The ACT held its first Canberra Matrix invitation round for 2026-27 in the week of 12 October 2026. It invited 261 candidates, all for the Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) visa. No Skilled Work Regional (subclass 491) invitations were issued in any stream.
If you have a Canberra Matrix in the system and did not get an invitation, the next round on the ACT’s tentative schedule is the week of 25 January 2027. That is about three months away, so it is worth checking that your Matrix and your SkillSelect EOI are both current and agree with each other.
The numbers by stream
| Stream | Subclass 190 invitations | Subclass 491 invitations |
|---|---|---|
| Doctorate Streamlined Pathway | 54 | 0 |
| Canberra residents: small business owners | 18 (minimum score 120) | 0 |
| Canberra residents: critical skill occupations | 126 | 0 |
| Overseas applicants: critical skill occupations | 63 | 0 |
| Total | 261 | 0 |
Source: ACT Government, Canberra Matrix invitation round, 12 October 2026.
Two things stand out. Overseas applicants received about a quarter of the 190 invitations, so the ACT is still inviting offshore. And the round was announced in advance as subclass 190 only, so the absence of 491 invitations was planned, not a sign the 491 is closed for the year.
How the ACT chooses
The ACT says it has a fixed number of nomination places each month, pro-rata against its annual allocation. The highest-ranked Matrix in each occupation is invited. The cut-off depends on:
- the remaining monthly allocation,
- the date and time the Matrix was submitted,
- the occupation cap, and
- demand for that occupation. The higher the demand, the higher the score needed.
Matrix submissions in occupations in critical sectors may be prioritised. Invitations are not issued if you already have an active application in the system, or if you have previously received ACT nomination.
The ACT will not respond to questions about ranking or your chances, and it does not prioritise anyone for personal circumstances. That includes a visa about to expire, and a “critical birthday”, such as turning 45, which ends eligibility for the 190 and 491.
Next rounds, tentatively
| Week starting | Subclass |
|---|---|
| 12 October 2026 | 190 only (held) |
| 25 January 2027 | Not stated |
| 22 March 2027 | Not stated |
| 24 May 2027 | Not stated |
The ACT says these dates may change without notice, depending on its final allocation of nomination places. The 2026-27 allocation was not on the page when we checked. In 2025-26 it was 800 places for the 190 and 800 for the 491.
If you were not invited
- Check your Matrix is still accurate. Employment, English results and residence all change. A Matrix that no longer matches your circumstances is a problem if you are invited.
- Check your EOI. Your points on the federal test must still reach 65, and your skills assessment and English test must be valid when you are invited. Our free points calculator scores the federal test.
- Watch your own dates. Age, visa expiry and document validity will not move the ACT’s ranking, but they decide whether you can still accept an invitation in January.
- Look at other states. Several states had not opened their 2026-27 programs at the time of writing. We covered Victoria’s own points test, the Northern Territory streams and Tasmania’s program.
For registered migration agents
A round three months away is a planning problem, not a waiting problem. For every client with a Canberra Matrix:
- Record the Matrix submission date and score on the file. Submission date and time is one of the ACT’s tie-breakers.
- Record when the skills assessment, English test and police certificates expire, and whether any falls before late January.
- Record the client’s 45th birthday if it falls in 2027.
- Tell the client in writing what happened in this round and what happens next. Clients who were not invited will ask, and the ACT will not answer them.
In Centrio: expiry dates are read from uploaded English results, skills assessments, health and police documents and proposed as deadlines with reminders. A daily digest shows what falls due in the next 14 days, and stage-change messages go to the client from your templates. See tracking the deadlines that become complaints.
This is general information, not migration advice. Invitation numbers are as published by the ACT Government and may be revised. Check the ACT’s page before acting.
Sources: