Canberra Matrix Calculator (ACT 190 and 491)

The ACT ranks every Canberra Matrix submission within its occupation. Choose your version, then one option in each category, to work out your score and compare it with recent minimums. The categories, options and points are the ACT's own, from its two Matrix score checkers, checked 21 October 2026.

ACT program status (checked 20 October 2026)

Subclass 190 and 491:
Canberra Matrix submissions are open through the ACT Migration Application Portal. The 12 October 2026 round invited subclass 190 only; the next rounds are scheduled for the weeks starting 25 January, 22 March and 24 May 2027 (tentative). The ACT's 2026-27 allocation hasn't been announced.
  • Applicants are ranked by their Canberra Matrix score (out of 195 for Canberra residents, 185 for overseas applicants) within their occupation.
  • 190 for Canberra residents: at least six months living in Canberra and 30+ hours' work a week in at least 26 of the 30 weeks before submitting. 491: three months and 15+ hours in 13 of 15 weeks.
  • 190 needs Proficient or Superior English unless your occupation is Chef (351311) or ANZSCO skill level 3 to 5; 491 needs Competent.
  • You commit to living and working in Canberra for at least two years: from the visa grant for Canberra residents, or from your arrival for overseas applicants.

Source: ACT: Canberra Matrix invitation round; ACT: Canberra Matrix. Programs change during the year, so check the official page before you act. This is general information, not migration advice.

Two different scores

Your SkillSelect points

Set by Home Affairs and used for the visa itself. You need at least 65 for a 190 or 491, whichever state nominates you.

Use the PR points calculator

Your Canberra Matrix score (this page)

Set by the ACT Government and used only to rank you for ACT nomination. It doesn't change your SkillSelect points.

Which Matrix are you completing?
Which nomination?

The ACT asks for a separate Matrix for each nomination pathway. The points are the same; the minimums differ.

Compare with recent minimums (optional)

1. ACT residence

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

What you need to claim these points

The period doesn't have to be continuous. Bank statements must prove your arrival date and residence, and absences of seven days or more must be recorded. You can't be away for more than six weeks in any year (twelve weeks if you claim two years or more and Canberra stayed your main home). Living, studying or working interstate doesn't count, apart from interstate study of no more than one night (or two days) a week, or work or a home within a 30-minute commute in regional NSW, such as Queanbeyan, Jerrabomberra or Googong.

2. English proficiency

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

What you need to claim these points

The level as defined by Home Affairs, with a valid English test result.

3. Spouse/Partner English proficiency

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

What you need to claim these points

Your partner meets the Home Affairs level claimed or holds an Australian passport. An Australian passport only counts as Competent.

4. Nominated occupation

Is your nominated occupation on the ACT Nominated Migration Program Occupation List?

What you need to claim these points

Whether your nominated occupation is on the ACT Nominated Migration Program Occupation List.

5. Small business owner

Are you the majority owner (at least 51%) of a registered business actively operating in the ACT?

What you need to claim these points

The business is registered, profitable and active in the ACT (not interstate or overseas), and pays you at least $32,000 taxable income in the last six months for a 190 or $16,000 in the last three months for a 491. You employ at least one Australian citizen, permanent resident or New Zealand citizen who lives in Canberra, and one employee has worked at least 13 weeks at 20 or more hours a week. Sub-tenancy, ride-share, taxi, delivery and courier businesses aren't eligible, and nor is a business sold on after being used to qualify for ACT nomination.

6. Length of ACT employment

How long have you worked in Canberra in the last two years?

What you need to claim these points

Any occupation, at least 20 hours a week for each week claimed, with one or more ACT employers, and it doesn't have to be continuous. Self-employed weeks need gross taxable income above $610 a week, from a business operating in Canberra for at least 12 months.

7. ACT employment - skill level

Are you currently working in Canberra in a highly skilled position?

What you need to claim these points

You've worked at least 20 hours a week for the 13 weeks before you submit, continuously except for unpaid leave with a valid medical certificate, which doesn't count towards the 13 weeks. Gross taxable income: at least $31 an hour excluding casual loading as an employee, $16,000 in the last three months as a small business owner, or $610 a week if self-employed on an ABN. The job must be recorded in your SkillSelect EOI.

8. Spouse/Partner employment

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

What you need to claim these points

Your partner has worked at least 20 hours a week for the 13 weeks before you submit, continuously, meets Competent English (or holds an Australian passport), and their employer provides a statutory declaration. If they're self-employed, they need taxable income above $610 a week from a business operating in Canberra for at least 12 months. The second 5-point option (the ACT calls it spouse employability) is for partners who don't meet the employment criterion.

9. Tertiary qualification

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

What you need to claim these points

Your qualification must be recorded in your SkillSelect EOI. If your assessing body assessed it below the matching AQF level, you can only claim the level it was assessed at.

10. Years of study at an ACT tertiary institution

How many years did you study fulltime to complete a tertiary qualification that is CRICOS registered and/or a Professional Year (PY) program at an ACT institution in the last eight years?

What you need to claim these points

Full-time, in-person study of a CRICOS-registered qualification and/or a Professional Year at an ACT institution in the last eight years, while living in Canberra. A Professional Year counts as one year, and courses that weren't concurrent can be added together.

11. Close family ties

Do you have a close family member who has lived in Canberra for the last two years? They must be an Australian citizen/permanent resident.

What you need to claim these points

A close family member is a spouse or partner, child, parent, brother, sister, aunt, uncle or grandparent of you or your partner.

12. Assets in Canberra

Have you (and your spouse/partner, if applicable) invested at least $250,000 cash to buy a residential or commercial property in Canberra?

What you need to claim these points

Land only doesn't count, and you need the Certificate of Title and/or rates notice to prove ownership.

Your Canberra Matrix score (0 of 12 categories answered)

0 of 195

How the ACT uses your Matrix

  • You submit your Matrix through the ACT Migration Application Portal and must pay the service fee within 7 days, or the submission lapses. It isn't ranked until payment is confirmed.
  • The highest-ranked Matrix submissions in each occupation are invited. The cut-off depends on the monthly allocation, demand for the occupation, occupation caps and the date and time of submission.
  • A Matrix lapses after six months if you aren't invited and don't update it. Each update extends it by six months, up to 12 months from the original submission, and counts as a new submission for ranking.
  • You can only choose one option in each category, and you must meet its criteria on the date you submit or update the Matrix.

See the minimum score for your occupation in every round since September 2025 in our ACT 190 and 491 nomination guide, which also covers the eligibility rules for each pathway.

FAQ

Canberra Matrix questions

What is the maximum Canberra Matrix score?
195 for Canberra residents, across 12 categories, and 185 for overseas applicants, across 11 categories. You choose one option in each category.
What Canberra Matrix score do I need?
There's no fixed pass mark. The ACT invites the highest-ranked Matrix submissions in each occupation, and the cut-off depends on the monthly allocation, demand for the occupation, occupation caps and the date and time of submission. In the 12 October 2026 round the minimums were 65 to 140 points for Canberra resident 190 and 65 to 120 points for overseas applicant 190, and Canberra resident 491 and overseas applicant 491 submissions were not considered.
Do I need a separate Matrix for the 190 and 491?
Yes. The ACT says the Canberra Matrix must be completed for each nomination pathway you're interested in, ACT 190 or 491 nomination.
Can I claim points for criteria I'll meet later?
No. You must meet a category's criteria on the date you submit or update the Matrix, and if you're invited, your supporting documents must evidence every point you claimed.
How many Matrix points do I get for English?
Superior 15, Proficient 10, Competent 0, as defined by Home Affairs. A spouse or partner with superior/proficient English adds 5.
Is my Canberra Matrix score the same as my SkillSelect points?
No. The Matrix only ranks you for ACT nomination. Your visa still needs at least 65 points on the Home Affairs points test, which you can check with our PR points calculator.

Sources: Matrix score checker for Canberra residents (page updated 5 August 2026), Matrix score checker for overseas applicants (page updated 30 July 2026) and the ACT invitation round rankings, all ACT Government. This is general information, not migration advice.

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