 

  Employer:

 

Occupation:

Employer:

 

Occupation:

Total

Hours

worked

Pay Period Hours Net salary Pay date Hours Net salary Pay date
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

  $ …../…../…..   $ …../…../…..  
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

  $ …../…../…..   $ …../…../…..  
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

  $ …../…../…..   $ …../…../…..  
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

  $ …../…../…..   $ …../…../…..  
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

  $ …../…../…..   $ …../…../…..  
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

  $ …../…../…..   $ …../…../…..  
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

  $ …../…../…..   $ …../…../…..  
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

  $ …../…../…..   $ …../…../…..  
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

  $ …../…../…..   $ …../…../…..  
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

  $ …../…../…..   $ …../…../…..  
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

  $ …../…../…..   $ …../…../…..  
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

  $ …../…../…..   $ …../…../…..  
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

  $ …../…../…..   $ …../…../…..  
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

  $ …../…../…..   $ …../…../…..  
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

  $ …../…../…..   $ …../…../…..  
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

  $ …../…../…..   $ …../…../…..  
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

  $ …../…../…..   $ …../…../…..  
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

  $ …../…../…..   $ …../…../…..  

 

 

 

Attachment D

SUMMARY OF ACT RESIDENCE

 

Name: ………………………………………………………………………………. (main applicant / spouse)                                                                       

 

Date Matrix submitted: ……/……/……

Date of arrival in Canberra:

 

……/……/……

 

 

 

What period of ACT residence are you claiming (in the last eight years) at date of Matrix submission?

 

Visit to Canberra         

 

Less than one year      

 

One to two years        

 

Two to three years  

 

Three to four years

 

Four to five years

 

Five years plus

 

 

You must record any time that you spent away from Canberra (for seven days or more) for each year of residence claimed.  You may have holidays away from Canberra for a maximum of six weeks in any year without it affecting your claim for a year of residence. The year counts back from date of Matrix submission.

You can study interstate for one or two days a week. However, if you study interstate for more than two days a week, you will not be considered an ACT resident for that period. If you worked interstate, you cannot claim ACT residence for that period.

 

Bank statements: Your bank statements must evidence your claimed date of arrival in Canberra. You must also provide a bank statement (with salary payments highlighted) for each year of residence claimed at date of matrix submission; and until date of invitation to apply for ACT nomination. You must highlight any period you spent away from Canberra for seven days or more. 

 

 

 

YEAR ONE

(the year before date of

matrix submission)

 

Time away from Canberra for 7 days or more – duration dates Number of weeks away from Canberra
Interstate Overseas
…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

………

………

……….

……….

……….

……….

   Total number of weeks away from Canberra in Year One: ………

 

 

 

 

YEAR TWO

 

(two years before date

 of matrix submission)

 

Time away from Canberra for 7 days or more – duration dates Number of weeks away from Canberra
Interstate Overseas
…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

………

………

……….

……….

………

………

………

………

Total number of weeks away from Canberra in Year Two: ………
 

YEAR THREE

 

(three years before date

 of matrix submission)

 

Time away from Canberra for 7 days or more – duration dates Number of weeks away from Canberra
Interstate Overseas
…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

………

………

……….

……….

………

………

……….

……….

Total number of weeks away from Canberra in Year Three ………
 

YEAR FOUR

 

(four years before date

 of matrix submission)

 

Time away from Canberra for 7 days or more – duration dates Number of weeks away from Canberra
Interstate Overseas
…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

………

………

………

………

………

………

………

………

Total number of weeks away from Canberra in Year Four: ………
 

YEAR FIVE

 

(five years before date

 of matrix submission)

 

Time away from Canberra for 7 days or more – duration dates Number of weeks away from Canberra
Interstate Overseas
…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

………

………

……….

……….

………

………

………

………

Total number of weeks away from Canberra in Year Five: ………

 

 

 

YEAR SIX

 

(six years before date

 of matrix submission)

 

Time away from Canberra for 7 days or more – duration dates Number of weeks away from Canberra
Interstate  
…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

………

………

……….

……….

………

………

……….

……….

Total number of weeks away from Canberra in Year Six: ………
 

YEAR SEVEN

 

(seven years before date

 of matrix submission)

 

Time away from Canberra for 7 days or more – duration dates Number of weeks away from Canberra
Interstate Overseas
…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

………

………

……….

……….

………

………

……….

……….

Total number of weeks away from Canberra in Year Seven: ………
 

YEAR EIGHT

 

(eight years before date

 of matrix submission)

 

Time away from Canberra for 7 days or more – duration dates Number of weeks away from Canberra
Interstate Overseas
…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

………

………

……….

……….

………

………

……….

……….

Total number of weeks away from Canberra in Year Eight: ………

 

 

 

Attachment E

Commonwealth of Australia

STATUTORY DECLARATION

Statutory Declarations Act 1959

1  Insert the name, address and occupation of person making the declaration I,1

 

make the following declaration under the Statutory Declarations Act 1959:

2  Set out matter declared to in numbered paragraphs 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I understand that a person who intentionally makes a false statement in a statutory declaration is guilty of an offence under section 11 of the Statutory Declarations Act 1959, and I believe that the statements in this declaration are true in every particular.

 

3  Signature of person making the declaration

 

4  [Optional: email address and/or telephone number of person making the declaration]

3

 

4

5  Place

6  Day

7  Month and year

Declared at 5                                            on 6                             of 7

Before me,

8  Signature of person before whom the declaration is made (see over) 8

 

9  Full name, qualification and address of person before whom the declaration is made (in printed letters)

10 [Optional: email address and/or telephone number of person before whom the declaration is made

 

9

 

 

10

 

 

Source: http://www.canberrayourfuture.com.au/

Disclaimer: The above set criteria and details about The eligibility of 485 PSW Visa have been copied from http://www.canberrayourfuture.com.au/The document is provided for general information purposes only. Your use of any of this information is at your own risk, and you should not use any of this information without first seeking legal and other professional advice. The provision of this document (and the documents themselves) do not constitute legal advice or opinions of any kind, or any advertising or solicitation. No lawyer-client, advisory, fiduciary or other relationship is created between VIVID EDUCATION and any person accessing or otherwise using any of the information. Vivid Education and its affiliates (and any of their respective directors, officers, agents, contractors, interns, suppliers, and employees) will not be liable for any damages, losses, or causes of action of any nature arising from any use of any of this information.

 

 

 

Migration program planning levels 2020-2021

The Migration program is designed to achieve a range of economic and social outcomes. The program is set annually, with the total places available capped at a ceiling of 160,000 for 2020-21. The total program is broken down into the following streams:

  • Skill – designed to improve the productive capacity of the economy and fill skill shortages in the labour market, including those in regional Australia. In 2020-21, the Skill stream has 79,600 places allocated.​
  • Family – is predominately made up of Partner visas, enabling Australians to reunite with family members from overseas, and provide them with pathways to citizenship (77,300 places in 2020-21).
  • Special Eligibility – this covers visas for those in special circumstances. This can include permanent residents returning to Australia after a period away, and is the smallest stream (100 places in 2020-21).
  • At least 3,000 Child places will be available in 2020-21.
2020-21 Migration program planning levels
Stream and Category 2020-21
Skill stream
Employer Sponsored 22,000
Skilled Independent 6,500
Regional 11,200
​State/Territory Nominated 11,200
Business Innovation & Investment program 13,500
Global Talent 15,000
Distinguished Talent 200
Skill Total 79,600
Family Stream
Partner 72,300
Parent 4,500
Other Family 500
Family Total 77,300
Special Eligibility 100
Child (estimate; not subject to a ceiling) 3,000
Total 160,000

Program size and composition

The size and composition of the Migration program is set each year through the Australian Government’s Budget process. It is informed following broad public consultations with state and territory governments, business and community groups and the wider public. Community views, economic and labour force forecasts, international research, net overseas migration and economic and fiscal modelling are all taken into account when planning the program.​

State an​d Territory nominated visa categories –
​2020-21 nomination allocations

Under the 2020-21 Migration Program settings, nomination allocations are made available to States and Territories in the following categories:

  • Skilled – Nominated (subclass 190)
  • Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (subclass 491)
  • Business Innovation and Investment Program (BIIP)

States and Territories each assess eligible applicants against a criteria unique to their jurisdiction.

Further information regarding State and Territory nomination requirements can be found at:

Following consultation with States and Territories, the foll​o​wing nomination levels have been allocated for 2020-21:

State and Territory nominated visa allocations
State Skilled Nominated (Subclass 190) Visa Skilled Work Regional (Subclass 491) visa Business Innovation and Investment Program (BIIP)
ACT 702 598 30
NSW 3,550 2,800 2,200
VIC 2,500 1,043 1,750
QLD ​1,000 1,250 1,200
NT 500 500 75
WA 1,100 340 360
SA 1,500 1,850 1,000
TAS 1,000 1,400 45
Total 11,852 9,781 6,660

Source: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/what-we-do/migration-program-planning-levels

Job ready Program Applicant Guidelines

The Job Ready Program

Section 1 Program Information

1.1        Introduction to Trades Recognition Australia

Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) is a business unit located within the Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment (the Department). It is the relevant skills assessing authority for nominated occupations under the Migration Regulations 1994.

TRA skills assessments are intended to ensure that a successful applicant is able to perform at the required skill level for their nominated occupation. They also provide an assurance to government and to the individual that their training and experience is relevant and appropriate for the Australian labour market.

TRA operates several different skills assessment services, which are based on an applicant’s occupation, country of passport, where they studied and the type of visa they are seeking.

1.2        Program objective

The Job Ready Program (JRP) is for international student graduates who have studied at and received a completed qualification issued by a Registered Training Organisation (RTO). The RTO must be registered under the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) to deliver the training.

It is a four‐step employment‐based skills assessment program that provides applicants with the opportunity to demonstrate skills and job readiness in an Australian workplace, relevant to a nominated occupation, before applying for migration in Australia.

The JRP aims to ensure that a skilled worker is well placed to seek employment in their nominated occupation in Australia. The four steps in the JRP are outlined in Section 2 and include:

  1. Provisional Skills Assessment (PSA)
  2. Job Ready Employment (JRE)
  3. Job Ready Workplace Assessment (JRWA)
  4. Job Ready Final Assessment (JRFA)

1.3        Program Guidelines

These Guidelines describe the JRP and outline the requirements for applicants who wish to participate in the program. Following completion of the program, applicants may apply for temporary or permanent migration to Australia.

You must read the eligibility requirements for the JRP before starting an application. If you do not understand any part of the eligibility requirements, please contact TRA via the TRA website www.tradesrecognitionaustralia.gov.au

These Guidelines do not provide specific information on visa or points requirements for migration. All enquiries relating to migration requirements must be directed to the Australian Department of Home Affairs (Home Affairs) (www.homeaffairs.gov.au).

TRA reserves the right to amend these Guidelines as necessary. Information about changes will be documented in the Change History Table in Section 5, and posted as a news item on the TRA website www.tradesrecognitionaustralia.gov.au.

1.4        Before applying for the JRP

Before applying for the JRP, you should contact Home Affairs to ensure you have identified the appropriate visa pathway and check that TRA is listed as the assessing authority for your nominated occupation.

If you are intending to apply for Temporary Graduate Visa (subclass 485), you should also check that your nominated occupation is on the Medium and Long‐term Strategic Skills List on the Home Affairs website www.homeaffairs.gov.au.

1.5        How to apply

To apply for the program you must register for the JRP through the TRA Online Portal via the TRA website www.tradesrecognitionaustralia.gov.au. Select the Job Ready Program Registration and complete the registration details.

 

A TRA reference number and username will be generated and you will be asked to create a password. You will need your username and password to sign into your online account. Diagram 1 below provides an overview of the online application process.

 

Diagram 1: JRP application process

 

All applications submitted to TRA must be ‘decision ready’. ‘Decision ready’ means all the mandatory fields in the TRA Online Portal are completed, all documents are uploaded as required under these Guidelines, and the mandatory application fee is paid.

Please read the instructions in the TRA Online Portal carefully to make sure you have met all requirements before submitting your documents.

 

1.5.1  Document requirements

Documentation provided as part of your application or as requested by TRA must be in PDF format and uploaded through the TRA Online Portal.

Please note, TRA cannot accept documents that are sent through file sharing platforms, such as Google Drive and Dropbox, and your application must not contain documents that are locked or password protected.

1.6      Fees

Assessment Service Fee
Step 1: Provisional Skills Assessment $300
Provisional Skills Assessment Review (if required) $300
Step 2: Job Ready Employment $500
Step 3: Job Ready Workplace Assessment $2,000
Subsequent Job Ready Workplace Assessment (if required) $2,000
Step 4: Job Ready Final Assessment $150

 

Payments can only be made with a Visa or MasterCard credit/debit card through the TRA Online Portal. All fees are payable in Australian dollars, and instructions on how to pay are provided when you apply for each step of the program.

After payment, an email containing the receipt will be sent automatically to the email address you (and your agent if applicable), provided in your application. It is important to keep the email receipt as evidence of payment. This email provides confirmation that your application has been received by TRA.

1.6.1  Fee refunds

Refunds will not be provided should you choose to withdraw your application.

The circumstances in which TRA will refund a payment are detailed in the TRA Payment and Refund Policy on the TRA website www.tradesreognitionaustralia.gov.au.

 

Section 2 Program Requirements and Processes

The JRP is a four step employment‐based skills assessment program. To complete the JRP you must complete each of the steps shown in the Diagram 2.

Diagram 2: JRP steps

You should familiarise yourself with the eligibility requirements for each step of the program before you apply. Eligibility requirements must be met and these may differ slightly from Step 1 (PSA) to Step 2 (JRE). For example, TRA does not accept certain visa types for Step 2 of the program. (See section 2.2.1 of the Guidelines)

The following provides detailed information about the requirements of each step of the program.

2.1        Step 1: Provisional Skills Assessment (PSA)

Under PSA, TRA will confirm your identity and verify the authenticity of your Australian qualification, and that you have had exposure to a range of tasks and duties relevant to your nominated occupation in an Australian workplace.

A successful PSA outcome can be used to apply to Home Affairs for a Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485). A successful PSA outcome is required before you can apply for Step 2 JRE of the JRP.

2.1.1      Eligibility

To be eligible for a PSA you must have:

  • held an international student visa (as the primary visa holder) to study in Australia
  • a qualification relevant to an occupation assessed by TRA, and awarded by a CRICOS RTO as a result of study in Australia
  • evidence of a minimum of 360 hours of employment and/or a vocational placement relevant to your qualification and nominated occupation, completed in an Australian workplace, within the three years prior to submitting a PSA application

2.1.2    Online application process

To apply for the PSA you must register through the TRA Online Portal on the TRA website www.tradesrecognitionaustralia.gov.au. (see section 1.5 of the Guidelines).

You should then select the Provisional Skills Assessment link and follow the guidance to complete the Provisional Skills Assessment application, pay the application fee and upload the application documents listed in section 2.1.3 of the Guidelines. Your application cannot be submitted until all required documents are uploaded on the TRA Online Portal.

2.1.3      Application documents

Your PSA application documents must be uploaded in PDF format and include the following:

  • a copy of the passport identification page of your current If the qualification you are submitting was completed under a different passport, a copy of the passport identification page of your previous passport must also be included;
  • a current passport‐size photograph of you;
  • a copy of your Australian qualification(s) relevant to your nominated occupation;
  • the full academic transcript of results for all of your qualification(s), including the commencement and completion dates of study in Australia; and
  • evidence of a minimum of 360 hours of employment and/or a vocational placement relevant to your qualification and nominated

Employment evidence requirements:

  • copies of pay evidence such as pay slips or payroll printouts to support any periods of claimed employment completed in Australia in the last three years. Pay slips must show the hours worked or the hourly rate of pay.

Subcontracting arrangements may be accepted if it was with a single contractor who can confirm in a written statement the nature of the work you have done, the hours completed, and is accompanied by copies of invoices and bank statements. Invoices must show the hours worked or the hourly rate of pay and be accompanied by bank statements that clearly show the invoiced deposits from the contractor.

  • copies of work statements from your employer/contractor to support claims of any employment undertaken in an Australian workplace in the last three years. The work statement must:
    • be on letterhead used by your employer’s business;
    • state the occupation in which you were employed;
    • state the exact dates and total hours of employment;
    • include a detailed description of the nature and content of the work undertaken, along with the machines, tools and/or equipment used; and
    • be signed and dated by the employer or a person authorised by the employer, including: the name, position and telephone contact details of the person making the statement.

Vocational placement evidence requirements:

  • copies of timesheets or log books to support any periods of claimed vocational placements completed in Australia in the last three years. Timesheets or logbooks must show the hours worked.
  • copies of work statements from the RTO to support your claims of vocational placements completed in Australia in the last three years. Work statements for vocational placements must:
    • be on letterhead used by the RTO;
    • confirm the vocational placement was undertaken as a requirement of a training course;
    • state the exact dates, hours and location of the vocational placement;
    • include a detailed description of the nature and content of the work undertaken along with the machines, tools and/or equipment used; and
    • be signed and dated by an authorised person, including the name, position and telephone contact details of the person making the statement.

All employment and/or vocational placement evidence submitted must total a minimum of 360 hours.

2.1.4      Verification process

Identity verification documents enable TRA to establish who you are and the connection to your qualifications and work experience. Once completed, TRA will then verify the legitimacy and eligibility of your qualifications. TRA will verify employment and vocational placements which may include contacting the person who signed your work statement/s. TRA must be able to link the landline or mobile telephone number/s to the business or RTO. Once a link has been established, TRA will only attempt to contact the signatory three times.

If a link to the business or RTO cannot be established, the signatory will not be contacted.

If the signatory cannot be contacted or does not respond to call back requests from TRA, your work will not be able to be verified and your application will be unsuccessful.

If additional documents are requested by TRA to support your application, these can be uploaded through the TRA Online Portal at any time.

2.1.5      Assessment outcome

You will receive notification of the outcome of your PSA application by email following the assessment and verification process. If your assessment is successful, the outcome letter can be presented to Home Affairs as part of your visa application.

Your application will be successful if TRA is able to verify that your documents provide sufficient evidence to satisfy the PSA eligibility requirements.

Your application will be unsuccessful if:

  • your documents are not relevant to your nominated occupation;
  • your documents contain insufficient detail to satisfy PSA eligibility requirements;
  • TRA cannot verify your qualification or work statement/s; and/or
  • documents are found to contain false or misleading i

PSA applications are generally processed within 90 days of receipt of the application documents. Processing times may vary and are dependent on the volume of applications received as well as the complexity of the verification process.

To support a fair process, your application will be assessed in order of receipt and TRA will not consider any requests to expedite the processing of your application.

2.1.6      Review of an unsuccessful PSA outcome

If you receive an unsuccessful outcome and you do not agree with the outcome, you can apply for a review. You must apply within 45 days from the date of the original assessment outcome letter.

Please note that a review will only reconsider the documents you provided in your original application; no new evidence can be provided. The TRA Review Request form is available on the TRA website www.tradesrecognitionaustralia.gov.au.

The PSA Review fee is payable through the TRA Online Portal by selecting the PSA Review link. Your PSA review will be conducted by a different TRA officer from the one who provided the original assessment outcome. You will be advised by email of the outcome, and if the original assessment is overturned, the review fee will be refunded.

Alternatively, you can submit a new PSA application and new documents and evidence at any time.

A new application for PSA must be submitted through the TRA Online Portal along with payment of the PSA application fee. You will receive a new username, password and TRA Reference number. There is no limit to the number of times you can apply for a PSA.

 

2.2        Step 2: Job Ready Employment (JRE)

Diagram 3 – JRP Steps

The JRE step requires you to complete employment in an Australian workplace to further develop your skills. Employment must be in the occupation, or one closely related to the occupation assessed in your PSA outcome. You must still be working with your employer when you submit your JRE application online.

2.2.1      Eligibility

To be eligible for JRE you must:

  • have received a successful PSA outcome
  • have less than 4 months remaining on your student visa
  • hold or have lodged an application with Home Affairs for a visa that has full (unrestricted) work rights and provides sufficient time to complete Steps 2‐4 of the JRP (a minimum of 12 months)
  • have secured eligible employment (see section 2.9 of the Guidelines)

Please note: A student visa with more than 4 months remaining or a training visa are not accepted visas for this program.

2.2.2      Online application process

To apply for the JRE, you will need to sign in to the TRA Online Portal on the TRA website www.tradesrecognitionaustralia.gov.au with the username and password created for your PSA application.

You should then select the Job Ready Employment link and follow the guidance to complete the Job Ready Employment application, pay the application fee. You will need to upload the application documents listed in section 2.2.3 of the Guidelines. Your application cannot be submitted until all required documents are uploaded on the TRA Online Portal.

Please note: Step 2 and Step 3 (Job Ready Workplace Assessment) of the JRP are employment based and require regular contact between TRA and the JRE applicant. TRA will only communicate directly with the JRE applicant during these steps.

A migration agent or representative can act on behalf of an applicant in Step 1: Provisional Skills Assessment or Step 4: Job Ready Final Assessment. (See section 3.2 of the Guidelines)

2.2.3      Application documents

Your JRE application documents include the following:

  • Employment Verification Report (EVR), signed and dated by your employer and nominated supervisor (See section 2.2.11 and 3.1.1 of the Guidelines)
  • a copy of your current Visa Grant Notification (TRA does not accept VEVO printouts). If you have pending Visa notices these should also be provided.
  • pay evidence that covers your prior employment claim period, if applicable
  • a copy of your passport identification page if you have been issued a new passport since you applied for your PSA.

2.2.4      Decision ready documents

Applications must be decision ready, which means that your application is accurate and complete before submitting to TRA. If all the required information and documentation is not provided to TRA, your application may be made unsuccessful.

If the information contained in the application documents cannot be verified to satisfy TRA requirements, your application may not be approved for JRE.

2.2.5      Additional or change of employer

If you have more than one employer, or change employers during the program, you must submit the employment details through the TRA Online Portal. You do this by selecting Add New Employer under the Job Ready Employment link and completing the online form.

Your employment hours with any additional or new employers will be calculated from the date the employer’s details were submitted online.

There is no JRE application fee payable to register any additional employers for JRE.

You must also complete an EVR for any additional or new employer. EVRs can be accessed from the TRA website www.tradesrecognitionaustralia.gov.au. Please select the form relevant to your occupation. (See section 2.2.11 of the Guidelines)

You cannot exceed five (5) employers, and at least 863 paid work hours must be completed with the one employer.

2.2.6      JRE Start Date

Your JRE Start Date is generally the date you applied through the TRA Online Portal unless the date is varied by TRA. Your JRE Start Date is available in your TRA Online Portal account.

2.2.7      Claiming prior employment

You can claim up to three consecutive months of paid employment that was undertaken immediately prior to applying online for JRE. This can only be claimed at the time of submitting your JRE application online.

To make a claim, you must complete the prior employment section of your JRE online application and provide TRA with acceptable pay evidence for the period being claimed. TRA will assess your claim based on the paid work evidence submitted as part of your JRE application. No additional documentation or clarification will be requested or accepted. (See section 2.2.13 of the Guidelines for acceptable pay evidence)

Prior employment will only be considered where it was:

  • undertaken with the first employer you registered for JRE
  • in your nominated occupation
  • undertaken in the three months immediately prior to your online JRE application
  • not already used to meet the work requirements for your PSA application
  • supported with acceptable pay evidence
  • for employment arrangements approved by TRA

A revised JRE Start Date and any approved claimed work hours will be added to the Total Approved Hours table in the TRA Online Portal if your employment is approved by TRA. (See section 2.2.11 of the Guidelines for employment verification)

2.2.8      Employment requirements

You must complete at least 1725 hours of paid employment in your nominated occupation over a minimum of 12 calendar months from your JRE Start Date. Periods of leave (including paid leave) cannot be included in the 1725 hours.

If you are in part‐time employment or have periods of unemployment or extended leave, it may take you longer than 12 calendar months to complete the required 1725 hours.

If you complete 1725 hours in less than 12 calendar months, you will still be required to complete 12 months from your JRE Start Date to be eligible to apply for your Job Ready Final Assessment (Step 4).

2.2.9      Eligible employment

For your employment to be eligible, it must:

  • be with your current employer when you register the employer online
  • not have been used to meet the work component of the PSA
  • involve work at an appropriate skill level and include a range of tasks and duties relevant to your nominated occupation
  • be paid in accordance with applicable industrial awards or agreements and Australian workplace relations laws
  • be in an employer‐employee arrangement where:
  • work is assigned to you by your employer/supervisor and you complete the work under their direction
  • you work the number of hours per day/shift as agreed by your employer
  • the employer provides you with pay slips
  • the employer makes superannuation contributions on your behalf
  • you accrue annual leave and/or other leave entitlements
  • be registered and approved by TRA following validation of your

2.2.10    Subcontractor work

TRA may consider subcontractor work where your contracting arrangements meet the below requirements:

  • your contracting arrangements meet the general JRE employment eligibility requirements (see section 2.2.9 of the Guidelines)
  • you are able to complete at least 863 hours of your work with a single contractor
  • the contractor you work for is willing to sign your EVR and Skills Progress Report (See sections2.11 and 2.2.12 of the Guidelines) as if they were your supervisor.

2.2.11    Employment verification

An EVR seeks information that will assist TRA determine whether your employment arrangements provide sufficient opportunity for you to do a range of tasks and duties to demonstrate your skills, using industry‐accepted practices and tools/equipment relevant to your nominated occupation.

The employer and nominated supervisor listed in your application R must complete and sign the EVR. The EVR, must be uploaded in the TRA Online Portal with your JRE application documents.

An EVR must also be completed and uploaded in the TRA Online Portal for any additional employers details submitted. (See section 2.2.5 of the Guidelines)

EVRs can be accessed from the TRA website www.tradesrecognitionaustralia.gov.au. Please select the form relevant to your occupation.

TRA will conduct a number of online verification checks to confirm the existence and authenticity of the workplace listed in your TRA Online Portal account and EVR. Your employer or supervisor may be contacted to confirm your work arrangements, and if necessary, a site visit will be arranged.

Your employment will not be suitable if:

  • it does not include tasks and duties at the skill level appropriate for your nominated occupation
  • it is unlikely to provide you with access to an appropriate range of tasks and duties for your nominated occupation
  • it does not provide you with access to industry‐accepted tools and equipment relevant to your nominated occupation
  • you are not being

If you receive advice from TRA that your employment is not suitable, that period of employment cannot be counted towards the JRP. If this occurs, you must find different employment that meets the JRP requirements.

2.2.12    Skills Progress Report

A Skills Progress Report (SPR) is a self-assessment record of the skills and activities you have undertaken in your workplace.

You must provide a SPR after 6 months from your JRE Start Date, or as required, until you have achieved a successful Job Ready Workplace Assessment (JRWA). The SPR must be confirmed and signed by your supervisor or employer nominated for the workplace. TRA will email you when your SPR is due.

The purpose of the SPR is to confirm you are developing your skills and experience in the workplace, using the appropriate tools and equipment and doing the duties expected for your occupation in an Australian workplace.

Completed SPRs and corresponding pay evidence must be uploaded through the TRA Online Portal document uploads link in PDF format. SPRs can be accessed from the TRA website www.tradesrecognitionaustralia.gov.au. Please select the form relevant to your occupation.

Once your SPR and pay evidence are verified by TRA your work hours will be updated in the Total Approved Hours table on your Home Page in the TRA Online Portal.

Completed SPRs will be provided to the TRA-appointed workplace assessor to guide the planning of your JRWA. Therefore, it is important that SPRs are an accurate record of the work you undertake in your workplace.

2.2.13    Pay evidence

You will be required to provide pay evidence for any employment approved by TRA. The table below provides information on the pay evidence accepted by TRA. TRA will email you when your pay evidence is due.

Employees Sub‐contractors ‐ Construction trades only
Copies of pay slips showing a minimum of:

·         Name of employee

·         Name of employer

·         Employer ABN, if they have one

·         Hours worked and/or hourly rate

·         Gross pay

·         Dates worked

OR

Copy of payroll printout from the employer showing a minimum of:

·         Name of employee

·         Name of employer

·         Employer ABN, if they have one

·         Dates worked

·         Hours worked

·         Gross payments

PLUS

If requested, copies of bank statements showing the deposits for the above pay slips or payroll print out.

Copies of invoices showing a minimum of:

·         Your subcontractor’s ABN

·         Dates worked

·         Hours billed

·         Total amount of hours billed

·         Business name and ABN of the other party to the subcontracting arrangements

PLUS

Copies of bank statements, which show the deposits for the above invoices. The statements must clearly identify that the deposits are from the other party to the subcontracting arrangements. The relevant deposits should be highlighted and the corresponding invoice number noted on the statement.

2.3        Step 3: Job Ready Workplace Assessment (JRWA)

Diagram 4 – JRP Steps

The purpose of the JRWA is to determine whether you are operating in the workplace at the required skill level for the occupation nominated in your application.

An assessor from a TRA‐approved RTO will conduct your JRWA and will focus on the activities you have been required to perform during your employment as recorded in your SPR.

TRA will email you when your records indicate you may be eligible for your JRWA.

2.3.1      Eligibility

To be eligible for a JRWA, the following is required:

  • your employment arrangements must have been approved by TRA
  • acceptable pay evidence (see section 2.2.13 of the Guidelines) for at least 863 hours over a minimum of six months from your JRE Start Date
  • acceptable SPRs, EVRs and any other relevant information confirming you are performing expected tasks and duties and developing the skills required for your nominated occupation

TRA will review your pay evidence and SPRs and advise you by email when you are eligible to apply for a JRWA.

2.3.2      Online application process

Once you have received confirmation that you are eligible for a JRWA, you will need to sign into the TRA Online Portal with your username and password. You should then select the Job Ready Workplace Assessment link, and follow the guidance to complete the Job Ready Workplace Assessment application and pay the JRWA application fee.

Change to employment arrangements

If you have a new employer, you must submit the employment details through the TRA Online Portal before you apply for a JRWA. You do this by selecting Add New Employer under the Job Ready Employment (JRE) link and complete the online form. There is no JRE application fee payable to register any additional employers for JRE.

An EVR must also be completed and uploaded in the TRA Online Portal for any additional employers details submitted through the TRA Online Portal. EVRs can be accessed from the TRA website www.tradesrecognitionaustralia.gov.au. Please select the form relevant to your occupation. (See section 2.2.5 and 2.2.11 of the Guidelines)

Before your JRWA arrangements can proceed, new work arrangements must be approved by TRA and you must provide pay evidence for at least one month of work.

2.3.3      Assignment of TRA‐approved assessor

When your JRWA application has been registered by TRA, the following will be provided to a TRA‐approved RTO:

  • contact details for you and your employer/supervisor
  • a copy of your SPRs, EVRs and any other relevant information
  • a copy of your Australian qualification
  • a copy of your passport identification page.

The TRA-approved RTO will allocate an assessor to conduct your workplace assessment. The assessor will:

  • contact you and your employer/supervisor to organise a time and date that is suitable to conduct the assessment
  • discuss with you the work you have done and the tools and equipment that would be available for the assessment
  • review the documentation provided by TRA
  • prepare an assessment plan detailing what you will be required to do during the as The plan will be provided to you and your employer/supervisor before the scheduled date of the assessment.

2.3.4      During the JRWA

The assessor will:

  • show photographic identification to you and your employer/supervisor to verify their identity
  • verify your identity and your employer/supervisor’s identity
  • in accordance with the assessment plan, require you to demonstrate:
  • an ability to perform tasks, follow directions, and plan work at the required skill level relevant to your nominated occupation in your workplace
  • your understanding of the workplace including:
    • your role in the workplace
    • the language/terminology used in the workplace/industry sector
    • relevant Australian Standards, legislation and/or regulations
    • solving problems
    • asking directions
    • working well with others
    • using resources effectively.

The assessment will be conducted using a range of methods, which may include a technical interview and observation of your practical skills.

2.3.5      Inability to attend a scheduled JRWA

If you are unable to participate in the assessment at the time you previously agreed with the assessor, you must notify the assessor immediately. You must also provide TRA with a medical certificate or other evidence explaining why you were unable to attend. If you are unable to contact the assessor, you must notify TRA immediately via jrpenquiries@dese.gov.au.

If a medical certificate is not provided, or you cannot provide other acceptable evidence o show why you were unable to participate in the assessment, you will be required to pay for any relevant travel costs incurred by the assessor on the date of the scheduled assessment.

It is your responsibility to arrange a new assessment date and time with the assessor. The assessor will notify TRA of the new arrangements.

2.3.6      JRWA outcome

TRA will provide you with the outcome of the JRWA. TRA will email you the outcome of the assessment and include a copy of the JRWA report prepared by the assessor.

The JRWA report will advise if you have been assessed as Job Ready or Not Yet Job Ready for your nominated occupation.

A successful JRWA assessment will confirm you are Job Ready, which means during the assessment you demonstrated:

  • well‐developed job knowledge
  • an ability to suggest and initiate improvements while being able to deal with routine and complex matters relating to the occupation
  • that you were reliable and responsible
  • that you had a well‐developed ability to work to industry standard productively, and communicated effectively in the

An unsuccessful JRWA assessment means you are Not Yet Job Ready because you were unable to perform the duties required of the nominated occupation for one or more of the following reasons:

  • had limited job knowledge
  • made frequent errors
  • work output was poor compared to industry standards
  • demonstrated difficulty dealing with routine matters or communicating appropriately as required in the occupation
  • required close guidance to perform to industry stan

If the outcome was Not Yet Job Ready, you may request a JRWA Review or apply for a subsequent JRWA (See sections 2.3.7 and/or 2.3.8 of the Guidelines.)

2.3.7      Review of JRWA outcome

If you receive a Not Yet Job Ready outcome, you can seek a review of your assessment by completing a TRA Review Request Form available on the TRA website www.tradesrecognitionaustralia.gov.au. You are only entitled to one review of your assessment.

A JRWA review is conducted by a different assessor, who will only review the evidence gathered during the first assessment. A JRWA review will not involve another workplace assessment.

For your application to be registered, the TRA Review Request Form must be received by TRA within 45 days from the date of the original assessment outcome email. You are not required to pay a fee for a JRWA review.

TRA will provide you with a report advising the outcome at the completion of the review.

2.3.8      Subsequent JRWA

It is recommended you do not apply for a subsequent assessment until you have addressed the reasons you were unsuccessful in the previous assessment. SPRs submitted following an unsuccessful JRWA must indicate that you are addressing the reasons you were made unsuccessful.

You must contact TRA before applying for a subsequent JRWA. TRA will provide you with a JRWA Reapplication Form.

You will need to log in to the TRA Online Portal with your username and password. Select the JRWA Reapplication link and pay the application fee.

The completed JRWA Reapplication Form should be uploaded on the TRA Online Portal by selecting the Document Uploads link.

TRA will assign a different TRA‐approved assessor to conduct the assessment.

When the assessment is finalised TRA will provide you with a report advising the outcome.

If your subsequent JRWA is unsuccessful, you may need to meet additional eligibility criteria, such as completing a further period of three months’ employment, before being eligible to apply for a another assessment.

2.4        Step 4: Job Ready Final Assessment (JRFA)

Diagram 5 – JRP Steps

The JRFA is the fourth and final step of the JRP. A successful JRFA outcome can be used to apply to Home Affairs for an independent skilled migration visa.

TRA will email you when your records indicate you may be eligible for your JRFA.

2.4.1    Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for a JRFA you must have:

  • your employment arrangements approved by TRA
  • achieved a successful JRWA outcome
  • provided TRA with acceptable pay evidence for at least 1725 hours employment in your nominated occupation over a minimum of 12 months from your JRE Start Date

2.4.2      Online application process

Once you have received confirmation that you are eligible to apply for a JRFA, you will need to sign in to the TRA Online Portal with your username and password. You should then select the Job Ready Final Assessment link and follow the guidance to complete the application and pay the JRFA application fee.

2.4.3      JRFA outcome

Within 45 days of receipt of your JRFA application, you will receive a letter by email confirming you have completed all steps of the Job Ready Program and have attained a successful skills assessment in your nominated occupation.

This letter is not a qualification nor does it represent formal accreditation of your skills and experience. It can only be used to apply to Home Affairs for a permanent independent skilled migration visa.

You will receive an unsuccessful skills assessment outcome if it is found that documents you have provided during JRE contained false or misleading information.

2.4.4      Review of JRFA outcome

If you disagree with the outcome of your assessment, you have 45 days from the date of your assessment outcome to apply for a review of your assessment outcome.

Please note that a review will only reconsider the evidence and documents you  have already provided to TRA. No new evidence can be provided.

The TRA Review Request form is available on the TRA website www.tradesrecognitionaustralia.gov.au.

Please read the TRA Assessment Review Policy on the TRA website before applying for a review.

Section 3   Program administration

3.1        Roles and responsibilities

3.1.1    Employers and supervisors

The employer/supervisor must:

  • understand that TRA may contact an employer to verify information provided in an application and an EVR, and will require a contact telephone number for every person listed on an employment statement. TRA will verify independently that the number is linked to the organisation where the applicant is employed
  • complete and sign an EVR
  • understand that TRA may contact them to arrange a visit to the workplace by either a JRP officer or a TRA nominated representative
  • have industry knowledge and experience to supervise a JRP participant and confirm their skills in the nominated occupation.
  • provide a JRP participant with the appropriate tasks and duties to enable the participant to demonstrate a broad range of skills in the nominated occupation
  • confirm and sign Job Ready Program SPRs
  • understand that any personal information provided may be used only as allowed by the Privacy Act 1988 (see Clause 3.3)
  • allow staff authorised by the Department and a TRA‐approved workplace assessors to access the workplace.

3.1.2      JRP officers

JRP officers are responsible for:

  • verifying JRP employment arrangements which may include a site visit to the work place
  • advising participants, employers and supervisors about their responsibilities with the JRP
  • validating participant work hours and progression of skill development
  • coordinating assessment arrangements with TRA‐approved workplace assessors
  • responding to enquiries from prospective applicants, participants, employer/s and other people
  • adhering to the Australian Public Service Code of Conduct.

3.1.3      TRA‐approved Registered Training Organisation (RTO)

TRA‐approved RTOs are responsible for:

  • meeting all the requirements identified in their service deeds with TRA
  • meeting obligations for registration as an RTO
  • ensuring the work site is safe to conduct a workplace assessment
  • conducting a workplace assessment
  • reporting workplace assessment outcomes to TRA
  • liaising with TRA, participants and employers as required.

3.1.4      Trades Recognition Australia

TRA is responsible for:

  • managing the objectives of the program
  • providing up‐to‐date information about program processes and procedures
  • contract management and monitoring of TRA‐approved RTOs
  • responding to enquiries about the program
  • budget and policy management
  • developing and maintaining an appropriate IT system to support the program
  • liaising with Home Affairs and other key stakeholders as necessary
  • managing complaints and reviews as required
  • managing evaluations of the program
  • undertaking compliance and investigative measures as

3.2        Use of agents or authorised representatives

A migration agent or representative can be appointed to act on behalf of an applicant for Step 1 and/or Step 4 of the JRP only. These steps have outcomes that require interaction with Home Affairs for visa eligibility and processing. Home Affairs provides advice about the use of migration agents in Australia.

Please note TRA will only provide information to the applicant while they are participating in Steps 2 and 3 of the JRP. TRA will not liaise with any other parties who contact TRA on behalf of an applicant. All correspondence for Steps 2 and 3 will only be sent to the applicant.

If a migration agent or representative is engaged to assist with Step 1 and/or Step 4 of the program, the agent or representative details must be provided when you submit the relevant JRP application online. (See sections 2.1.3, 2.4.3 of the Guidelines)

A Nomination of a Migration Agent or Representative form must be completed and uploaded in the TRA Online Portal each time a new migration agent or representative is appointed. Information provided on the form will replace any previous migration agent or representative details held on an applicant’s TRA file. The Nomination of a Migration Agent or Representative form is available under Forms & Policy on the TRA website www.tradesrecognitionaustralia.gov.au.

TRA will not correspond with, or speak with, another person about an assessment without the applicant’s written approval.

3.3        Privacy

The collection, use and disclosure of personal information by TRA is subject to the Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act). Schedule 1 of the Privacy Act contains the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), which prescribe the rules for handling personal information.

The Privacy Act defines ‘personal information’ as:

‘information or an opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable:

(a) Whether the information or opinion is true or not; and

(b) Whether the information or opinion is recorded in a material form or not’.

3.3.1      Privacy information

Under the APPs, the Department is required to have a clearly expressed and up to date policy about the way the Department manages personal information. This policy contains information about how you may access the personal information the Department holds about you, and how you may correct any inaccuracies in that information. We will correct your personal information if it is inaccurate (subject to restrictions on such access/alteration of records under the applicable provisions of any law of the Commonwealth).

It also includes information as to how you may make a complaint about a breach of the APPs, and how the Department will respond to such a complaint.

A copy of the Department’s privacy policy is available on the Department’s website at www.dese.gov.au/privacy.

More information about the Privacy Act, including a copy of the full text of the APPs, can be obtained from the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner’s website at www.oaic.gov.au

3.3.2      Collection

TRA collects personal information from you for the purposes of:

  • processing and assessing your applications for a skills assessment or review, under any of the TRA programs, as the relevant assessing authority for skilled occupations as specified in the Instruments made under the Migration Regulations 1994
  • confirming authorisation by an applicant of his or her representative or migration agent, and to provide contact details for that representative or migration agent
  • allowing you to make a payment of fees to TRA so you can lodge an application
  • allowing TRA to confirm payment and process refunds as applicable
  • conducting investigations and ensuring compliance with relevant laws, awards or standards
  • ensuring compliance with the Commonwealth Fraud Control Guidelines (2011) through the investigation of fraud and the implementation of fraud prevention strategies.

Personal information collected by TRA will only be used for the purposes outlined above. If TRA is not able to collect your personal information, your application will not be able to proceed.

In the course of assessing your application, TRA may receive unsolicited personal information about you from a third party. If TRA would normally have been able to collect that information or it forms a part of a Commonwealth record, it will be treated in accordance with the APPs. If not, TRA will destroy or de‐identify that information.

3.3.3      Disclosure

TRA may give some or all of the information it collects from you or third parties to Home Affairs, the Migration Review Tribunal, the Australian Federal Police, your employer/s, your supervisor/s, your nominated agent or representative, the organisations that issued your qualifications, TRA-approved registered training organisations, agencies providing advice to TRA on qualifications, the Australian Skills Quality Authority, the Reserve Bank of Australia, contractors, the Fair Work Ombudsman and other Australian and state/territory government agencies.

TRA may disclose your personal information to these entities for the reasons that are listed above in the collection section.

Personal information collected by TRA will not be disclosed to any other third party without your consent, except where authorised or required by law.

3.3.4      Complaints

Complaints about breaches of privacy should be referred to:

 

Privacy Officer

Legal Services

Department of Education, Skills and Employment

GPO Box 9880

CANBERRA ACT 2601

Email:  privacy@dese.gov.au

3.4        False and misleading information

You are responsible for ensuring the accuracy and validity of all information provided to TRA.

TRA will take reasonable steps to verify the validity of all information supplied to TRA throughout the JRP.

However, if TRA determines at a later date that information previously supplied is false, misleading, non‐factual or simply incorrect, and that in reliance on that information TRA has incorrectly assessed an application as successful, TRA may write to you to advise the assessment is no longer considered successful. TRA will advise Home Affairs accordingly.

TRA may refer such matters to the appropriate authorities for investigation where information provided to support an application is known or believed to be false.

NOTE: Penalties apply under the Crimes Act 1914 and the Criminal Code Act 1995 may apply for making false or misleading statements and providing false or misleading information or documents.

3.5        Legislation

TRA is the designated relevant assessing authority for a range of trade and associate professional occupations under the Migration Regulations 1994.

Under Subregulation 2.26B (2) of the Migration Regulations 1994, TRA sets the standards against which a person’s skills are assessed.

Section 4   Contact details

Contact the TRA Job Ready Program on the details below:

 

Enquiries jrpenquiries@dese.gov.au

 

Website www.tradesrecognitionaustralia.gov.au

Source: https://www.tradesrecognitionaustralia.gov.au/sites/default/files/job_ready_program_applicant_guidelines.pdf

Disclaimer:  The document is provided for general information purposes only. Your use of any of this information is at your own risk, and you should not use any of this information without first seeking legal and other professional advice. The provision of this document (and the documents themselves) do not constitute legal advice or opinions of any kind, or any advertising or solicitation. No lawyer-client, advisory, fiduciary or other relationship is created between VIVID EDUCATION and any person accessing or otherwise using any of the information. Vivid Education and its affiliates (and any of their respective directors, officers, agents, contractors, interns, suppliers, and employees) will not be liable for any damages, losses or causes of action of any nature arising from any use of any of this information. Find our Privacy Policy here.

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act 491 / 190 nomination guidelines

ACT 491 / 190 Nomination Guidelines August 2020

ACT 491 / 190 nomination guidelines – Matrix submitted AFTER 19 August 2020.

 

This guideline has been updated on 11 January 2021. Click below to check the updated version

 

ACT 491 / 190 Nomination Guidelines January 2021

 

 

 

 

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) offers Territory nomination  to Canberra Residents under the following skilled migration streams:

• Skilled Work Regional (provisional) subclass 491 visa.

• Skilled Nominated (Permanent) subclass 190 visa.

The Canberra Matrix is closed to overseas applicants.

Before applying for ACT nomination, you must complete the Department of Home Affairs (Home Affairs) SKILLSELECT and meet the Home Affairs points test (currently 65 points).

Applying for ACT nomination is a two-stage process:

  1. You must formally express an interest in applying for ACT nomination by completing a score-based ‘Canberra Matrix’ where you are allocated points against demonstrated economic contribution or benefit and/or a genuine commitment to be part of the ACT community. You can select either ACT 491 nomination or ACT 190 nomination.  The highest-ranked candidates in each stream will then be selected and invited to apply for the ACT nomination. There is no guarantee that your Matrix score will be ranked as the demand for ACT nomination far exceeds the number of nomination places available each year.
  2. If you are invited to apply for the ACT nomination, you must complete and submit the online application (and pay the service fee) within 14 days. You must attach the required documents to evidence your eligibility and Matrix score claimed at the date of Matrix submission.

You must read the ACT nomination guidelines carefully to ensure that you are eligible to complete the Canberra Matrix for ACT 491 / 190 nomination. If you are invited to apply for ACT nomination, your supporting documentation must evidence your eligibility and Matrix score claimed at the date you submitted the Matrix.

 

Part ONE

ACT nomination priorities

The Australian Government’s priority for migration in 2020-21 is supporting Australia’s economic and public health response to, and recovery from, the COVID-19 pandemic.  This includes an emphasis on migrants who will make productive investments in Australia, create jobs for Australians, provide critical health and medical skills, and support economic productivity.

Under the Territory Migration Agreement, the ACT is allocated a fixed number of nominations each year. The Australian Government has directed that nominations provided to states and territories are focused on applicants critical to supporting the effort in response to COVID-19 pandemic. This includes individuals providing critical or specialist medical services, with critical skills required to maintain the supply of essential goods and services; and those who deliver services in sectors critical to Australia’s economic recovery. See ACT Critical Skills List.

ACT Nomination Guidelines

These guidelines explain how to express interest in applying for ACT nomination by completing a score-based ‘Canberra Matrix’. The Matrix allocates points against demonstrated economic contribution or benefit, English proficiency, formal qualifications, length of ACT residence/study, investment activity and close family ties. All Matrix scores are then ranked with the highest-ranked candidates invited to apply for ACT nomination.

Please note: You must read the ACT nomination guidelines carefully. If you are invited to apply for ACT nomination, your supporting documents must evidence your eligibility and all Matrix points claimed at the date of Matrix submission.

 

Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) with Home Affairs SkillSelect.

Before completing the Canberra Matrix, you must be eligible to apply for a skilled migration visa to Australia. You must submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to migrate to Australia through the Department of Home Affairs SkillSelect. You must:

  • Have a suitable skill assessment in your nominated occupation and meet the Home Affairs points test (currently 65 points).
  • Select the ACT as your preferred location to live in Australia. If the ACT is not selected, you will not meet the genuine commitment criteria for ACT nomination.
  • Meet the Home Affairs criteria at the date of ACT nomination decision. The ACT is unable to nominate an applicant who does not meet the age criteria, has an expired skill assessment or English test result.

If you are invited to apply for ACT nomination and your application is approved, your Home Affairs SkillSelect EOI will be confirmed and Home Affairs will automatically issue the visa invitation.

Choose an ACT nomination pathway – provisional 491 or permanent 190

The ACT offers nomination under the following State / Territory nominated skilled migration streams:

  • Skilled Work Regional (provisional) subclass 491 visas.
  • Skilled Nominated (permanent) subclass 190 visas.

You must meet the eligibility criteria for ACT 491 nomination or ACT 190 nomination before you can complete the Canberra Matrix:

  • Canberra resident:
  • Eligibility criteria – ACT 491 nomination or ACT 190 nomination: page 6
  • Canberra Matrix 491 / 190 scoring table: page 10
  • Overseas applicant: The Canberra Matrix is currently closed to overseas applicants.

How to complete the Canberra Matrix

  • Migration agents acting on behalf of a client must register and create an ACT agents account. The Canberra Matrix can be accessed from the ACT agent portal.
  • Individual candidates not using a migration agent are not required to create an account. The Canberra Matrix can be accessed at the Canberra Your Future

Before you complete the Canberra Matrix:

  • Read the nomination guidelines carefully and make sure that you are eligible to complete the Matrix.

Completing the Canberra Matrix:

  • Enter your personal information.
  • Select either ACT 491 nomination or ACT 190 nomination.
  • Select Canberra resident.
  • Select Eligibility criteria
  • Select a Matrix score in each category. Remember, your supporting documentation must evidence the Matrix points claimed at the date you submitted the Matrix. Documents dated after the Matrix is submitted will not meet the criteria.

Once you submit the Matrix, you will receive an email with a summary of the Matrix score claimed. The Matrix cannot be updated or withdrawn once it is submitted. If the claimed Matrix points increase/decrease due to an error or change in circumstances, you must complete a new Matrix; noting that your submission date/time will also change.

The Matrix will automatically expire six months after date of submission if an invitation is not issued. Once a Matrix has lapsed, it cannot be reactivated.

2020-21 Ranking and selection process

The Australian Government has directed the ACT to only nominate Canberra residents with skills that are critical to supporting the ACT’s post pandemic economic recovery.

Matrix submitted before 1 July 2020:

  • Canberra residents:
  • All Matrix submissions will be sorted and only applicants with an occupation on the ACT Critical Skills List will be selected and, if ranked, invited to apply for ACT nomination.
    • 457 / 482 visa holders who do not have an occupation on the ACT Critical Skills List must submit a new Matrix.
    • Matrix submissions that do not nominate an occupation on the ACT Critical Skills List will not be ranked and will lapse after six months.
  • Overseas applicants.
  • The Canberra Matrix is closed to overseas applicants. Matrix submitted by overseas applicants will not be ranked and will automatically lapse after six months.

Matrix submitted after 18 August 2020

  • Canberra residents:
  • Separate invitation rounds will be held for the 491 and 190 nomination streams. The highest ranked candidates in each stream will be invited to apply for ACT nomination. Please note: an invitation may not be issued if an occupation cap is met.

Invitations to apply for ACT nomination

We will issue invitations on a regular basis; pro rata against the ACT allocation of nomination places set by Home Affairs. The number of invitations issued will vary in each round. The cut‑off for selection will depend on the occupation cap and the number of Matrix submitted. If there are more candidates with the same Matrix score than the number of invitation places available, selection may be based on the date and time of the Matrix submission.

Candidates may be selected and invited if their nomination is deemed to be of significant benefit to the Territory.

Cap on Occupations

The number of ACT nomination places may be capped for each occupation on the ACT Critical Skills List. Invitations may not be issued when the monthly cap for an occupation is reached. See ACT Critical Skills List.

Requests for ranking information

Invitations are not guaranteed. The ACT Skilled Migration team will not respond to requests for information on ranking or the likelihood of receiving an invitation. Candidates will not be prioritised or issued invitations based on personal circumstances. This includes, but is not limited to, visa expiry dates or a change in circumstances.

 

Part TWO 

Canberra resident – ACT provisional 491 nomination

Canberra Resident 491 – you must meet the following criteria before you are eligible to submit a Canberra matrix for ACT nomination of a Skilled Regional (provisional) subclass 491 visa:

  • You must be residing in Canberra for at least three months immediately before the date of Matrix submission (and continuing until date of any invitation). Residence is defined as living and settled in Canberra. Visiting Canberra for short periods does not meet the residence criteria. You are not eligible for ACT nomination if you, your spouse/partner or children are living or working in another Australian state or territory.
  • You must meet one of the following two criteria:
  1. Your nominated occupation is on the ACT Critical Skills List;

OR

  1. You are the primary holder of a subclass 457/482 visa sponsored by an ACT employer:
  • You have worked in Canberra for the sponsoring ACT employer for at least three months as the holder of a 457/482 visa.
  • The 457/482 visa must have a minimum 12 months validity at date of Matrix submission.
  • You must be working for an ACT employer in Canberra for at least three months immediately before the date of Matrix submission:
  • You must be working a minimum 20 hours per week in each of the thirteen weeks immediately before date of Matrix submission. Your employment must be continuous. Paid leave (annual, personal or maternity) meets the continuous employment criteria.
  • Unpaid personal leave does not meet the continuous employment criteria unless it is evidenced by a valid medical certificate (the certificate cannot be backdated). You cannot count any period of unpaid leave towards meeting the three months ACT employment For example, if you had five days unpaid leave you cannot submit the 491 Matrix until three months plus five days.
  • You must be in paid employment. Internships, stipends, scholarships and volunteer positions are not considered employment for this criterion.
  • You may work for more than one ACT employer and/or be self- employed. Your employer must be actively operating in the ACT for at least 12 months at date of matrix submission. The terms and conditions of employment must be in accordance with Australian legislation. Your income must not be less than the relevant award or market salary rate.
  • If you are self-employed on an ABN, you must have at least 12 months ACT business activity at date of Matrix submission. Your total income must be at least $500 pw for each week of self-employment claimed.
  • If you are working in Canberra but you are employed by an interstate employer, your employer must have an office / branch located within a 30-minute commute of Canberra (a serviced office or home office does not meet this criterion).
  • If you are nominating an ANZSCO Major Occupation Group 1 (Managers) or Group 2 (Professionals) occupation, you must have a current English test result that meets the Home Affairs level of ‘proficient’ or ‘superior’ English.
  • If you are including a spouse/partner and/or child in your application and they are in Australia, they must have lived in Canberra for the three months immediately before the date of Matrix submission. If they are not living in Canberra, you must attach evidence that they are living overseas.
  • If you wish to claim Matrix points for a spouse/partner, you must have evidence of the relationship: either a marriage certificate, civil partnership/union registration, or VEVO (Visa Entitlement Verification Online) secondary applicant status for yourself or spouse/partner. The document must be dated before the Matrix is submitted.
  • If you wish to claim Matrix points in the spouse/partner employment category, your spouse/partner must hold a current English test result with a competent or higher level of English; or hold an Australian or valid passport as defined by Home Affairs.
  • You must sign a Statutory Declaration committing to living and working in Canberra while your visa is processed and for at least two years from date of visa grant (see Attachment A).

Canberra resident – ACT permanent 190 nomination

Canberra resident 190 – you must meet the following criteria before you are eligible to submit a Canberra Matrix for ACT nomination of a Skilled Nominated (permanent) subclass 190 visa:

  • You must be residing in Canberra for at least six months immediately before the date of Matrix submission and continuing until date of any invitation. Residence is defined as living and settled in Canberra. Visiting Canberra for short periods does not meet the residence criteria. You are not eligible for ACT nomination if you, your spouse/partner or children are living or working in another Australian state or territory.
  • You must meet one of the following two criteria:
  1. Your nominated occupation is on the ACT Critical Skills List; OR
  2. You are the primary holder of a subclass 457/482 visa sponsored by an ACT employer:
  • You have worked in Canberra for the sponsoring ACT employer for at least six months as the holder of a 457/482 visa.
  • The 457/482 visa must have a minimum 12 months validity at date of Matrix submission.
  • You must be working fulltime for an ACT employer in Canberra for at least six months at date of matrix submission:
  • You must be working a minimum of 35 hours per week for the 26 weeks immediately before date of Matrix submission. Your employment must be continuous. Paid leave (annual, personal or maternity) meets the continuous employment criteria.
  • Unpaid personal leave does not meet the continuous employment criteria unless it is evidenced by a valid medical certificate (the certificate cannot be backdated). You cannot count any period of unpaid leave towards meeting the three months ACT employment For example, if you had five days unpaid leave you cannot submit the 190 Matrix until six months plus five days.
  • You must be in paid employment. Internships, stipends, scholarships and volunteer positions are not considered employment for this criterion.
  • You may work for more than one ACT employer and/or be self- employed. Your employer must be actively operating in the ACT for at least 12 months at date of matrix submission. The terms and conditions of employment must be in accordance with Australian legislation. Your income must not be less than the relevant award or market salary rate.
  • If you are self-employed on an ABN, you must have at least 12 months ACT business activity at date of Matrix submission. Your total income must be at least $1000 pw for each week of the employment period claimed.
  • If you are working in Canberra but you are employed by an interstate employer, your employer must have an office / branch located within a 30-minute commute of Canberra (a serviced office or home office does not meet this criterion).
  • If you are nominating an ANZSCO Major Occupation Group 1 (Managers) or Group 2 (Professionals) occupation, you must have a current English test result that meets the Home Affairs level of ‘proficient’ or ‘superior’ English.
  • If you are including a spouse/partner and/or child in your application and they are in Australia, they must have lived in Canberra for the six months immediately before the date of Matrix submission. If they are not living in Canberra, you must attach evidence that they are living overseas.
  • If you wish to claim Matrix points for a spouse/partner, you must have evidence of the relationship: either a marriage certificate, civil partnership/union registration, or VEVO (Visa Entitlement Verification Online) secondary applicant status for yourself or spouse/partner. The document must be dated before the Matrix is submitted.
  • If you wish to claim Matrix points in the spouse/partner employment category, your spouse/partner must hold a current English test result with a competent or higher level of English; or hold an Australian or valid passport as defined by Home Affairs.
  • You must sign a Statutory Declaration committing to living and working in Canberra while your visa is processed and for at least two years from date of visa grant (see Attachment A).

 

PART THREE

Canberra Matrix scoring – Canberra residents

The Canberra Matrix is completed for both ACT 491 nomination and ACT 190 nomination.

You can only select one option in the drop-down menu for each category. Claims must be true at the date of Matrix submission. If you are invited to apply for ACT nomination, you must provide supporting documents to evidence any Matrix score claimed. If the supporting documents are dated after the Matrix was submitted, the Matrix score claimed will not be accepted.

 

CANBERRA RESIDENT
CATEGORY OPTION POINTS
 

LENGTH OF Current ACT residence

How long have you lived in Canberra in the last eight years?

·      Your bank statements must evidence your date of arrival and the claimed period of residence in Canberra.

·      You must record any period away from Canberra (seven days or more) in the ‘Summary of ACT residence’ at
Attachment D. This time away cannot be counted towards the claimed period of ACT residence.

·      You can study interstate for one or two days a week. However, if you studied more than two days (one night) a week interstate, you will not be considered an ACT resident for that period.

·      Your claimed period of ACT residence can be cumulative.

·      You cannot claim ACT residency for any period that you lived or worked interstate or overseas.

·      You can live within a 30-minute commute to Canberra as long as you are working in the ACT.

 

 

Five years plus.

 

 

25

Four to five years. 20
Three to four years. 15
Two to three years. 10
One to two years. 5
Less than one year. 0

 

 

CANBERRA RESIDENT
English proficiency

What is your English proficiency level as defined by Home Affairs?

 

You must have a valid English test result.

 

Superior. 15
Proficient. 10
Competent. 0
Spouse/partner English proficiency What is your spouse/partner’s English proficiency as defined by Home Affairs?

 

They must have a valid English test result to claim points.

Superior/proficient.

Competent.

Not Applicable.

5

0

0
Nominated OccupationIs your nominated occupation on the ACT Critical Skills List? Your nominated occupation is ON the ACT Critical Skills List.

Your nominated occupation is NOT on the ACT Critical Skills List.

20

 

0

Length of ACT employment

How long have you worked for an ACT employer in Canberra in the two years immediately before the date of Matrix submission?

·      You may be working in any occupation.

·      While the employment does not have to be fulltime or permanent, you must be working a minimum 20 hours per week for each week that you claim towards the period of employment.

·      You may work for more than one ACT employer. The employment does not have to be continuous.

·      You may also be self-employed on an ABN if:

o    Your gross weekly income exceeds $500 for each week of employment claimed; and

o    Your business has been operating in Canberra for at least 12 months.

 

 

Employed for 12 months plus.

 

 

10

 

Employed for six to 12 months.

 

5

 

Not applicable.

 

0

 

 

 

CANBERRA RESIDENT
ACT employment – skill level

Are you currently working for an ACT employer in Canberra in a highly skilled position? You must meet the minimum criteria below:

·      You must be working a minimum 20 hours per week for the last three months immediately before date of Matrix submission.

·      The employment must be continuous. Unpaid leave does not meet this criterion.

·      You may work for more than one ACT employer and/or be self-employed if you are working in the same occupation and at the same skill level.

·      Your gross income must be no less than $50,000 per annum for fulltime employment; or $26 per hour (excluding casual loading) for part time/casual employment.

·      Your employer must provide a Statutory Declaration confirming employment.  See Attachment E.

·      If you are self-employed on an ABN:

Your gross weekly income exceeds $500 for each week of employment claimed; and

Your business has been operating in Canberra for at least 12 months.

·      You have a tertiary qualification relevant to your occupation. Your qualification must be dated before you commenced employment. A RPL certificate is not recognised as a tertiary qualification.

·      Any employment claimed must be recorded on your SkillSelect EOI.

 

 

1.      You are working in your nominated occupation which is on the current ACT Critical Skills List. Your occupation must be recorded as ‘relevant’ on your SkillSelect EOI.

 

2.      You are the primary holder of a subclass 457 / 482 visa and you are working for the ACT employer who sponsored your visa. Your occupation must be recorded as ‘relevant’ on your SkillSelect EOI.

 

3.      You are working in an occupation that is on the current ACT Critical Skills List; but it is not your nominated occupation.

 

4.      You are working in an occupation that has an ANZSCO skill level 1 to 3.

 

5.   Not applicable.

 

 

20

 

 

 

 

15

 

 

 

 

10

 

 

 

5

 

0

 

 

 

CANBERRA RESIDENT
Spouse/partner employment

Is your spouse / partner currently working in the ACT or surrounding ‘commuter’ region? They must meet the minimum criteria below:

·           They must be working a minimum 20 hours per week for the three months immediately before the date of Matrix submission.

·           Their employment must be continuous. Unpaid personal leave does not meet the continuous employment criteria unless it is evidenced by a valid medical certificate

·           Unpaid leave cannot be counted towards the three months employment criteria.

·           They must have a valid English test result at a minimum level of ‘competent’ English; hold an Australian passport; or hold a valid passport as defined by Home Affairs.

·           They may work for more than one employer and / or be self-employed.

·           Their employer must provide a Statutory Declaration confirming their employment.  See Attachment E.

·           If they are self-employed on an ABN:

Their gross weekly income exceeds $500 for each week of employment claimed; and

Their business has been operating in Canberra for at least 12 months.

 

 

1.      They are working in an occupation on the ACT Critical Skills List. They must have a skill assessment relevant to their current employment. Their taxable income must be no less than $26 per hour (excluding casual loading).

 

 

15

2.      They have a current skill assessment and it is relevant to their current ACT employment. Their gross income must be no less than $26 per hour (excluding casual loading).

 

10
3.      They are currently working in any occupation, at any skill level, in Canberra.

 

Spouse employability

5
4.      They do not meet the 3 months employment criterion, but they have a:

·      Tertiary qualification (requiring at least 3 years full time continuous study) from an Australian or overseas institution in any occupation; and

·       A valid English test result at a minimum level of ‘competent’ English; or hold an Australian or valid passport as defined by Home Affairs.

 

 

 

5

5.      Not applicable. 0

 

 

CANBERRA RESIDENT
terTiary Qualification

What tertiary qualification do you hold from an Australian or international educational institution?

Your selected qualification must be recorded on your Home Affairs SkillSelect EOI

 

Doctoral degree.

Master’s Degree

Bachelor’s degree or trade certificate

Diploma qualification/s – at least two years full time study.

Not applicable.

20

15

 

10

 

5

 

0

years of study at an ACT Tertiary Institution.

For how many years did you study fulltime to complete a CRICOS* registered course, and / or attend a Professional Year (PY) program, at an ACT institution in the last eight years?

·      You must have a letter of course completion from the ACT institution to evidence the claimed period and location of study. 

·      You must be resident in Canberra during your claimed period of study. Distance education or online attendance is not accepted.

·      A PY undertaken in the ACT meets the one-year study criteria.

·      Two or more courses, including a PY, may be counted to evidence the period of ACT study.  The courses cannot be concurrent.

·      The courses do not have to be continuous.

CRICOS* – Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students. An academic year is at least a total of 46 weeks.

 

Four academic years or more of study.

 

Three academic years of study.

 

Two academic years of study.

 

One academic year of study.

 

Not applicable.

 

20

 

 

15

 

10

 

5

 

0

Close family ties

Do you have a close family member who has lived in Canberra for the last two years?

A close family member is defined as a spouse/ partner, parent, child, brother, sister or grandparent of the main applicant or their spouse/ partner.

Australian citizen/permanent resident spouse/partner, child.

Australian citizen/permanent resident parent, grandparent, brother, sister.

Not applicable.

20

 

 

10

 

0

 

 

CANBERRA RESIDENT
Assets in Canberra

1.      You (and a spouse/partner if applicable) have invested at least $250,000 cash to purchase a residential or commercial property in Canberra (purchase of land only does not meet this criteria)? You must hold the Certificate of Title or a rates notice to evidence ownership.

2.      You have purchased/established a business in Canberra. You have majority ownership and minimum $200,000 turnover in one of the last two years.

3.      You have invested in a start-up business in the ACT that is typically technology oriented and has high growth potential.

 

 

1.      Minimum $250,000 cash investment in ACT residential or commercial property.

 

2.      Minimum $200,000 investment to purchase / establish a business.

 

3.      $200,000 third party investment in a start-up ACT business.

 

4.      Not applicable

 

 

5

 

 

5

 

 

 

5

 

0

 

 

PART FOUR 

Overseas applicant – ACT 491 / 190 nomination

Overseas applicant: – The ACT is not offering 491 / 190 nomination to overseas applicants in 2020-21.

 

PART FIVE

Invitation to apply for ACT nomination

If you are selected to apply for ACT nomination, you will receive an invitation email with a web link to the online application. Migration agents may access the application via their agent account.

If you do not wish to accept the invitation e.g. you submitted multiple matrix or you cannot evidence the matrix scores claimed, the invitation will lapse after 14 days.

By accepting the invitation and submitting the application for ACT nomination, you are agreeing to reside in Canberra during the nomination and visa application process. If the ACT nominated visa is approved, you agree to continue residing in Canberra for at least two years from date of visa grant.

The signed declaration ‘Nomination Obligations to the Australian Capital Territory (ACT)’, must be attached to your application for ACT nomination. See Attachment A.

Completing the application for ACT nomination

An invitation does not guarantee that ACT nomination will be approved. You must complete the application for ACT nomination and provide the required supporting documents to evidence your eligibility to apply for ACT nomination and the Matrix score that the invitation was based on. Claims must be true at the date of Matrix submission.

See: Document checklist at PART SIX (page 18)

Your application for ACT nomination must be submitted (with service fee payment confirmed) within 14 days of date of invitation. If the application is not submitted within 14 days, the invitation will automatically expire and cannot be reactivated.

Once payment of the service fee is confirmed by email (within three working days), the application will be lodged and queued for processing.

Assessing the application

All applications are processed in submission date order. No requests for priority processing will be considered.

The standard processing period is 45 working days. For the current processing date click here.

Assessment of your application for ACT nomination will be based solely on the supporting documents provided at the time of lodgement. Additional documentation will not be accepted once the application is submitted. The case officer will not contact you for additional information or for clarification if your supporting documentation does not clearly demonstrate your eligibility or Matrix score claimed.

If the application is incomplete, or it does not clearly evidence the eligibility criteria or Canberra Matrix score claimed as at the date of Matrix submission, the application will be refused.

 

Offer of ACT nomination

Approval: If the application for ACT nomination is approved, your SkillSelect EOI will be confirmed and Home Affairs will simultaneously issue the visa invitation. You will be unable to update the SkillSelect EOI once ACT nomination is confirmed. You will then have 60 days to apply to Home Affairs for the ACT nominated skilled migration visa. ACT nomination does not guarantee that the skilled migration visa will be granted.

Only one ACT nomination place is offered per applicant. We will not confirm a new SkillSelect EOI if you made an error and/or are unable to apply for the visa.

Refusal: If the application for ACT nomination is refused, you will be informed of the reasons. You may only request a reconsideration of the refusal decision if you can show that your original supporting documents met the eligibility criteria and Matrix score. A request for reconsideration must be in writing. Additional documentation will not be accepted.

Applying for the ACT nominated skilled migration visa

Once the visa invitation is issued by Home affairs, you must lodge the visa application within 60 days. If the visa application is not lodged with Home Affairs within 60 days, the offer of ACT nomination will expire. This timeframe will not be extended.

Please note: If your application for an ACT nominated visa is refused by Home Affairs, the ACT Government will not, under any circumstances, appeal to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal on your behalf.

Nomination obligations – living in Canberra

As part of your application for ACT nomination, you signed a declaration agreeing that ACT nomination is exclusive to the ACT and is NOT transferable to any other state or territory in Australia.

The ACT Government expects you to meet your obligations to live in Canberra for at least two years from the date of visa grant / permanent arrival in Australia. The ACT Government will inform Home Affairs if you do not make a genuine effort to meet your obligations to live in Canberra.

Notification of Home Affairs Visa Decision

You must inform us when your visa is granted, by email and attach a copy of the visa grant notification. If you are overseas, you must let us know your expected arrival date in Canberra.

Email: welcometocanberra@act.gov.au

Welcome to Canberra Settlement Service

The ACT Skilled Migration team provides a free settlement service to help ACT-nominated overseas migrants settle in Canberra. The Welcome to Canberra team will:

  • Provide information and advice while you are waiting for your visa, and, if you have questions about living in Canberra, refer you to the relevant websites;
  • Follow up with a phone call or email eight weeks after you have arrived in Canberra.

For more information email: welcometocanberra@act.gov.au

Monitoring Program

As part of your signed nomination obligations you have agreed to:

  • Live and work in Canberra for at least two years from visa grant/arrival in Australia
  • Complete settlement surveys at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months after arrival
  • Inform us of any change to your contact details for two years after visa grant/arrival.

 

Disclaimer

The Australian Migration Programme does not guarantee a migration outcome for any temporary resident / international student in Australia. Neither is ACT nomination guaranteed for ACT residents who may be eligible for nomination. The demand for ACT nomination may exceed the Home Affairs allocation of nomination places; and many candidates may not rank highly enough to be selected and invited to apply for nomination.

The ACT Government and its employees are not liable for any inaccuracies or omissions in the information provided to the applicant in the context of their application for ACT nomination. The ACT Government is not responsible for finding employment, accommodation or providing financial incentive or assistance to ACT nominated skilled visa holders or other migrants.

These guidelines are subject to change without notice at any time; and must be read in conjunction with the information on the Canberra Your Future website.

 

PART SIX – DOCUMENT CHECKLIST

Mandatory documents

All applications for ACT nomination must include the following supporting documents to evidence your eligibility and Matrix score claimed as at date of Matrix submission.

Once the application is lodged, additional documents will not be accepted or requested by the case officer.

  • Home Affairs SkillSelect EOI summary: showing personal, education, English and employment details submitted
  • Home Affairs SkillSelect points advice.
  • International Movement Record’ from the Department of Home Affairs (if applicable).
  • Current skill assessment in the nominated occupation (all pages of the assessment must be attached).
  • Passport bio-page.

·           Bank statements (Canberra residents only): must evidence your claimed date of arrival in Canberra. You must also provide a bank statement for each year claimed as a period of ACT residence; and from the date of Matrix submission until date of invitation.

  • Your bank statements must reflect that you were living and settled in Canberra. They must include your transaction history including regular shopping activity and bill payments. The bank statement must also evidence your claimed period of employment. Salary payments must be highlighted on the bank statement; and the corresponding payments recorded on the Summary of Working Hours (at Attachment C)

·           Curriculum Vitae (CV) or Resume: which clearly states personal details, educational qualifications and work experience.

·           Declaration of ACT nomination Obligations: a signed and witnessed declaration that you acknowledge and accept ACT nomination obligations (at Attachment A)

  • Summary of Working Hours (Canberra residents only): a clear record of the total hours worked, and net salary paid for each pay cycle in the claimed period of ACT employment at date of Matrix submission. The net salary must correspond with the bank statement. You must record every pay period: weekly (minimum 20 hrs), fortnightly (minimum 40 hrs), or monthly (minimum 86.6hrs) for the length of employment claimed. If you did not work in a particular period, you must leave that period blank.  Any period of unpaid personal leave must be evidenced by a valid medical certificate. If you are working for more than two employers in any claimed period, you can construct your own spreadsheet to clearly evidence the employment claims made (at Attachment C)
  • Summary of ACT residence (Canberra residents only): a clear record of your ACT residence and any period you were not living in Canberra for more than seven days at a time; including holidays interstate or overseas. (at Attachment D)

 

  • ACT employment (Canberra residents only):
  • Employees
  • All payslips or pay advice for the claimed period of ACT employment. If your income is consecutively paid into your bank account, you are only required to provide the first, mid and last payslips to evidence the claimed period of employment (if your bank statements evidence the regular net salary payments).
  • Employment contract or employer statement of service. The commencement date and period of employment must be specified.
  • Cash salary payments:
  • All payslips for the claimed period of ACT employment. If there are corresponding cash deposits of your net income into your bank account (for each pay period) you are only required to provide the first, mid and last payslips to evidence the claimed period of employment (as long as your bank statements evidence the regular salary payments).
  • Employment contract or employer statement of service.
  • ‘Pay As You Go (PAYG) payment summary – individual non-business’, to evidence annual salary for the relevant period. If you do not have the PAYG payment summary to evidence the payment of salary in cash, the claim for employment is unlikely to be accepted.
  • For self-employed only:
  • Australian Business Number (ABN); and
  • Evidence of work undertaken e.g. tax invoices; client schedules; work sheets; partner payment summaries; working hours log sheets etc.
  • Evidence of 12 months ACT business activity: Australian Tax Office (ATO) Pay as you go (PAYG) instalments for last 12 months.
  • Bank statements to evidence that your minimum income exceeds $500 per week (or $1000 per week if fulltime) for any claimed period of employment.

Please note: The ACT will not condone the employment of intending migrants where the terms and conditions of employment do not comply with Australian legislation; including compliance with the relevant Award or Agreement. In addition, Skills Canberra must be satisfied that you are working in a genuine position. If concerns are held that the position is not genuine, or there is evidence of significant churn of employees working in the same position for the same employer, the claim for employment points will not be accepted.

 

  • English:
  • Either a valid passport issued by the United Kingdom; Canada; New Zealand; United States of America; or Republic of Ireland (to evidence competent English only); OR
  • A valid English language test result accepted by Home Affairs evidencing the claimed level of English ability.
  • Spouse/partner (if applicable):
  • Passport bio-data page.
  • Evidence of relationship: marriage certificate, civil partnership/union registration, or VEVO secondary applicant status for yourself or spouse/partner.
  • Canberra residents only:
    • Evidence of ACT residence immediately before date of matrix submission;
    • Summary of ACT residence (at Attachment D).
    • Bank statements to evidence the minimum period of ACT residence; and up to the date of invitation.
    • One of the following: phone account; utility account; electronic Confirmation of Enrolment (eCOE); employment payslips; credit/store card statement.
    • If your spouse is not living in Canberra, provide evidence that they are living overseas.
  • Commitment statement: In no more than two pages, explain in your own words why you want to live in Canberra for at least two years from visa grant/permanent arrival.
  • Current Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO). Attach a copy of the visa grant notification for the last substantive visa held for main applicant; and partner/spouse if applicable.
  • Financial capacity:
  • For Canberra residents – while you are not required to provide evidence of your financial capacity, you must declare your assets available for settlement when completing the online application.

Service fee: A$300

A non-refundable service fee is charged for processing applications for ACT nomination. The service fee is an administration charge only and does not guarantee the approval of a nomination. The service fee of $300 may be paid by one of the following options:

·           Credit Card – ‘pay now’ or ‘pay later’.

Select ‘pay now’ on the online application.

Select ‘pay later’ and access ‘Pay an ACT Government Account’

·           Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) – pay later

Westpac Bank – City Walk, Canberra, 2600
Account name: ‘EDD Operating Account’
BSB: 032-777

Account Number: 000145
Reference: Application reference number

Email the EFT receipt and a copy of the ‘payment pending’ email to: migrationservices@act.gov.au

 

Additional documents to evidence the Matrix score claimed

The following documents must be attached to must evidence your Matrix claims as at date of Matrix submission. Once the application is lodged, additional documents will not be accepted or requested by the case officer.

  • ACT employment – Skill Level
    • A Statutory Declaration from your ACT employer confirming your position title, duties, salary and commencement date (at Attachment E).
  • Partner/spouse employment (Canberra residents only):
    • Summary of Working Hours: a clear record of the total hours worked, and net salary paid for each pay cycle in the thirteen weeks immediately before date of Matrix submission. (at Attachment C)
    • Minimum competent level English: current English test result, Australian passport or valid passport as defined by Home Affairs.
    • Bank statement to evidence claimed period of employment; with salary payments highlighted.
    • A Statutory Declaration from their employer confirming the position, duties, salary and commencement date (at Attachment E).
    • Employment contract/statement of service; and first, middle and last pay slips for claimed period of employment.
    • Skill assessment relevant to current occupation (if applicable).
    • If not working, academic transcript and completion letter from the tertiary institution to evidence three years full time study.
  • Tertiary qualification (if applicable)
    • Academic Transcript – record of your enrolment history, including results received, courses attempted, and awards conferred.
    • Letter of course completion from tertiary institution.
  • Period of completed ACT study (if applicable)
    • Academic Transcript from ACT institution- record of your enrolment history, including results received, courses attempted, and awards conferred.
    • Letter of course completion from ACT tertiary institution.
  • Close family members living in Canberra
  • Evidence of the close familial relationship with the Canberra resident:
    • Spouse/partner: marriage certificate, civil partnership/union registration; or
    • Birth certificates to evidence the familial relationship between you and the ACT family member.
  • From your Canberra relative:
    • Evidence of two years ACT residence: bank statements, rates notice, utilities bill or PAYG summary; and
    • Evidence of Australian citizenship or residency.

                   Please note: Statutory Declarations will NOT be accepted as evidence of relationship.

  • ACT assets
  • Residential or commercial property: Certificate of Title; purchase settlement statement; evidence of minimum $250,000 cash investment; letter of mortgage approval (if applicable).
  • Majority business ownership: ABN; ASIC Business Name Summary; evidence of minimum $200,000 turnover in one of the last two years; Business Activity Statements (BAS) for the last two years.
  • Evidence of $200,000 investment in a start‑up ACT business, and description of ACT business activity.

Attaching documents to your application

Supporting documents must be attached in one of the following supported formats to be accepted (MS word, Excel, JPG, GIF, TIF, Acrobat PDF).

Maximum file size for each document is 10 Megabytes (10 MB)

Only one document can be attached per field. Documents already uploaded will be overwritten by trying to attach a second document in the same field.  If you wish to attach additional supporting documents against a criterion, please use the ‘Additional Supporting Documents’ screen.

ATTACHMENTS

Attachment A – Nomination obligations

Attachment B – Financial declaration (overseas applicants only) – Not included

Attachment C – Summary of working hours (Canberra residents only)

Attachment D – Summary of ACT residence

Attachment E – Statutory Declaration from ACT employer

Attachment A

Nomination Obligations to the Australian Capital Territory (ACT)

I (name)………………………………………………………………………………. (DOB)….…/..…../.……

of (address)……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

do solemnly and sincerely declare that:

  • The information contained in my application for ACT nomination of a Skilled Migration visa is true and accurate.
  • I have read and understand my obligations in relation to ACT residence as provided in the ACT Nomination Guidelines, and my commitment to reside permanently in Canberra is ongoing and genuine.
  • (For applicants who are Canberra residents): I agree to reside in Canberra during the ACT nomination and visa application process.
    • I understand that the ACT Government reserves its right to withdraw ACT nomination if, at any time until the visa is granted, they are satisfied that I do not have a genuine commitment to reside in Canberra.
    • If the ACT nominated skilled migration visa is approved, I agree to reside in Canberra for at least two years from date of visa grant.
  • (For applicants who are overseas): I have researched relevant employment opportunities in Canberra and am satisfied that there are sufficient employment opportunities in my nominated occupation relevant to my skill set and experience in Canberra. I am aware that Australian labour market conditions may vary significantly as the employment market fluctuates at different times of the year; and from year to year. I understand that I need to be realistic about employment expectations as it can take, on average, six months to secure employment. I understand that I will compete for employment vacancies with all people in the labour market as part of a normal selection process.
    • If the ACT nominated skilled migration visa is approved, I agree to reside in the ACT for at least two years following the date of my permanent arrival in Australia.
  • I will inform the ACT Skilled Migration team when the visa application is decided by Home Affairs and, if travelling from overseas, my expected arrival date in Canberra.
  • I agree that ACT nomination is exclusive to the ACT and is NOT transferable to any other Australian state or territory. I understand that the ACT Government will inform the Department of Home Affairs if I do not make a genuine effort to reside in Canberra for at least two years from date of visa grant / permanent arrival.
  • I understand that the ACT will monitor my settlement in Canberra for two years from date of visa grant / permanent arrival and I agree to complete the six monthly settlement surveys for the first two years.
  • I have access to enough financial resources to support myself (and any dependents) while securing employment in Canberra if my visa application is successful.
  • I understand that the ACT Government is not responsible for finding employment, accommodation or providing a financial incentive to ACT nominated skilled migrants.
  • I understand that the ACT Government or employees of the ACT Government are not liable for any inaccuracies or omissions in the information provided to the applicant in the context of their application for ACT nomination.

The information you provide with your application is collected by Skills Canberra, Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development, a Directorate of the ACT Government and will be used to assess your application for an ACT nomination. For details on the collection of personal information please refer to the Canberra Create Your Future privacy notice. Information you provide in the settlement surveys will be used to monitor your settlement if you are a successful applicant. Depersonalised settlement information may be used to compile statistical reports for ACT Government internal reporting and may be published in media releases. Any information submitted by you in and/or with your application and in the settlement surveys which contains personal information will be stored, used and disclosed in accordance with the requirements of the Information Privacy Act 2014.

 

Signature of applicant: ……………………………………..…………..                         Date: ……./..…./…….

Name of Witness ………………………………………………………….

Signature of witness: ………………………………………………….…..                         Date……./……./……..

 

 

Attachment C

SUMMARY OF WORKING HOURS

 

Name: ………………………………………………………………………………. (main applicant/spouse)                                                                       

 

Date Matrix submitted: ……/……/……

You must record your employer, occupation and every pay cycle (weekly, fortnight or monthly) for the length of

employment claimed.  If you did not work, you must leave that pay cycle blank. Any period of

unpaid personal leave must be evidenced by a valid medical certificate. If you are working for more than two

employers in any claimed period, you can construct your own spreadsheet.

If the case officer is not satisfied that your ‘summary’ clearly records the total hours worked for each pay period,

your claims against the employment criteria will not be accepted. 

 

  Employer:

 

Occupation:

Employer:

 

Occupation:

Total

Hours

worked

Pay Period Hours Net salary Pay date Hours Net salary Pay date
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

$ …../…../….. $ …../…../…..
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

$ …../…../….. $ …../…../…..
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

$ …../…../….. $ …../…../…..
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

$ …../…../….. $ …../…../…..
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

$ …../…../….. $ …../…../…..
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

$ …../…../….. $ …../…../…..
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

$ …../…../….. $ …../…../…..
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

$ …../…../….. $ …../…../…..
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

$ …../…../….. $ …../…../…..
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

$ …../…../….. $ …../…../…..
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

$ …../…../….. $ …../…../…..
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

$ …../…../….. $ …../…../…..
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

$ …../…../….. $ …../…../…..
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

$ …../…../….. $ …../…../…..

 

Attachment D

SUMMARY OF ACT RESIDENCE

 

Name: ………………………………………………………………………………. (main applicant / spouse)                                                                       

 

Date Matrix submitted: ……/……/……

Date of arrival in Canberra:

 

……/……/……

 

 

 

What period of ACT residence are you claiming (in the last eight years) at date of Matrix submission?

 

Visit to Canberra         

 

Less than one year      

 

One to two years        

 

Two to three years  

 

Three to four years

 

Four to five years

 

Five years plus

 

 

You must record any time that you spent away from Canberra (for seven days or more) for each year of residence claimed.  You may travel interstate for a maximum of six weeks in any year without it affecting your claim for a year of residence. The year counts back from date of Matrix submission.

You can study interstate for one or two days a week. However, if you study interstate for more than two days a week, you will not be considered an ACT resident for that period. If you worked interstate, you cannot claim ACT residence for that period.

 

Bank statements: Your bank statements must evidence your claimed date of arrival in Canberra. You must also provide a bank statement (with salary payments highlighted) for each year of residence claimed at date of matrix submission; and until date of invitation to apply for ACT nomination. You must highlight any period you spent away from Canberra for seven days or more. 

 

 

 

YEAR ONE

(the year before date of

matrix submission)

 

Time away from Canberra for 7 days or more – duration dates Number of weeks away from Canberra
Interstate Overseas
…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

………

………

……….

……….

……….

……….

   Total number of weeks away from Canberra in Year One: ………

 

 

 

 

YEAR TWO

 

(two years before date

 of matrix submission)

 

Time away from Canberra for 7 days or more – duration dates Number of weeks away from Canberra
Interstate Overseas
…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

………

………

……….

……….

………

………

………

………

Total number of weeks away from Canberra in Year Two: ………
 

YEAR THREE

 

(three years before date

 of matrix submission)

 

Time away from Canberra for 7 days or more – duration dates Number of weeks away from Canberra
Interstate Overseas
…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

………

………

……….

……….

………

………

……….

……….

Total number of weeks away from Canberra in Year Three ………
 

YEAR FOUR

 

(four years before date

 of matrix submission)

 

Time away from Canberra for 7 days or more – duration dates Number of weeks away from Canberra
Interstate Overseas
…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

………

………

………

………

………

………

………

………

Total number of weeks away from Canberra in Year Four: ………
 

YEAR FIVE

 

(five years before date

 of matrix submission)

 

Time away from Canberra for 7 days or more – duration dates Number of weeks away from Canberra
Interstate Overseas
…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

………

………

……….

……….

………

………

………

………

Total number of weeks away from Canberra in Year Five: ………

 

 

 

YEAR SIX

 

(six years before date

 of matrix submission)

 

Time away from Canberra for 7 days or more – duration dates Number of weeks away from Canberra
Interstate  
…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

………

………

……….

……….

………

………

……….

……….

Total number of weeks away from Canberra in Year Six: ………
 

YEAR SEVEN

 

(seven years before date

 of matrix submission)

 

Time away from Canberra for 7 days or more – duration dates Number of weeks away from Canberra
Interstate Overseas
…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

………

………

……….

……….

………

………

……….

……….

Total number of weeks away from Canberra in Year Seven: ………
 

YEAR EIGHT

 

(eight years before date

 of matrix submission)

 

Time away from Canberra for 7 days or more – duration dates Number of weeks away from Canberra
Interstate Overseas
…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

………

………

……….

……….

………

………

……….

……….

Total number of weeks away from Canberra in Year Eight: ………

 

 

 

Commonwealth of Australia

STATUTORY DECLARATION

Statutory Declarations Act 1959

1  Insert the name, address and occupation of person making the declaration I,1

 

make the following declaration under the Statutory Declarations Act 1959:

2  Set out matter declared to in numbered paragraphs 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I understand that a person who intentionally makes a false statement in a statutory declaration is guilty of an offence under section 11 of the Statutory Declarations Act 1959, and I believe that the statements in this declaration are true in every particular.

 

3  Signature of person making the declaration

 

4  [Optional: email address and/or telephone number of person making the declaration]

3

 

4

5  Place

6  Day

7  Month and year

Declared at 5                                            on 6                             of 7

Before me,

8  Signature of person before whom the declaration is made (see over) 8

 

9  Full name, qualification and address of person before whom the declaration is made (in printed letters)

10 [Optional: email address and/or telephone number of person before whom the declaration is made

 

9

 

 

10

 

 

Source: http://www.canberrayourfuture.com.au/workspace/uploads/documents/act-nomination-guidelines-august-2020.pdf

Disclaimer:  The document is provided for general information purposes only. Your use of any of this information is at your own risk, and you should not use any of this information without first seeking legal and other professional advice. The provision of this document (and the documents themselves) do not constitute legal advice or opinions of any kind, or any advertising or solicitation. No lawyer-client, advisory, fiduciary or other relationship is created between VIVID EDUCATION and any person accessing or otherwise using any of the information. Vivid Education and its affiliates (and any of their respective directors, officers, agents, contractors, interns, suppliers, and employees) will not be liable for any damages, losses or causes of action of any nature arising from any use of any of this information.

 

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ACT Critical Skills List

ACT Critical Skills List August 2020

ACT Critical Skills List August 2020

 

The ACT Critical list has been updated on 11 Jan 2021. Click here to check the updated ACT Critical list

 

The ACT Critical Skills List is used to determine the eligibility for ACT nomination of the following programs:

• Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) subclass 491 visa.

• Skilled Nominated (Permanent) subclass 190 visa.

The Australian Government’s priority for migration in 2020-21 is supporting Australia’s economic and public health response to, and recovery from, the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes an emphasis on migrants who will make productive investments in Australia, create jobs for Australians, provide critical health and medical skills, and support economic productivity.

Under the Territory Migration Agreement, the ACT is allocated a fixed number of nominations each year. The Australian Government has directed that the nominations provided to states and territories are to focus on applicants critical to supporting the COVID-19 response. This includes individuals providing critical or specialist medical services, those with critical skills required to maintain the supply of essential goods and services, and people who deliver services in sectors critical to Australia’s economic recovery.

New guidelines for ACT 491/190 is available here.

Cap on Occupations

The number of ACT nomination places may be capped for each occupation on the ACT Critical Skills List. Invitations may not be issued when the monthly cap for an occupation is reached.

 

ACT CRITICAL SKILLS LIST

26 August 2020

ANZSCO MAJOR Group Nomination places available each month ANZSCO Nominated Occupation
1311 

 

 

Less than 5 places 

 

131112 Sales & Marketing Manager
131113 Advertising Manager
131114 Public Relations Manager
1322 Less than 5 places 132211 Finance Manager
1331 Less than 15 places 133111 Construction Project Manager
1351 Less than 5 places 135112 ICT Project Manager
    135199 ICT Managers (nec)
1499 Less than 5 places 149913 Facilities Manager
 

2124 

 

 

 

Less than 5 places

 

212411 Copywriter
212412 Newspaper or Periodical Editor
212413 Print Journalist
212415 Technical Writer
212416 Television Journalist
212499 Journalist & other writers (nec)
 

2211 

 

 

Less than 10 places

 

221111 Accountant (General)
221112 Management Accountant
221113 Taxation Accountant
2223 Less than 5 places 222311 Financial Investment Adviser
    222312 Financial Investment Manager
2231 Less than 5 places 223112 Recruitment Consultant
2247 Less than 5 places 224711 Management Consultant
    224712 Organisation & Methods Analyst
2251 Less than 5 places 225111 Advertising Specialist
    225113 Marketing Specialist
2253 Less than 5 places 225311 Public Relations Professional

 

 

2321 Less than 5 places 232111 Architect
    232112 Landscape Architect
232411 Graphic Designer
2324  Less than 5 places 232412 Illustrator
    232414 Web Designer
 

 

2332 

 

 

 

 

Less than 5 places

 

 

233211 Civil Engineer
233212 Geotechnical Engineer
233213 Quantity Surveyor
233214 Structural Engineer
233215 Transport Engineer
2339    Less than 5 places 233913 Biomedical Engineer
2411 Less than 5 places 241111 Early Childhood (Pre-Primary School) Teacher
2524 Less than 5 places 252411 Occupational Therapist
2531 Less than 5 places 253111 General Practitioner
    253112 Resident Medical Officer
    254411 Nurse Practitioner
  254412 Registered Nurse (Aged Care)
  254413 Registered Nurse (Child & Family Health)
  254414 Registered Nurse (Community Health)
  254415 Registered Nurse (Critical Care & Emer.)
2544 Less than 10 places 254416 Registered Nurse (Develop. Disability)
  254417 Registered Nurse (Disability & Rehab.)
  254418 Registered Nurse (Medical)
  254421 Registered Nurse (Medical Practice)
  254422 Registered Nurse (Mental Health)
  254423 Registered Nurse (Perioperative)
  254424 Registered Nurse (Surgical)
  254425 Registered Nurse (Paediatrics)
  254499 Registered Nurses (nec)

 

 

2611 Less than 20 places 261111 ICT Business Analyst
    261112 Systems Analyst
    261311 Analyst Programmer
    261312 Developer Programmer
2613  Less than 40 places 261313 Software Engineer
  261314 Software Tester
    261399 Software and Applications Prog. nec
262111 Database Administrator
2621  Less than 10 places 262112 ICT Security Specialist
    262113 Systems Administrator
263111 Computer Network & Systems Engineer
 2631 Less than 5 places  263112 Network Administrator
    263113 Network Analyst
263211 ICT Quality Assurance Engineer
 2632 Less than 10 places 263212 ICT Support Engineer
  263213 ICT Systems Test Engineer
    263299 ICT Support and Test Engineers (nec)
2713 Less than 5 places 271311 Solicitor
272311 Clinical Psychologist
  272312 Educational Psychologist
 2723 Less than 5 places 272313 Organisational Psychologist
  272314 Psychotherapist
    272399 Psychologist (nec)
2724 Less than 5 places 272412 Interpreter
    272499 Social Professionals (nec)
2725 Less than 5 places 272511 Social Worker
2726 Less than 5 places 272612 Recreation Officer
    272613 Welfare Worker

 

 

Source: http://www.canberrayourfuture.com.au/portal/migrating/article/act-critical-skill-list/

Disclaimer: The above set criteria and details about The eligibility of 485 PSW Visa have been copied from http://www.canberrayourfuture.com.au/portal/migrating/article/act-critical-skills-list/ ‘as is’ and no alterations have been madeThe document is provided for general information purposes only. Your use of any of this information is at your own risk, and you should not use any of this information without first seeking legal and other professional advice. The provision of this document (and the documents themselves) do not constitute legal advice or opinions of any kind, or any advertising or solicitation. No lawyer-client, advisory, fiduciary or other relationship is created between VIVID EDUCATION and any person accessing or otherwise using any of the information. Vivid Education and its affiliates (and any of their respective directors, officers, agents, contractors, interns, suppliers, and employees) will not be liable for any damages, losses, or causes of action of any nature arising from any use of any of this information.

 

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ACT Critical Skills List

ACT Occupation List 2020

New ACT Critical Skill List (Aug 2020) is available

here.

 

About the ACT Occupation List

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) offers Territory nomination under the following skilled migration streams:

  • Skilled Regional (provisional) subclass 491 visa.
  • Skilled Nominated (permanent) subclass 190 visa.

The ACT Occupation List identifies the skills that are currently in demand in Canberra (for skilled migration purposes). The ACT Occupation List is not linked to specific job vacancies and it is not a guarantee of a job in a nominated occupation. You must be satisfied that there are sufficient employment opportunities in your nominated occupation before you apply for ACT nomination. You will compete for employment vacancies with all people in the labour market as part of a normal selection process. Your success will depend on employer requirements, your relevant skills, your experience and your level of English language ability.

New residents generally do not meet the criteria of employers with employment opportunities that require Australian Citizenship or a security clearance.

 

ACT Occupation List updates

While a major analysis of the demand for occupations will generally be undertaken twice a year, usually in January and July, the demand for each occupation will be reviewed on an ongoing basis. Once it is determined that the demand for an occupation has been met, the occupation will be closed without further notice.

 

ACT Occupation List

Occupation Caveats: The following caveats apply to certain ‘open’ occupations on the ACT Occupation List. If you wish to nominate an ‘open’ occupation but you cannot comply with any ‘caveat’, the occupation is deemed to be ‘closed’.  If your occupation is closed or deemed to be closed, you (or a spouse/ partner) cannot claim Matrix points for an ‘open’ occupation in any category.
** Employment Caveat. Minimum one year ACT employment contract in nominated occupation:

  • with an Australian medium to large enterprise (50 plus employees) located in the ACT; or 
  • an appointment for an academic position at an ACT tertiary institution. 
## Minimum one year employment contract with an ACT employer in the nominated occupation.
^^  Australian Registration or licencing is required
OPEN  OCCUPATIONS – 190 and 491 NOMINATION
ANZSCO Occupation Status
131112 Sales & Marketing Manager Open
131113 Advertising Manager Open
131114 Public Relations Manager Open
132511 Research and development manager ** Only Open if caveat is met
133111 Construction Project Manager Open
133211 Engineering Manager Open
225311 Public Relations Professional Open
232111 Architect Open
232112 Landscape Architect Open
232411 Graphic Designer Open
232412 Illustrator Open
232414 Web Designer Open
233211 Civil Engineer Open
233212 Geotechnical Engineer Open
233213 Quantity Surveyor Open
233214 Structural Engineer Open
233311 Electrical Engineer Open
233411 Electronics Engineer Open
233511 Industrial Engineer Open
233512 Mechanical Engineer Open
233513 Production or plant engineer Open
233911 Aeronautical Engineer Open
233912 Agricultural Engineer Open
233913 Biomedical Engineer Open
233914 Engineering Technologist Open
233915 Environmental Engineer Open
233999 Engineering Professionals nec Open
233916 Naval Architect** Only Open if caveat is met
234111 Agricultural Consultant** Only Open if caveat is met
234112 Agricultural Scientist** Only Open if caveat is met
234211 Chemist ** Only Open if caveat is met
234312 Environmental Consultant ** Only Open if caveat is met
234313 Environmental Research Scientist ** Only Open if caveat is met
234399 Environmental Scientists nec ** Only Open if caveat is met
234411 Geologist ** Only Open if caveat is met
234412 Geophysicist ** Only Open if caveat is met
234413 Hydrogeologist ** Only Open if caveat is met
234511 Life Scientist (general) ** Only Open if caveat is met
234517 Microbiologist ** Only Open if caveat is met
234518 Zoologist ** Only Open if caveat is met
234599 life scientists (nec) ** Only Open if caveat is met
234513 Biochemist ** Only Open if caveat is met
234514 Biotechnologist ** Only Open if caveat is met
234515 Botanist** Only Open if caveat is met
234516 Marine Biologist** Only Open if caveat is met
234611 Medical Laboratory Scientist** Only Open if caveat is met
234914 Physicist ** Only Open if caveat is met
234999 Natural and Physical Science Professionals nec ** Only Open if caveat is met
242111 University Lecturer ** Only Open if caveat is met
251211 Medical Diagnostic Radiographer Open
251212 Medical Radiation Therapist Open
251213 Nuclear Medicine Technologist Open
251214 Sonographer Open
251511 Hospital Pharmacist ## Only Open if caveat is met
251512 Industrial Pharmacist ## Only Open if caveat is met
251513 Retail Pharmacist ## Only Open if caveat is met
252411 Occupational Therapist Open
252511 Physiotherapist Open
252711 Audiologist Open
252712 Speech Pathologist Open
253111 General Practitioner Open
253112 Resident Medical Officer Open
254111 Midwife Open
254311 Nurse Manager Open
254411 Nurse Practitioner Open
254412 Registered Nurse (Aged Care) Open
254413 Registered Nurse (Child & Family Health) Open
254414 Registered Nurse (Community Health) Open
254415 Registered Nurse (Critical Care & Emergency) Open
254416 Registered Nurse (Developmental Disability) Open
254417 Registered Nurse (Disability & Rehabilitation) Open
254418 Registered Nurse (Medical) Open
254421 Registered Nurse (Medical Practice) Open
254422 Registered Nurse (Mental Health) Open
254423 Registered Nurse (Perioperative) Open
254424 Registered Nurse (Surgical) Open
254425 Registered Nurse (Paediatrics) Open
254499 Registered Nurses (nec) Open
261111 ICT Business Analyst ** Only Open if caveat is met
261112 Systems Analyst** Only Open if caveat is met
261211 Multimedia Specialist Open
261212 Web Developer Open
261311 Analyst Programmer** Only Open if caveat is met
261312 Developer Programmer** Only Open if caveat is met
261313 Software Engineer** Only Open if caveat is met
261314 Software Tester** Only Open if caveat is met
261399 Software and Applications Prog. nec** Only Open if caveat is met
262111 Database Administrator** Only Open if caveat is met
262112 ICT Security Specialist** Only Open if caveat is met
262113 Systems Administrator** Only Open if caveat is met
263111 Computer Network & Systems Engineer** Only Open if caveat is met

 

263112 Network Administrator** Only Open if caveat is met
263113 Network Analyst** Only Open if caveat is met
263211 ICT Quality Assurance Engineer** Only Open if caveat is met
263212 ICT Support Engineer** Only Open if caveat is met
263213 ICT Systems Test Engineer** Only Open if caveat is met
263299 ICT Support and Test Engineers (nec) ** Only Open if caveat is met
263311 Telecommunications Engineer** Only Open if caveat is met
263312 Telecommunications Network Engineer** Only Open if caveat is met
272111 Careers Counsellor Open
272112 Drug & Alcohol Counsellor Open
272113 Family & Marriage Counsellor Open
272114 Rehabilitation Counsellor Open
272115 Student Counsellor Open
272311 Clinical Psychologist Open
272312 Educational Psychologist Open
272313 Organisational Psychologist Open
272314 Psychotherapist Open
272399 Psychologists (nec) Open
272511 Social Worker Open
272612 Recreation Officer Open
272613 Welfare Worker Open
321211 Motor Mechanic (General) Open
321212 Diesel Motor Mechanic Open
321213 Motorcycle Mechanic Open
321214 Small Engine Mechanic Open
322311 Metal Fabricator Open
322313 Welder (First Class) Open
324111 Panel beater Open
331111 Bricklayer Open
331112 Stonemason Open
332211 Painting Trades Workers Open
333211 Fibrous Plasterer Open
333212 Solid Plasterer Open

 

334111 Plumber (General) ^^ Only Open if caveat is met
334112 Aircon. & Mechanical Services Plumber  ^^ Only Open if caveat is met
334113 Drainer  ^^ Only Open if caveat is met
334114 Gasfitter  ^^ Only Open if caveat is met
334115 Roof Plumber  ^^ Only Open if caveat is met
341111 Electrician (General) ^^ Only Open if caveat is met
341112 Electrician (Special Class) ^^ Only Open if caveat is met
341113 Lift Mechanic  ^^ Only Open if caveat is met
342111 Air-con & Refrigeration Mechanic  ^^ Only Open if caveat is met
391111 Hairdresser Open
394111 Cabinetmaker Open
411411 Enrolled Nurse Open

 

 

Closed occupations – 190 and 491 NOMINATION

ANZSCO Occupation Status
121212 Flower Grower Closed
121215 Grape Grower Closed
121221 Vegetable Grower Closed
121311 Apiarist Closed
121321 Poultry Farmer Closed
132111 Corporate Services Manager Closed
132211 Finance Manager Closed
132311 Human Resource Manager Closed
133411 Manufacturer Closed
133511 Production Manager (Forestry) Closed
133512 Production Manager (Manufacturing) Closed
133513 Production Manager (Mining) Closed
133611 Supply and Distribution Manager Closed
134111 Child Care Centre Manager Closed
134212 Nursing Clinical Director Closed
134213 Primary Health Organisation Manager Closed
134214 Welfare Centre Manager Closed
134299 Health & Welfare Services Managers (nec) Closed
134311 School Principal Closed
134499 Education Managers (nec) Closed
135112 ICT Project Manager Closed
135199 ICT Managers (nec) Closed
139911 Arts Administrator or Manager Closed
139912 Environmental Manager Closed
139913 Laboratory Manager Closed
139914 Quality Assurance Manager Closed
139999 Specialist Managers nec Closed
141111 Cafe or Restaurant Manager Closed
141311 Hotel or Motel Manager Closed
141999 Accommodation and Hospitality Managers nec Closed
149212 Customer Service Manager Closed
149311 Conference & Event Organiser Closed
149413 Transport Company Manager Closed
149913 Facilities Manager Closed
211112 Dancer or Choreographer Closed
211212 Music Director Closed
211213 Musician (Instrumental) Closed
211299 Music Professionals (nec) Closed
211311 Photographer Closed
212111 Artistic Director Closed
212212 Book or Script Editor Closed
212312 Director (Film, Television, Radio or Stage) Closed
212314 Film & Video Editor Closed
212315 Program Director (Television or Radio) Closed
212316 Stage Manager Closed
212317 Technical Director Closed
212318 Video Producer Closed
212411 Copywriter Closed
212412 Newspaper or Periodical Editor Closed
212413 Print Journalist Closed
212415 Technical Writer Closed
212416 Television Journalist Closed
212499 Journalist & other writers (nec) Closed
221111 Accountant (General) Closed
221112 Management Accountant Closed
221113 Taxation Accountant Closed
221211 Company Secretary Closed
221213 External Auditor Closed
221214 Internal Auditor Closed
222111 Commodities Trader Closed
222112 Finance Broker Closed
222113 Insurance Broker Closed
222199 Financial Brokers (nec) Closed
222211 Financial Market Dealer Closed
222213 Stockbroking Dealer Closed
222299 Financial Dealers (nec) Closed
222311 Financial Investment Adviser Closed
222312 Financial Investment Manager Closed
223112 Recruitment Consultant Closed
223211 ICT Trainer Closed
224111 Actuary Closed
224112 Mathematician Closed
224113 Statistician Closed
224212 Gallery or Museum Curator Closed
224213 Health Information Manager Closed
224214 Records Manager Closed
224311 Economist Closed
224511 Land Economist Closed
224512 Valuer Closed
224611 Librarian Closed
224711 Management Consultant Closed
224712 Organisation & Methods Analyst Closed
224914 Patents Examiner Closed
224999 Information and Org. Professionals (nec) Closed
225111 Advertising Specialist Closed
225113 Marketing Specialist Closed
225211 ICT Account Manager Closed
225212 ICT Business Development Manager Closed
225213 ICT Sales Representative Closed
225499 Technical Sales Representatives (nec) Closed
232212 Surveyor Closed
232213 Cartographer Closed
232214 Other Spatial Scientist Closed
232311 Fashion Designer Closed
232312 Industrial Designer Closed
232313 Jewellery Designer Closed
232511 Interior Designer Closed
232611 Urban & Regional Planner Closed
233111 Chemical Engineer Closed
233112 Materials Engineer Closed
233215 Transport Engineer Closed
233611 Mining Engineer (excluding Petroleum) Closed
233612 Petroleum Engineer Closed
234113 Forester Closed
234212 Food technologist Closed
234711 Veterinarian Closed
234911 Conservator Closed
234912 Metallurgist Closed
234913 Meteorologist Closed
241111 Early Childhood (Pre-Primary School) Teacher Closed
241311 Middle School Teacher Closed
241411 Secondary School Teacher Closed
241213 Primary School Teacher Closed
241511 Special Needs Teacher Closed
241512 Teacher of the Hearing Impaired Closed
241513 Teacher of the Sight Impaired Closed
241599 Special Education Teachers (nec) Closed
249111 Education Adviser Closed
249211 Art Teacher (Private Tuition) Closed
249212 Dance Teacher (Private Tuition) Closed
249214 Music Teacher (Private Tuition) Closed
249299 Private Tutors & Teachers (nec) Closed
249311 Teacher of English to speakers of other languages Closed
251111 Dietitian Closed
251112 Nutritionist Closed
251312 Occupational Health and Safety Adviser Closed
251411 Optometrist Closed
251412 Orthopist Closed
251911 Health Promotion Officer Closed
251912 Orthotist or Prosthetist Closed
251999 Health Diagnostic & Promotion Prof. Closed
252111 Chiropractor Closed
252112 Osteopath Closed
252211 Acupuncturist Closed
252213 Naturopath Closed
252214 Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner Closed
252299 Complementary Health Therapists (nec) Closed
252311 Dental Specialist Closed
252611 Podiatrist Closed
253311 Specialist Physician (General Medicine) Closed
253312 Cardiologist Closed
253313 Clinical Haematologist Closed
253314 Medical Oncologist Closed
253315 Endocrinologist Closed
253316 Gastroenterologist Closed
253317 Intensive Care Specialist Closed
253318 Neurologist Closed
253321 Paediatrician Closed
253322 Renal Medicine Specialist Closed
253323 Rheumatologist Closed
253324 Thoracic Medicine Specialist Closed
253399 Specialist Physicians (nec) Closed
253411 Psychiatrist Closed
253511 Surgeon (General) Closed
253512 Cardiothoracic Surgeon Closed
253513 Neurosurgeon Closed
253514 Orthopaedic Surgeon Closed
253515 Otorhinolaryngologist Closed
253516 Paediatric Surgeon Closed
253517 Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon Closed
253518 Urologist Closed
253521 Vascular Surgeon Closed
253911 Dermatologist Closed
253912 Emergency Medicine Specialist Closed
253913 Obstetrician & Gynaecologist Closed
253914 Ophthalmologist Closed
253915 Pathologist Closed
253917 Diagnostic & Interventional Radiologist Closed
253918 Radiation Oncologist Closed
253999 Medical Practitioners (nec) Closed
254211 Nurse Educator Closed
254212 Nurse Researcher Closed
271111 Barrister Closed
271311 Solicitor Closed
271299 Judicial & Other Legal Professionals (nec) Closed
272412 Interpreter Closed
272499 Social Professionals (nec) Closed
311211 Anaesthetic Technician Closed
311212 Cardiac Technician Closed
311213 Medical Laboratory Technician Closed
311215 Pharmacy Technician Closed
311299 Medical Technicians (nec) Closed
311312 Meat Inspector Closed
311399 Primary Products Inspectors nec Closed
311411 Chemistry Technician Closed
311412 Earth Science Technician Closed
311413 Life Science Technician Closed
311499 Science Technicians (nec) Closed
312111 Architectural Draftsperson Closed
312113 Building Inspector Closed
312199 Arch, Building & Surveying Technicians (nec) Closed
312211 Civil Engineering Draftsperson Closed
312212 Civil Engineering Technician Closed
312311 Electrical Engineering Draftsperson Closed
312312 Electrical Engineering Technician Closed
312512 Mechanical Engineering Technician Closed
312912 Metallurgical or Materials Technician Closed
312913 Mine Deputy Closed
313111 Hardware Technician Closed
313112 ICT Customer Support Officer Closed
313113 Web Administrator Closed
313199 ​ICT Support Technicians (nec) Closed
313211 Radio Communications Technician Closed
313212 Telecommunications Field Engineer Closed
313213 Telecommunications network planner Closed
313214 Tele. Technical Officer or Technologist Closed
321111 Automotive Electrician Closed
322113 Farrier Closed
322211 Sheet metal Trades Worker Closed
322312  Pressure welder Closed
323111 Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (Avionics) Closed
323112 Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (Mechanical) Closed
323113 Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (Structures) Closed
323211 Fitter (General) Closed
323212 Fitter & Turner Closed
323213 Fitter-Welder Closed
323214 Metal Machinist (First Class) Closed
323299 Metal Fitters & Machinists (nec) Closed
323313 Locksmith Closed
323314 Precision Instrument Maker & Repairer Closed
323412 Toolmaker Closed
324211 Vehicle Body Builder Closed
324212 Vehicle Trimmer Closed
331211 Carpenter & Joiner Closed
331212 Carpenter Closed
331213 Joiner Closed
333111 Glazier Closed
333311 Roof Tiler Closed
333411 Wall & Floor Tiler Closed
342212 Technical Cable Jointer Closed
342311 Business Machine Mechanic Closed
342313 Electronic Equipment Trades Worker Closed
342314 Electronic Instrument Tr. Worker (General) Closed
342315 Elect.  Instr. Trades Worker (Special Class) Closed
342411 Cabler (Data & Telecommunications) Closed
342413 Telecommunications Lines worker Closed
351111 Baker Closed
351112 Pastry cook Closed
351211 Butcher or Smallgoods Maker Closed
351311 Chef Closed
351411 Cook Closed
361111 Dog Handler or Trainer Closed
361112 Horse Trainer Closed
361199 Animal Attendants & Trainers (nec) Closed
361311 Veterinary Nurse Closed
362111 Florist Closed
362211 Gardener (General) Closed
362212 Arborist Closed
362213 Landscape Gardener Closed
362311 Greenkeeper Closed
392111 Print Finisher Closed
392311 Printing Machinist Closed
393213 Dressmaker or Tailor Closed
393311 Upholsterer Closed
394211 Furniture Finisher Closed
394213 Wood Machinist Closed
394299 Wood Machinists & Other Wood Trades (nec) Closed
399111 Boat Builder & Repairer Closed
399112 Shipwright Closed
399213 Power Generation Plant Operator Closed
399411 Jeweller Closed
399512 Camera Operator (Film, Television or Video) Closed
399514 Make Up Artist Closed
399516 Sound Technician Closed
399599 Performing Arts Technicians (nec) Closed
399611 Sign writer Closed
411111 Ambulance Officer Closed
411112 Intensive Care Ambulance Paramedic Closed
411213 Dental Technician Closed
411311 Diversional Therapist Closed
411611 Massage Therapist Closed
411711 Community Worker Closed
411712 Disabilities Services Officer Closed
411713 Family Support Worker Closed
411715 Residential Care Officer Closed
411716 Youth Worker Closed
452311 Diving Instructor (Open Water) Closed
452312 Gymnastics Coach or Instructor Closed
452313 Horse Riding Coach or Instructor Closed
452314 Snow sport Instructor Closed
452315 Swimming Coach or Instructor Closed
452316 Tennis Coach Closed
452317 Other Sports Coach or Instructor Closed
452321 Sports Development Officer Closed
452411 Footballer Closed
452499 Sportspersons(nec) Closed
511111 Contract Administrator Closed
511112 Program or Project Administrator Closed
599612 Insurance Loss Adjuster Closed
611211 Insurance Agent Closed
639211 Retail Buyer Closed

 

 

REGIONAL OCCUPATION LIST – 491 NOMINATION ONLY

 

121216 mixed crop farmer Closed
121217 sugar cane grower Closed
121299 crop farmers (nec) Closed
121312 beef cattle farmer Closed
121313 dairy cattle farmer Closed
121314 deer farmer Closed
121315 goat farmer Closed
121316 horse breeder Closed
121317 mixed livestock farmer Closed
121318 pig farmer Closed
121322 sheep farmer Closed
121399 livestock farmers (nec) Closed
121411 mixed crop and livestock farmer Closed
132411 policy and planning manager Closed
133112 project builder Closed
133612 procurement manager Closed
134211 medical administrator Closed
134412 regional education manager Closed
139915 sports administrator Closed
141211 caravan park and camping ground manager Closed
142115 post office manager Closed
149111 amusement centre manager Closed
149112 fitness centre manager Closed
149113 sports centre manager Closed
149912 cinema or theatre manager Closed
149914 financial institution branch manager Closed
223111 human resource adviser Closed
223113 workplace relations adviser Closed
224412 policy analyst Closed
224912 liaison officer Closed
225112 market research analyst Closed
231111 aeroplane pilot Closed
231113 flying instructor Closed
231114 helicopter pilot Closed
231213 ship’s master Closed
232413 multimedia designer Closed
234213 wine maker Closed
234311 conservation officer Closed
234915 exercise physiologist Closed
242211 vocational education teacher Closed
251311 environmental health officer Closed
252312 dentist Closed
253211 anaesthetist Closed
271214 intellectual property lawyer Closed
272413 translator Closed
272611 community arts worker Closed
311111 agricultural technician Closed
311214 operating theatre technician Closed
311216 pathology collector Closed
312114 construction estimator Closed
312116 surveying or spatial science technician Closed
312511 mechanical engineering draftsperson Closed
312611 safety inspector Closed
312911 maintenance planner Closed
312999 building and engineering technicians (nec) Closed
324311 vehicle painter Closed
332111 floor finisher Closed
342211 electrical lines worker Closed
361114 zookeeper Closed
362411 nurseryperson Closed
399212 gas or petroleum operator Closed
411211 dental hygienist Closed
411214 dental therapist Closed
441211 emergency service worker Closed
451211 driving instructor Closed
451399 funeral workers (nec) Closed
451711 flight attendant Closed
451815 first aid trainer Closed
452413 jockey Closed
599915 clinical coder Closed
612112 property manager Closed
612115 real estate representative Closed

Disclaimer:  The document is provided for general information purposes only. Your use of any of this information is at your own risk, and you should not use any of this information without first seeking legal and other professional advice. The provision of this document (and the documents themselves) do not constitute legal advice or opinions of any kind, or any advertising or solicitation. No lawyer-client, advisory, fiduciary or other relationship is created between VIVID EDUCATION and any person accessing or otherwise using any of the information. Vivid Education and its affiliates (and any of their respective directors, officers, agents, contractors, interns, suppliers, and employees) will not be liable for any damages, losses or causes of action of any nature arising from any use of any of this information.

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act 491 / 190 nomination guidelines

ACT 491 / 190 Nomination Guidelines January 2020 to June 2020

For new ACT 491 / 190 nomination guidelines,

Visit here

 

This Guideline is effective from 1 Jan 2020 until 30 June 2020.

ACT NOMINATION

The ACT Skilled Migration Program is a significant contributor to the ACT’s economy and population growth. The aim of the Program is to attract and retain talented people, to build the workforce profile, strengthen and diversify the local economy. The ACT nomination program is aimed at applicants who can demonstrate economic contribution or benefit and/or a genuine commitment to been part of the ACT community as demonstrated by long term ACT residence.

The ACT offers nomination of a Skilled Nominated (permanent) subclass 190 visa and a Skilled Regional (provisional) subclass 491 visa.

These guidelines explain how to express interest in applying for ACT nomination by completing a score-based ‘Canberra Matrix’. The Matrix allocates points against demonstrated economic contribution or benefit, English proficiency, formal qualifications, length of ACT residence/study, investment activity and close family ties. All Matrix scores are then ranked with the highest-ranked candidates invited to apply for ACT nomination.

Please note: You must read the ACT nomination guidelines carefully. If you are invited to apply for ACT nomination, your supporting documents must evidence your eligibility and all Matrix points claimed at the date of Matrix submission.

Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) with Home Affairs SkillSelect.

You must submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to migrate to Australia through the Department of Home Affairs SkillSelect. Your nominated occupation must be on the Home Affairs list of eligible skilled occupations. You must:

  • Have a suitable skill assessment in your nominated occupation and meet the Home Affairs points test (currently 65 points).
  • Select the ACT as your preferred location to live in Australia. If the ACT is not selected, you will not meet the genuine commitment criteria for ACT nomination.

If you are invited to apply for ACT nomination and your application is approved, your Home Affairs SkillSelect EOI will be confirmed and Home Affairs will automatically issue the visa invitation.

Choose an ACT nomination pathway – 491 or 190

The ACT offers Territory nomination under the following skilled migration streams:

  • Skilled Regional (provisional) subclass 491 visa.
  • Skilled Nominated (permanent) subclass 190 visa.

You must meet the eligibility criteria for the ACT nomination before you can complete the Canberra Matrix; where you will be scored against criteria to evidence your economic contribution or benefit and/or a genuine commitment to been part of the ACT community as demonstrated by long term ACT residence.

 

 

The Canberra Matrix scoring table:

  • Canberra resident – Matrix scoring table at PART THREE
  • Overseas applicant – Matrix scoring table at PART FIVE

 

How to complete the Canberra Matrix

  • Migration agents acting on behalf of a client must register and create an ACT agents account. The Canberra Matrix can be accessed from the ACT agent portal.
  • Individual candidates not using a migration agent are not required to create an account. The Canberra Matrix can be accessed at the Canberra Create Your Future

Enter your personal information; select either ACT 491 nomination or ACT 190 nomination; select a Matrix score in each of the categories.  Your supporting documentation must evidence your eligibility for ACT nomination and all claims for Matrix points at the date of Matrix submission.

Once you submit the Matrix, you will receive an email with a summary of the Matrix score claimed. The Matrix cannot be updated or withdrawn once it is submitted. If your circumstances change and your claimed points increase/decrease, you must complete a new Matrix; noting that your submission date/time will also change.

The Matrix will automatically expire six months after submission if an invitation is not issued. Once a Matrix has lapsed, it cannot be reactivated.

 

Canberra Matrix – Ranking, selection and invitation

The Canberra Matrix score will be ranked separately for ACT 190 and 491 nomination. The highest ranked candidates in each stream will be invited to apply for ACT nomination.

Separate invitation rounds will be held for the 190 and 491 nomination streams.  Invitations are generally issued on a pro rata monthly basis, though this varies according to ACT Government priorities and current program settings. The number of invitations issued will vary in each round. The cut‑off for selection will depend on the number and quality of Matrix submitted.

If there are more candidates with the same Matrix score than the number of invitation places available, selection may be based on the date and time of the Matrix submission.

Invitations may not be issued when the number of invitations issued in the financial year exceeds demand. The ACT Government may cap the occupations nominated at any time.

Candidates may also be selected and invited if their nomination is deemed to be of significant benefit to the Territory.

Requests for ranking information

Invitations are not guaranteed. The ACT Government will not respond to requests for information on ranking or the likelihood of receiving an invitation.

Candidates will not be prioritised or issued invitations based on personal circumstances. This includes, but is not limited to, visa expiry dates or a change in circumstances.

Part TWO

 

Canberra resident – ACT provisional 491 nomination

Canberra Resident 491 – you must meet the following criteria before you are eligible to submit a Canberra matrix for ACT nomination of a Skilled Regional (provisional) subclass 491 visa:

  • You must be residing in Canberra for at least three months immediately before the date of Matrix submission and continuing until date of any invitation. Residence is defined as living and settled in Canberra. Visiting Canberra for short periods does not meet the residence criteria.
  • You must be working for an ACT employer in Canberra for at least three months immediately before the date of Matrix submission:
    • You must have worked a minimum 20 hours per week for the thirteen weeks immediately before date of Matrix submission. While the employment does not have to be permanent, it must be continuous. Paid annual or personal leave meets the employment criteria. Any claim for unpaid leave (including maternity leave) must be evidenced by a valid medical certificate.
  • You must be in paid employment. Internships, stipends, scholarships and volunteer positions are not considered employment for this criterion.
  • Your employer must be actively operating in the ACT for at least one The terms and conditions of employment must be in accordance with Australian legislation. Your taxable income must not be less than the relevant award or market salary rate.
  • You may work for more than one ACT employer and / or be self- employed. If you are self-employed on an ABN, you must have at least 12 months ACT business activity at date of Matrix submission. Your taxable income must be at least $500 pw for each week of the employment period claimed.
  • If you are employed by a NSW employer who is located in the ‘ACT Region’, you must demonstrate that your work activity is solely located in the ACT.
  • You can nominate any occupation on the ACT Occupation List, even if that occupation is closed:
  • Occupation caveats: certain open occupations on the ACT Occupation List have an employment caveat. If you do not comply with a caveat e.g. have a one year employment contract at date of matrix submission, the occupation is deemed to be closed.
  • If the occupation is closed, or deemed to be closed, you cannot claim Canberra Matrix points in the Nominated Occupation category; nor can you claim points for either you or your spouse/partner for employability in an open

 

 

 

  • If you are nominating an ANZSCO Major Occupation Group 1 (Managers) or Group 2 (Professionals) occupation, you must have a current English test result that meets the Home Affairs level of ‘proficient’ or ‘superior’ English.
  • If you are including a spouse/partner and/or children in your application and they are in Australia, they must have lived in Canberra for the three months immediately before the date of Matrix submission. If they are not living in Canberra, you must attach evidence of their location.
    • If you wish to claim Matrix points for a spouse/partner, you must evidence the relationship at date of matrix submission: either a marriage certificate, civil partnership/union registration, or VEVO (Visa Entitlement Verification Online) secondary applicant status for yourself or spouse/partner.
  • If you wish to claim Matrix points in the spouse/partner employment category, your spouse/partner must hold a current English test result with a competent or higher level of English; or hold an Australian or valid passport as defined by Home Affairs.
  • You must sign a Statutory Declaration committing to continuing to live and work in Canberra for at least two years from date of visa grant (see Attachment A).

Please note: You are not eligible for ACT nomination if you, your spouse/partner or children are living or working in another Australian state or territory.

 

Canberra resident – ACT permanent 190 nomination

Canberra resident 190 – you must meet the following criteria before you are eligible to submit a Canberra Matrix for ACT nomination of a Skilled Nominated (permanent) subclass 190 visa:

  • You must be residing in Canberra for at least six months immediately before the date of Matrix submission and continuing until date of any invitation. Residence is defined as living and settled in Canberra. Visiting Canberra for short periods does not meet the residence criteria.
  • You must meet one of the following three criterion:
  1. Your nominated occupation is open on the ACT Occupation List at date of Matrix submission.
    • Occupation caveats: certain open occupations on the ACT Occupation List have an employment caveat. If you do not comply with a caveat e.g. have an employment contract valid for at least one year at date of Matrix submission, the occupation is deemed to be closed and you are not eligible to complete a 190 Matrix.

OR

 

 

 

 

  1. You are the primary holder of a subclass 457/482 visa sponsored by an ACT employer:
    • You have worked in Canberra for the sponsoring ACT employer for at least six months.
      • The nominated occupation may be open or closed on the ACT occupation
      • The 457/482 visa must have a minimum 12 months validity at date of Matrix submission.

OR

  1. You have at least five years continuous ACT residence immediately before the date of matrix submission and continuing until date of invitation. You may be working in any occupation. Your nominated occupation may be open or closed on the ACT occupation List.
  • You may have interstate or overseas holidays for a maximum of six weeks in any one year period without it affecting a claim for continuous ACT residence.
  • You must attach a copy of your ‘International Movement Record’ from Home Affairs.
  • You must be working fulltime for an ACT employer in Canberra for at least six months at date of matrix submission:
    • You must be working a minimum of 35 hours per week for the 26 weeks immediately before date of Matrix submission. While the employment does not have to be permanent, it must be continuous. Paid annual or personal leave meets the employment criteria. Any claim for unpaid leave (including maternity leave) must be evidenced by a valid medical certificate.
    • You must be in paid employment. Internships, stipends, scholarships and volunteer positions are not considered employment for this criterion.
    • Your employer must be actively operating in the ACT for at least one The terms and conditions of employment must be in accordance with Australian legislation. Your taxable income must not be less than the relevant award or market salary rate.
    • You may work for more than one ACT employer and / or be self- employed. If you are self-employed on an ABN, you must have at least 12 months ACT business activity at date of Matrix submission. Your taxable income must be at least $1000 pw for each week of the employment period claimed.
    • If you are employed by a NSW employer who is located in the ‘ACT Region’, you must demonstrate that your work activity is solely located in the ACT.
  • If you are nominating an ANZSCO Major Occupation Group 1 (Managers) or Group 2 (Professionals) occupation, you must have a current English test result that meets the Home Affairs level of ‘proficient’ or ‘superior’ English.

 

 

  • If you are including a spouse/partner and/or children in your application and they are in Australia, they must have lived in Canberra for at least six months immediately before the date of Matrix submission. If they are not living in Canberra, you must attach evidence of their location.
    • If you wish to claim Matrix points for a spouse/partner, you must evidence the relationship at date of matrix submission: either a marriage certificate, civil partnership/union registration, or VEVO (Visa Entitlement Verification Online) secondary applicant status for yourself or spouse/partner.
  • If you wish to claim Matrix points in the spouse/partner employment category, your spouse/partner must have a current English test result with a competent or higher level of English; or hold an Australian or valid passport as defined by Home Affairs.
  • You must sign a Statutory Declaration committing to continuing to live and work in Canberra for at least two years from date of visa grant (see Attachment A).

Please note: You are not eligible for ACT nomination if you, your spouse/partner or children are living or working in another Australian state or territory.

 

PART THREE

Canberra Matrix scoring – Canberra residents

The Canberra Matrix is completed for both ACT 190 nomination and ACT 491 nomination.

You can only select one option in the drop down menu for each category.  If you are invited to apply for ACT nomination, you must provide evidence to support any Matrix score claimed. Claims must be true at the date of Matrix submission.

 

CANBERRA RESIDENT
CATEGORY OPTION POINTS
 

LENGTH OF Current ACT residence

 

How long have you lived in Canberra in the last eight years?

 

·       Your bank statement must evidence your claimed date of arrival and residence in Canberra.

 

·       You must record any period away from Canberra (seven days or more) in the ‘Summary of ACT residence’ at
Attachment D.

 

·       For each year of residence claimed, you can have holiday’s (up to six weeks per year) without it affecting your claimed period of ACT residency.

 

·       You can study interstate for one or two days a week. However if you have studied more than two days a week interstate, you will not be considered an ACT resident for that period.

 

·       If you have previously worked interstate, you cannot claim ACT residency for that period.

 

·       Living within a 30 minute commute to Canberra is also accepted as long as you are working in the ACT.

 

 

 

Five years plus.

 

 

25

Four to five years. 20
Three to four years. 15
Two to three years. 10
One to two years. 5
Less than one year. 0

 

CANBERRA RESIDENT
English proficiency

What is your English proficiency level as defined by Home Affairs?

 

You must have a valid English test result.

 

Superior. 15
Proficient. 10
Competent. 0
Spouse/partner English proficiency What is your spouse/partner’s English proficiency as defined by Home Affairs?

They must have a valid English test result to claim points.

Superior/proficient.

Competent.

Not Applicable.

5

0

0
Nominated OccupationIs your nominated occupation open or closed on the current ACT Occupation List?

Caveats may apply. If you cannot comply with a caveat, the nominated occupation is deemed to be closed and you cannot claim points in this category.

Your nominated occupation is Open on the ACT Occupation List.

Your nominated occupation is closed or deemed to be closed, on the ACT Occupation List.

20

 

0

 

Length of current ACT employment

How long have you worked for an ACT employer in Canberra in the two years immediately before the date of Matrix submission?

·       You may be working in any occupation.

·       While the employment does not have to be fulltime or permanent, you must be working a minimum 20 hours per week for each week that you claim towards the period of employment;

·       You may work for more than one ACT employer.

·       You may also be self-employed on an ABN as long as:

Your net weekly taxable income exceeds $500 for each week of employment claimed; and

Your business has been operating in Canberra for at least 12 months.

 

 

Employed for 12 months plus.

 

 

10

 

Employed for six to 12 months.

 

5

 

Not applicable.

 

0

 

 

 

 

CANBERRA RESIDENT
ACT employment – skill level

Are you currently working for an ACT employer in Canberra in a highly skilled position? You must meet the minimum criteria below:

·       You must be working for the last three months immediately at date of Matrix submission.

·       The employment must be continuous. Any period of unpaid leave must be evidenced by a medical certificate.

·       While the employment does not have to be fulltime or permanent, you must be working a minimum 20 hours per week.

·       Your taxable income must be no less than $50,000 per annum for fulltime employment; or $26 per hour (excluding casual loading) for part time / casual employment.

·       You may work for more than one ACT employer as long as it is in the same occupation and at the same skill level.

·       You may also be self-employed on an ABN as long as:

o   Your weekly income exceeds $500 for each week of employment claimed; and

o   Your business has been operating in Canberra for at least 12 months.

 

·       Your must have a tertiary qualification relevant to your current occupation.

·       Your skilled work experience must be recorded on your SkillSelect EOI.

 

 

You are working in your nominated occupation which is open on the ACT Occupation List. Your occupation must be recorded as ‘relevant’ on your SkillSelect EOI.

 

20

You are the primary holder of a subclass 457 / 482 visa sponsored by an ACT employer. Your occupation must be recorded as ‘relevant’ on your SkillSelect EOI. 15
You are working in an occupation that is open on the ACT Occupation List; but it is not your nominated occupation. 10
You are working in an ANZSCO Skill level 1 to 3 occupation. 5
   Not applicable. 0

 

CANBERRA RESIDENT
Spouse/partner employment

Is your spouse / partner currently working in the ACT or surrounding ‘commuter’ region?

·       They must be working for the three months immediately before the date of Matrix submission.

·       The employment must be continuous. Any period of unpaid leave must be evidenced by a medical certificate.

·       While the employment does not have to be fulltime or permanent, they must be working a minimum 20 hours per week.

·       They must have a valid English test result at a minimum level of ‘competent’ English; hold an Australian passport; or hold a valid passport as defined by Home Affairs.

·       They may work for more than one employer and / or be working on an ABN if they meet the self-employment criteria.  

1.    They are working in an occupation that is open on the ACT Occupation List. They must have a skill assessment relevant to their current employment. Their taxable income must be no less than $26 per hour (excluding causal loading).

2.    They have a current skill assessment and it is relevant to their current ACT employment. Their taxable income must be no less than $26 per hour (excluding causal loading).

3.    They are currently working in any occupation, at any skill level, in Canberra.

 

Spouse/partner employability

4.    If they do not meet the 3 months employment criterion, but they have a:

·      Tertiary qualification (requiring at least 3 years full time continuous study) from an Australian or overseas institution in any occupation; and

·      A valid English test result at a minimum level of ‘competent’ English; or hold an Australian or valid passport as defined by Home Affairs.

 

 

1.     Skill assessment relevant to their current open occupation.

 

15

2.     Skill assessment relevant to their current occupation. 10
3.    Currently working in any occupation. 5
4.    Tertiary qualification in any occupation. 5
    Not applicable.

 

0

 

CANBERRA RESIDENT
teriary Qualification

What tertiary qualification do you hold from an Australian or international educational institution?

Your selected qualification must be recorded on your Home Affairs SkillSelect EOI

 

Doctoral degree.

Master’s Degree

Bachelor degree or trade certificate

Diploma qualification/s – at least two years full time study.

Not applicable.

20

15

10

 

5

0

years of study at an ACT Tertiary Institution.

For how many years did you study a CRICOS* registered course, or attend a Professional Year (PY) program, at an ACT institution in the last eight years?

·       You must have a letter of course completion from the ACT institution to evidence the claimed period and location of study. 

·       You must be resident in Canberra during your claimed period of study. Distance education or online attendance is not accepted.

·       A Professional Year undertaken in the ACT meets the one year study criteria.

·       Two or more courses, including a PY, may be counted to evidence the period of ACT study as long as the courses are not concurrent.

·       The courses do not have to be continuous.

An academic year is at least a total of 46 weeks.

CRICOS* – Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students.

 

Four academic years or more of study.

Three academic years of study.

Two academic years of study.

One academic year of study.

Not applicable.

 

20

15

10

5

0

Close family ties

Do you have a close family member who has lived in Canberra for the last two years?

A close family member is defined as a spouse/ partner, parent, child, brother, sister or grandparent of the main applicant or their spouse/ partner.

Australian citizen/permanent resident spouse/partner, child.

Australian citizen/permanent resident parent, grandparent, brother, sister.

Not applicable.

20

 

10

 

0

 

 

 

 

 

CANBERRA RESSIDENT
Assets in Canberra

1.     You (and a spouse/partner if applicable) have invested at least $250,000 cash to purchase a residential or commercial property in Canberra (purchase of land only does not meet this criteria)? You must hold the Certificate of Title or a rates notice to evidence ownership.

2.     You have purchased/established a business in Canberra. You have majority ownership and minimum $200,000 turnover in one of the last two years.

3.     You have invested in a start-up business in the ACT that is typically technology oriented and has high growth potential.

 

 

1.         Minimum $250,000 cash investment in ACT residential or commercial property.

2.         Minimum $200,000 investment to purchase / establish a business.

3.         $200,000 third party investment in a start-up ACT business.

          Not applicable

 

5

 

 

5

 

5

 

0

 

 

PART FOUR

 

Overseas applicant – ACT provisional 491 nomination

Overseas applicant 491 – you must meet the following eligibility criteria before you can complete the Canberra Matrix for ACT nomination of a Skilled Regional (provisional) subclass 491 visa:

  • You can nominate any occupation on the ACT Occupation List, even if that occupation is closed:
    • Occupation caveats: certain open occupations on the ACT Occupation List have an employment caveat. If you do not comply with a caveat e.g. have an ACT job offer, the occupation is deemed to be closed.
    • If the occupation is closed or deemed to be closed, you cannot claim Matrix points in the ‘Nominated Occupation’ category; nor can you claim points for either you or your spouse/partner for employability in an open
  • You must have a current English test result that meets the Home Affairs level of ‘proficient’ or ‘superior’ English.
  • Your skills and at least 12 months continuous experience (within the last three years) in the nominated occupation must be relevant to the ACT economy. Experience in heavy industry, manufacturing, production, mining; shipping, gas and oil; head office banking and railways for example, are not generally considered relevant industries given the structure of the ACT economy, which is primarily knowledge-based.
    • You must demonstrate employability in Canberra by providing evidence of research into sufficient ACT employment opportunities in your nominated occupation, relevant to your skill set and experience (see Page 25: Employability for overseas residents).
  • If you are claiming Matrix points for a spouse/partner, you must have evidence of the relationship at date of matrix submission: marriage certificate or civil partnership/union registration.
  • If you are claiming points in the spouse / partner employment category your spouse / partner must hold a valid English test result at a minimum level of ‘competent’ English; or hold an Australian or a valid passport as defined by Home Affairs.
  • You must sign a statutory declaration committing to living and working in Canberra for at least two years from date of arrival in Australia (see Attachment A).
  • You must have access to sufficient financial assets to fund your migration and settlement in Canberra while you seek employment. You need to be realistic about employment expectations once you arrive in Canberra as it can take, on average, up to six months to secure employment. This timeframe is only indicative, as the economy and employment market can vary considerably throughout the year.
  • You and/or any dependents must not be the holder of a current Australian visa (or bridging visa), except an Australian visitor visa.
  • You must be overseas at date of Matrix submission and, if ranked and invited to apply for ACT nomination, you must be overseas at date of application for ACT nomination.

Please note: You are not eligible for ACT 190 nomination if you, your spouse/partner or children are living or have lived in another Australian state or territory within the last twelve months at date of matrix submission.

 

Overseas applicant – ACT permanent 190 nomination

Overseas applicant 190 – You must meet the following eligibility criteria before you can complete the Canberra Matrix for ACT nomination of a Skilled Nominated (permanent) subclass 190 visa:

  • You must meet one of the following two criterion:
    1. A minimum one year ACT employment contract in an open nominated occupation. The employment must be with a medium to large enterprise (50 plus employees) located in the ACT; or a paid employment contract for an academic appointment at an ACT tertiary institution. Stipends, scholarships and internships do not meet this criteria

Or

  1. At least five years previous ACT residence within the last eight years. The ACT residence must be continuous up until the date of departure from Australia. Your nominated occupation may be open or closed on the ACT occupation List:
  • You may have travelled interstate or overseas for a maximum of six weeks in any one year period without it affecting a claim for continuous ACT residence.
  • You must attach a copy of your ‘International Movement Record’ from Home Affairs.
  • You have a current English test result that meets the Home Affairs level of ‘proficient’ or ‘superior’ English.
  • You must be currently employed full time. Your skills and at least 12 months continuous experience (within the last three years) in the nominated occupation must be relevant to the ACT economy. Experience in heavy industry, manufacturing, production, mining, shipping, oil/gas, head office banking and railways for example, are not generally considered relevant industries given the structure of the ACT economy, which is primarily knowledge-based.
  • You must provide evidence of research into sufficient ACT employment opportunities in your nominated occupation, relevant to your skill set and experience (see Page 25: Employability for overseas residents).
  • If you are claiming Matrix points for a spouse/partner, you must evidence the relationship at date of matrix submission: marriage certificate or civil partnership/union registration.

 

 

 

  • If you are claiming points in the spouse / partner employment category, your spouse / partner must hold a valid English test result at a minimum level of ‘competent’ English; or hold an Australian or a valid passport as defined by Home Affairs.
  • You must sign a statutory declaration committing to living and working in Canberra for at least two years from date of arrival in Australia (see Attachment A).
  • You must have access to sufficient financial assets to fund your migration and settlement in Canberra while you seek employment. You need to be realistic about employment expectations once you arrive in Canberra as it can take, on average, up to six months to secure employment. This timeframe is only indicative, as the economy and employment market can vary considerably throughout the year.
  • You and/or any dependents must not be the holder of a current Australian visa (or bridging visa), except an Australian visitor visa.
  • You must be overseas at date of Matrix submission and, if ranked and invited to apply for ACT nomination, you must be overseas at date of application for ACT nomination.

Please note: You are not eligible for ACT 190 nomination if you, your spouse/partner or children are living or have lived in another Australian state or territory within the last twelve months at date of matrix submission.

PART FIVE

Canberra Matrix scoring – Overseas applicants

The Canberra Matrix is completed for both ACT 190 nomination and ACT 491 nomination.

You can only select one option in the drop down menu for each category.  If you are invited to apply for ACT nomination, you must provide evidence to support any Matrix score claimed. Claims must be true at the date of Matrix submission. Remember, to apply as an overseas applicant, you must not be in Australia at date of matrix submission; nor at date of an invitation if issued.

OVERSEAS APPLICANT
CATEGORY OPTION POINTS
 

Previous ACT residence; or time spent in the ACT in the last EIGHT years?

 

How long did you previously live in Canberra? Your bank statements must evidence your claimed date of arrival and previous residence in Canberra.

 

Have you visited Canberra and stayed for at least seven consecutive nights?

 

 

More than five years. 20
Three to five years. 15
One to three years. 10
Visited Canberra. 5
Not applicable. 0
Nominated occupation

Is your nominated occupation open or closed on the current ACT Occupation List?

Caveats may apply. If you cannot comply with a caveat, the nominated occupation is deemed to be closed and you cannot claim points in this category.

Your nominated occupation is Open on the ACT Occupation List. 20
Your nominated occupation is closed or deemed to be closed on the ACT Occupation List. 0
English proficiency

 

What is your English proficiency level as defined by Home Affairs?

 

You must a valid English test result.

 

Superior. 15
Proficient. 10
Competent. 0
Spouse/partner English proficiency

 

What is their English proficiency level as defined by Home Affairs?

 

They must have a valid English test result. If claiming competent English, they may also hold an Australian or valid passport as defined by Home Affairs.

 

Superior/proficient. 5
Competent. 0
Not Applicable. 0

 

OVERSEAS APPLICANT
ACT job offer

Do you have a genuine ACT job offer in your nominated occupation?

The employer must be:

·       Actively operating in the ACT for at least two years; and

·       Have a genuine need to employ an overseas skilled worker as the position cannot be filled from the local labour market.

 

Genuine ACT job offer in the nominated occupation.

 

10

Not applicable. 0
Relevant Work experience

 

How long have you worked in your nominated occupation?

·       Your work experience must be relevant to the ACT economy.

·       You must have a current Skill Assessment with point’s advice showing dates of the relevant work experience assessed.

·       Your relevant work experience must be recorded on your SkillSelect EOI.

 

10 years plus continuous employment.

Five years employment in the last eight years.

20

 

10

Three years employment in the last five years. 5
One to three years employment. 0
Spouse/partner employability

 

Is your spouse/partner currently working? They must have:

·            Worked for at least six months in the last 12 months); and

·            A valid English test result at a minimum level of ‘competent’ English; or hold an Australian or valid passport as defined by Home Affairs.

 

1.     They are working in an occupation that is open on the ACT Occupation List and they hold a valid skill assessment that is relevant to their current occupation. If they cannot comply with a caveat e.g. ACT job offer, the nominated occupation is deemed to be closed; or

 

2.     They are working in a skilled occupation and they have a valid skill assessment which is relevant to their current occupation; or

 

3.     They are working in any occupation and they have a qualification from an Australian or overseas institution. Their qualification does not have to be relevant to their current occupation.

 

 

1.     Working in an open occupation with a relevant skill assessment (caveats may apply)

2.     Skill assessment relevant to current occupation.

3.     Tertiary qualification in any occupation (requiring at least 3 years full time continuous study)

      Not applicable.

 

15

 

 

10

 

5

 

0

 

OVERSEAS APPLICANT
tertiary qualification

What qualification do you hold from an Australian or international educational institution?

Your selected qualification must be recorded on your Home Affairs SkillSelect EOI

 

Doctoral degree. 20
Master’s degree. 15

Bachelor degree or trade certificate.
10
Diploma qualification/s – at least two years full-time study. 5
Not applicable. 0
study at an ACT Tertiary Institution

For how many years did you study a CRICOS* registered course at an ACT tertiary institution in the last eight years?

·       You must have a letter of course completion from the ACT institution to evidence the claimed period of study.

·       You must have been resident in Canberra during your claimed period of study. Distance education or online attendance is not accepted.

·       A Professional Year (PY) undertaken in the ACT meets the one year study criteria.

·       Two or more courses, including a PY, may be counted to evidence the period of ACT study as long as the courses are not concurrent.

·       The courses do not have to be continuous.

An academic year is at least a total of 46 weeks.

CRICOS* – Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students.

 

Four academic years or more of study.

 

20

Three academic years of study. 15
Two academic years of study. 10
One academic year of study. 5
Not applicable. 0
Close family ties

Do you have a close family member who has lived in Canberra for the last two years?

A close family member is defined as a spouse/ partner, parent, child, brother, sister or grandparent of the main applicant or their spouse/partner.

Australian citizen/permanent resident spouse/partner, child, parent, grandparent, brother or sister. 20

 

 

Temporary resident visa holder. 5
Not applicable. 0

 

OVERSEAS APPLICANT
Assets in Canberra

1.    Have you made a personal cash investment in Canberra to purchase a residential or commercial property (purchase of land only does not meet this criteria)? While the asset can be in joint names, you must provide evidence of your personal cash investment and majority ownership. You must have a Certificate of Title or a rates notice to evidence ownership.

2.    Have you owned and operated a business in Canberra for the last two years? You must have majority ownership and a minimum $200,000 annual turnover in one of the last two years.

 

1.    Minimum $250,000 cash investment in ACT residential or commercial property.

 

5

2.     $200,000 investment to purchase / establish a business, majority ownership and minimum $200,000 annual turnover. 5

 

      Not applicable. 0

 

PART SIX

 

Invitation to apply for ACT nomination

If you are selected to apply for ACT nomination, you will receive an invitation email with a web link to the online application. Migration agents may access the application via their agent account.

If you do not wish to accept the invitation e.g. you submitted multiple matrix or you cannot evidence the matrix scores claimed, the invitation will lapse after 14 days.

By accepting the invitation and submiting the application for ACT nomination, you have agreed to:

  • Canberra residents: reside in Canberra during the nomination and visa application process. If the ACT nominated visa is approved, you agree to continue residing in Canberra for at least two years from date of visa grant.
  • Overseas applicants: reside in Canberra for at least two years from date of permanent arrival in Australia.

The signed declaration ‘Nomination Obligations to the Australian Capital Territory (ACT)’, at Attachment A, must be attached to your application for ACT nomination.

 

Completing the application for ACT nomination

An invitation does not guarantee that ACT nomination will be approved. You must complete the application for ACT nomination and provide the required supporting documents to evidence your eligibility to apply for ACT nomination and the Matrix score that the invitation was based on. Claims must be true at the date of Matrix submission.

See: Document checklist at PART FIVE (page 25)

Your application for ACT nomination must be submitted (with service fee payment confirmed) within 14 days of date of invitation. If the application is not submitted within 14 days, the invitation will automatically expire and cannot be reactivated.

Once payment of the service fee is confirmed by email (within three working days), the application will be lodged and queued for processing.

 

Assessing the application

All applications are processed in submission date order. Any requests for priority processing based on a change of circumstances will not be considered e.g. visa expiry dates, a significant birthday or expiry of mandatory documents.

The standard processing period is 45 working days. For the current processing date click here.

Assessment of your application for ACT nomination will be based solely on the supporting documents provided at the time of lodgement. Additional documentation will not be accepted once the application is submitted.

If the application is incomplete, or it does not clearly evidence the eligibility criteria or Canberra Matrix score claimed as at the date of Matrix submission, the application will be refused. The case officer will not contact you for clarification in this instance.

 

Offer of ACT nomination

Approval: If the application for ACT nomination is approved, your SkillSelect EOI will be confirmed and Home Affairs will simultaneously issue the visa invitation. You will be unable to update the SkillSelect EOI once ACT nomination is confirmed. You will then have 60 days to apply to Home Affairs for the ACT nominated skilled migration visa. ACT nomination does not guarantee that the skilled migration visa will be granted.

Only one ACT nomination place is offered per approved application. The ACT will not re-confirm a new SkillSelect EOI if you have made an error and as a result are unable to apply for the visa.

Refusal: If the application for ACT nomination is refused, you will be informed of the reasons why the supporting documentation was deemed not to have substantiated your application or Matrix score. You may only request a reconsideration of the refusal decision if you can demonstrate that the supporting documents attached at time of application met the eligibility criteria or Matrix score. A request for reconsideration must be in writing. The review officer’s reconsideration will be based solely on the original supporting documents.  Additional documentation will not be accepted.

 

Applying for the ACT nominated skilled migration visa

Once the visa invitation is issued by Home affairs, you must lodge the visa application within 60 days. If the visa application is not lodged within 60 days, the offer of ACT nomination will expire. This timeframe will not be extended.

Please note: If your application for an ACT nominated visa is refused by Home Affairs, the ACT Government will not, under any circumstances, appeal to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal on your behalf.

 

Nomination obligations – living in Canberra

As part of your application for ACT nomination, you signed a declaration agreeing that ACT nomination is exclusive to the ACT and is NOT transferable to any other state or territory in Australia.

The ACT Government expects you to meet your obligations to live in Canberra for at least two years from the date of visa grant / permanent arrival in Australia.  The ACT Government will inform Home Affairs if you do not make a genuine effort to meet your obligations to live in Canberra.

Notification of Home Affairs Visa Decision

You must inform the ACT Skilled Migration team when your visa is granted, by email and attach a copy of the visa grant notification. If you are overseas, you must inform the team of your expected arrival date in Canberra. Email: welcometocanberra@act.gov.au

 

Welcome to Canberra Settlement Service

The ACT Skilled Migration team provides a free settlement service to help ACT-nominated overseas migrants settle in Canberra. The Welcome to Canberra team will:

  • Provide information and advice while you are waiting for your visa, and, if you have questions about living in Canberra, refer you to the relevant websites;
  • Meet with you (by appointment) when you arrive in Canberra and provide initial settlement information and advice—please email welcometocanberra@act.gov.au and give at least four weeks’ notice;
  • Follow up with a phone call or email eight weeks after you have arrived in Canberra.

For more information about the Canberra Settlement Service, email: welcometocanberra@act.gov.au

Monitoring Program

As part of your signed nomination obligations you have agreed to:

  • live and work in Canberra for at least two years from visa grant/arrival in Australia
  • complete settlement surveys at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months after arrival
  • Inform us of any change to your contact details for two years after visa grant/arrival.

 

Disclaimer

The Australian Migration Programme does not guarantee a migration outcome for any temporary resident / international student in Australia. Neither is ACT nomination guaranteed for ACT residents who may be eligible for nomination. The demand for ACT nomination may exceed the Home Affairs allocation of nomination places; and many candidates may not rank highly enough to be selected and invited to apply for nomination.

The ACT Government and its employees are not liable for any inaccuracies or omissions in the information provided to the applicant in the context of their application for ACT nomination. The ACT Government is not responsible for finding employment, accommodation or providing financial incentive or assistance to ACT nominated skilled visa holders or other migrants.

These guidelines are subject to change without notice at any time; and must be read in conjunction with the information on the Canberra Create Your Future website.

PART SEVEN – DOCUMENT CHECKLIST

Mandatory documents

All applications for ACT nomination must include the following supporting documents to evidence your eligibility and Matrix score claimed as at date of Matrix submission.

Once the application is lodged, additional documents will not be accepted or requested by the case officer.

  • Home Affairs SkillSelect EOI summary: showing personal, education, English and employment details submitted
  • Home Affairs SkillSelect points advice.
  • International Movement Record’ from the Department of Home Affairs (if applicable).
  • Current skill assessment in the nominated occupation (all pages of the assessment must be attached).
  • Passport bio-page.

·            Bank statements: must evidence your claimed date of arrival in Canberra. You must provide a bank statement for each year claimed as a period of ACT residence; and from the date of Matrix submission until date of invitation.

o    The bank statements must include your transaction history including regular shopping activity and bill payments. The bank statement must also evidence your claimed period of employment. Salary payments must be highlighted on the bank statement; and the corresponding payments recorded on the ‘Summary of working hours’.

·            Curriculum Vitae (CV) or Resume: which clearly states personal details, educational qualifications and work experience.

·           Declaration of ACT nomination Obligations (at Attachment A): a signed and witnessed declaration that you acknowledge and accept ACT nomination obligations.

  • Summary of Working Hours at Attachment C (Canberra residents only): a clear record of the total hours worked and net salary paid for each pay cycle in the claimed period of ACT employment at date of Matrix submission. The net salary must correspond with the bank statement. You must record every pay period: weekly (minimum 20 hrs), fortnightly (minimum 40 hrs), or monthly (minimum 86.6hrs) for the length of employment claimed. If you did not work in a particular period, you must leave that period blank.  Any period of unpaid personal leave must be evidenced by a medical certificate. If you are working for more than two employers in any claimed period, you can construct your own spreadsheet to clearly evidence the employment claims made.
  • Summary of ACT residence at Attachment D (Canberra residents only): a clear record of your ACT residence and any period of time you were not living in Canberra for more than seven days at a time; including holidays interstate or overseas. The arrival date in Canberra and claimed period of ACT residence must be evidenced by bank statements showing transaction activity in the ACT.

 

  • ACT employment (Canberra residents only):
  • Employees
    • All payslips or pay advice for the claimed period of ACT employment. If your income is consecutively  paid into your bank account, you are only required to provide the first, mid and last payslips to evidence the claimed period of employment (as long as your bank statements evidence the regular net salary payments); and
    • Employment contract or employer statement of service.
  • Cash salary payments:
    • All payslips for the claimed period of ACT employment. If there are corresponding cash deposits of your net income into your bank account (for each pay period) you are only required to provide the first, mid and last payslips to evidence the claimed period of employment (as long as your bank statements evidence the regular salary payments); and
    • Employment contract or employer statement of service; and
    • ‘Pay As You Go (PAYG) payment summary – individual non-business’, to evidence annual salary for the relevant period. If you do not have the PAYG payment summary to evidence the payment of salary in cash, the claim for employment is unlikely to be accepted.
  • For self-employed only:
    • Australian Business Number (ABN); and
    • Evidence of work undertaken e.g. tax invoices; client schedules; work sheets; partner payment summaries; working hours log sheets etc.; and
    • Evidence of 12 months ACT business activity: Australian Tax Office (ATO) Pay as you go (PAYG) instalments for last 12 months; and
    • Bank statements to evidence that your minimum income exceeds $500 per week (or $1000 per week if fulltime) for any claimed period of employment.

Please note: The ACT will not condone the employment of intending migrants where the terms and conditions of employment do not comply with Australian legislation. In addition, Skills Canberra must be satisfied that you are working in a genuine position. If concerns are held that the position is not genuine, or there is evidence of significant churn of employees working in the same position for the same employer, the claim for employment points will not be accepted.

  • ACT employability (Overseas applicants only)
  • Attach evidence that there are currently sufficient ACT employment opportunities in your nominated occupation that are relevant to your skill set and recent experience. The evidence must include the following personal research into employment opportunities in the ACT labour market:

 

  • Five recent advertisements for ACT positions in your nominated occupation that are relevant to your skill set and recent experience. You must provide a copy of the FULL advertisement (saved as a .pdf). It is essential that the date of the job advertisement as well as the location of the job is clearly displayed.
  • The advertisements must be recent – dated no more than six weeks before submission of the application.
  • Web links alone are not acceptable and, if provided without the accompanying FULL advertisement, will result in the criterion not being met.
  • Positions within the Australian Federal Government, either by direct employment or via a contractor, will NOT be accepted as evidence of employability.
  • Positions which require Australian citizenship, or a security clearance will NOT be accepted as evidence of employability.
  • Employment statement explaining how your qualifications, knowledge and experience relate to and meet the requirements for each of the job advertisements.

·            English:

  • Either a valid passport issued by the United Kingdom; Canada; New Zealand; United States of America; or Republic of Ireland (to evidence competent English only); OR
  • A valid English language test result accepted by Home Affairs evidencing the claimed level of English ability.
  • Spouse/partner (if applicable):
  • Passport bio-data page.
  • Evidence of relationship: marriage certificate, civil partnership/union registration, or VEVO secondary applicant status for yourself or spouse/partner.
  • Evidence of ACT residence immediately before date of matrix submission (if applicable)
  • Summary of ACT residence (at Attachment D).
  • Bank statements to evidence the minimum period of ACT residence; and up to the date of invitation.
  • One of the following: phone account; utility account; electronic Confirmation of Enrolment (eCOE); employment payslips; credit / store card statement.
  • If your spouse is not living in Canberra, provide evidence of their location.
  • Commitment statement: In no more than two pages, explain in your own words why you want to live in Canberra for at least two years from visa grant / permanent arrival.

 

  • Current Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO).  Attach a copy of the visa grant notification for the last substantive visa held for main applicant; and partner / spouse if applicable.
  • Financial capacity:
  • For Canberra residents – while you are not required to provide evidence of your financial capacity, you must declare your assets available for settlement when completing the online application.
  • For overseas applicants – signed and witnessed ‘Declaration of Financial Capacity’ at Attachment B.

Service fee: A$300

A non-refundable service fee is charged for processing applications for ACT nomination. The service fee is an administration charge only and does not guarantee the approval of a nomination. The service fee of $300 may be paid by one of the following options:

·            Credit Card – ‘pay now’ or ‘pay later’.

  • Select ‘pay now’ on the online application.
  • Select ‘pay later’ and access ‘Pay an ACT Government Account’

·            Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) – pay later

  • Westpac Bank – City Walk, Canberra, 2600
    Account name: ‘EDD Operating Account’
    BSB: 032-777

Account Number: 000145
Reference: Application reference number

Please note: your bank may charge a transaction fee for processing the EFT. This charge must be paid by the applicant and is in addition to the service fee.

 

Additional documents to evidence Matrix score claimed

The following documents must be attached to provide evidence of the Matrix score claimed. Once the application is lodged, additional documents will not be accepted or requested by the case officer. The supporting documents must evidence your Matrix claims as at date of Matrix submission.

·            ACT residence:

  • The claimed arrival date in Canberra must be evidenced by a bank statement showing commencement of ACT transaction activity. Note: visits to Canberra do not meet the residence criteria. Your bank statements must reflect that you were living and settled in Canberra.
  • Evidence of a seven day visit to Canberra, including date of arrival; accommodation receipts or evidence of close family ties; and flight itinerary (overseas applicants only).

·            Work experience (overseas applicants only):

  • Current Skill Assessment with point’s advice and dates of the relevant work experience assessed.
  • The SkillSelect EOI must record the relevant work experience.
  • ACT job offer (overseas applicants only):
  • A signed and dated employment contract in your nominated occupation. The contract must include expected employment start date and the roles and responsibilities of the position.
  • Evidence that the position cannot be filled locally: employer statement of genuine need and evidence of Labour Market Testing.
  • Partner/spouse employment (Canberra residents only):
  • Summary of Working Hours (at Attachment C): a clear record of the total hours worked and net salary paid for each pay cycle in the thirteen weeks immediately before date of Matrix submission.
  • Minimum competent level English: current English test result, Australian passport or valid passport as defined by Home Affairs.
  • Bank statement to evidence claimed period of employment; with salary payments highlighted.
  • Employment contract/statement of service; and first, middle and last pay slips for claimed period of employment.
  • Skill assessment relevant to current occupation (if applicable).
  • If not working: academic transcript and completion letter from the tertiary institution to evidence three years full time study.
  • Spouse/partner employability (overseas applicants only):
  • Evidence of six months full time employment; e.g. payslips and employer statement of service.
  • Minimum competent level English: current test result, Australian passport or valid passport as defined by Home Affairs.
  • Open occupation with employment caveat: copy of one year employment contract with an ACT employer (if applicable).
  • Skill assessment relevant to current occupation (if applicable).
    • Academic transcript to evidence three years full time study (if applicable).

 

 

 

  • Tertiary qualification; and period of ACT study:
  • Academic Transcript – record of your enrolment history, including results received, courses attempted, and awards conferred.
  • Course completion letter from tertiary institution
  • Close family
  • Evidence of the relationship: marriage certificate, civil partnership/union registration;
  • Birth certificates to evidence the familial relationship between you and the ACT family member.
  • From your Canberra relative:
    • Evidence of two years ACT residence: bank statements, rates notice, utilities bill or PAYG summary; and
    • Evidence of Australian citizenship or residency.

Please note: Statutory Declarations will NOT be accepted as evidence of relationship.

·            ACT assets

o     Certificate of Title or Rates Notice; purchase contract; and evidence of minimum $250,000 cash investment in ACT residential or commercial property; or

  • Evidence of majority business ownership; ABN; ASIC Business Name Summary; evidence of minimum $200,000 turnover in one of the last two years; Business Activity Statements (BAS) for the last two years;  or
  • Evidence of $200,000 investment in a start‑up business, and description of ACT business activity.

Attaching documents to your application

Supporting documents must be attached in one of the following supported formats to be accepted (MS word, Excel, JPG, GIF, TIF, Acrobat PDF).

Maximum file size for each document is 10 Megabytes (10 MB)

Only one document can be attached per field. Documents already uploaded will be overwritten by trying to attach a second document in the same field.  If you wish to attach additional supporting documents against a criteria, please use the ‘Additional Supporting Documents’ screen.

 

ATTACHMENTS

Attachment A – Nomination obligations

Attachment B – Financial declaration

Attachment C – Summary of working hours (Canberra residents only)

Attachment D – Summary of ACT residence

 

Attachment A

Nomination Obligations to the Australian Capital Territory (ACT)

I (name)………………………………………………………………………………. (DOB)….…/..…../.……

of (address)……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

solemnly and sincerely declare that:

  • The information contained in my application for ACT nomination of a Skilled Migration visa is true and accurate.
  • I have read and understand my obligations in relation to ACT residence as provided in the ACT Nomination Guidelines, and my commitment to reside permanently in Canberra is ongoing and genuine.
  • (For applicants who are Canberra residents): I agree to reside in Canberra during the ACT nomination and visa application process. If the ACT nominated skilled migration visa is approved, I agree to reside in Canberra for at least two years from date of visa grant.
  • (For applicants who are overseas): If the ACT nominated skilled migration visa is approved, I agree to reside in the ACT for at least two years following the date of my permanent arrival in Australia.
  • I understand that the ACT Government reserves its right to withdraw ACT nomination if, at any time until the visa is granted, they are satisfied that I do not have a genuine commitment to live and work in Canberra.
  • My spouse / partner relationship (if applicable) is genuine and will meet the Home Affairs’ requirements relating to spouse / partner relationships.
  • (For applicants who are overseas): I have researched relevant employment opportunities in Canberra and am satisfied that there are sufficient employment opportunities in my nominated occupation relevant to my skill set and experience in Canberra. I am aware that Australian labour market conditions may vary significantly as the employment market fluctuates at different times of the year; and from year to year. I understand that I need to be realistic about employment expectations as it can take, on average, three months to secure employment. I understand that I will compete for employment vacancies with all people in the labour market as part of a normal selection process.
  • I will inform the ACT Skilled Migration team when the visa application is decided by Home Affairs and, if travelling from overseas, my expected arrival date in Canberra.
  • I agree that ACT nomination is exclusive to the ACT and is NOT transferable to any other Australian state or territory. I understand that the ACT Government will inform the Department of Home Affairs if I do not make a genuine effort to reside in Canberra for at least two years from date of visa grant / permanent arrival.
  • I understand that the ACT will monitor my settlement in Canberra for two years from date of visa grant / permanent arrival and I agree to complete the six monthly settlement surveys for the first two years.
  • I have access to sufficient financial resources to support myself (and any dependents) while securing employment in Canberra if my visa application is successful.
  • I understand that the ACT Government is not responsible for finding employment, accommodation or providing a financial incentive to ACT nominated skilled migrants.
  • I understand that the ACT Government or employees of the ACT Government are not liable for any inaccuracies or omissions in the information provided to the applicant in the context of their application for ACT nomination.

The information you provide with your application is collected by Skills Canberra, Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development, a Directorate of the ACT Government and will be used to assess your application for an ACT nomination of a Skilled Migration Visa. For details on the collection of personal information please refer to the Canberra Create Your Future privacy notice. Information you provide in the settlement surveys will be used to monitor your settlement if you are a successful applicant. Depersonalised settlement information may be used to compile statistical reports for ACT Government internal reporting and may be published in media releases. Any information submitted by you in and/or with your application and in the settlement surveys which contains personal information will be stored, used and disclosed in accordance with the requirements of the Information Privacy Act 2014.

 

Signature of applicant: ……………………………………..…………..                               Date: ……./..…./…….

Name of Witness ………………………………………………………….

Signature of witness: ………………………………………………….…..                          Date……./……./……..

 

 

FINANCIAL DECLARATION (overseas applicants only)                                     Attachment B

To be completed by the principal applicant for ACT nomination. Assets of a spouse / partner may be included if they are migrating with principal applicant.

Full name of Applicant
Date of Birth
Full name of Spouse/Partner
Date of Birth

 

Assets listed must be in name(s) inserted above only.  Assets in another person’s name will not be considered.

Item Name/s of asset holder Amount in local currency Amount in Australian Dollars
Cash/Bank Savings
Net value of Property/Properties
Net value of other investments and Maturity Date (if applicable)
Other Assets (provide details).
Total

 

  • I/we ATTEST that I/we have access to sufficient financial resources to fund my/our migration to Australia and settlement in Canberra while securing employment.
  • I/we confirm that this is the net value of resources owned by me/us.

Signature (principal applicant): …………………………………………………………….      Date ……. / ……. / …….

Signature (spouse / partner of principal applicant): …………………………………. Date ……. / ……. / …….

Witnessed and signed by a Notary Public, Justice of the Peace, migration agent, any Government or other official authorised to attest the authenticity and accuracy of information in this pro forma.

………………………………………………………………………
(Signature of official)

Seal/Stamp of Bank or Notary Public (if applicable):

 

 

Attachment C

SUMMARY OF WORKING HOURS

 

Name: ………………………………………………………………………………. (main applicant/spouse)                                                                      

 

Date Matrix submitted: ……/……/……

You must record your employer, occupation and every pay cycle (weekly, fortnight or monthly) for the length of employment claimed.  If you did not work in a particular period, you must leave that pay cycle blank.  Any period of unpaid personal leave must be evidenced by a medical certificate. If you are working for more than two employers in    any claimed period, you can construct your own spreadsheet to clearly evidence the employment claims made.

If the case officer is not satisfied that your ‘summary’ clearly records the total hours worked for each pay period, your claims against the employment criteria will not be accepted. 

 

  Employer:

 

Occupation:

Employer:

 

Occupation:

Total

Hours

worked

Pay Period Hours Net salary Pay date Hours Net salary Pay date
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

$ …../…../….. $ …../…../…..
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

$ …../…../….. $ …../…../…..
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

$ …../…../….. $ …../…../…..
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

$ …../…../….. $ …../…../…..
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

$ …../…../….. $ …../…../…..
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

$ …../…../….. $ …../…../…..
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

$ …../…../….. $ …../…../…..
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

$ …../…../….. $ …../…../…..
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

$ …../…../….. $ …../…../…..
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

$ …../…../….. $ …../…../…..
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

$ …../…../….. $ …../…../…..
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

$ …../…../….. $ …../…../…..
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

$ …../…../….. $ …../…../…..
 

….…/……. to ……./……./…….

$ …../…../….. $ …../…../…..

 

 

Attachment D

SUMMARY OF ACT RESIDENCE

 

Name: ………………………………………………………………………………. (main applicant / spouse)                                                                      

 

Date Matrix submitted: ……/……/……

Date of arrival in Canberra

 

……/……/……

 

 

 

What period of ACT residence are you claiming (in the last eight years) at date of Matrix submission?

 

Visit to Canberra         

 

Less than one year       

 

One to two years        

 

Two to three years  

 

Three to four years

 

Four to five years

 

Five years plus

 

Are you claiming five years plus continuous ACT residence

 

You must record any period of time (7 days or more) that you spent away from Canberra for each year of residence claimed. You may travel interstate for a maximum of six weeks in any one year period without it affecting your claim for a year of residence; or for continuous ACT residence.

You can study interstate for one or two days a week. However, if you study more than two days a week interstate, you will not be considered an ACT resident for that period. If you work interstate, you cannot claim ACT residence for that period.

Bank statements: Your bank statements must evidence your claimed date of arrival in Canberra.  You must also provide a bank statement (with salary payments highlighted) for each year of residence claimed at date of matrix submission; and until date of invitation to apply for ACT nomination.

 

 

 

YEAR ONE

(the year before date of

matrix submission)

 

Time away from Canberra for 7 days or more – duration dates Number of weeks away from Canberra
Interstate Overseas
…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

………

………

……….

……….

……….

……….

……….

……….

   Total number of weeks away from Canberra in Year One: ………

 

 

 

 

YEAR TWO

 

(two years before date

 of matrix submission)

 

Time away from Canberra for 7 days or more – duration dates Number of weeks away from Canberra
Interstate Overseas
…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

………

………

……….

……….

………

………

………

………

Total number of weeks away from Canberra in Year Two: ………
 

YEAR THREE

 

(three years before date

 of matrix submission)

 

Time away from Canberra for 7 days or more – duration dates Number of weeks away from Canberra
Interstate Overseas
…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

………

………

……….

……….

………

………

……….

……….

Total number of weeks away from Canberra in Year Three ………
 

YEAR FOUR

 

(four years before date

 of matrix submission)

 

Time away from Canberra for 7 days or more – duration dates Number of weeks away from Canberra
Interstate Overseas
…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

………

………

………

………

………

………

………

………

Total number of weeks away from Canberra in Year Four: ………
 

YEAR FIVE

 

(five years before date

 of matrix submission)

 

Time away from Canberra for 7 days or more – duration dates Number of weeks away from Canberra
Interstate Overseas
…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

………

………

……….

……….

………

………

………

………

Total number of weeks away from Canberra in Year Five: ………

 

 

 

YEAR SIX

 

(six years before date

 of matrix submission)

 

Time away from Canberra for 7 days or more – duration dates Number of weeks away from Canberra
Interstate  
…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

………

………

……….

……….

………

………

……….

……….

Total number of weeks away from Canberra in Year Six: ………
 

YEAR SEVEN

 

(seven years before date

 of matrix submission)

 

Time away from Canberra for 7 days or more – duration dates Number of weeks away from Canberra
Interstate Overseas
…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

………

………

……….

……….

………

………

……….

……….

Total number of weeks away from Canberra in Year Seven: ………
 

YEAR EIGHT

 

(eight years before date

 of matrix submission)

 

Time away from Canberra for 7 days or more – duration dates Number of weeks away from Canberra
Interstate Overseas
…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

…..…/…..…/…..… to …..…/..……/…..…

………

………

……….

……….

………

………

……….

……….

Total number of weeks away from Canberra in Year Eight: ………

 

 

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