Both offshore and onshore applicants use the ACT Critical Skills List for this financial year,which currently includes close to one hundred occupations, with some of the common occupations suitable for offshore applicants including:

Café and restaurant managers 

Accountant (General)

Copywriter

Management Consultant

Marketing Specialist 

Graphic Designer

Web Designer

Civil Engineer

Structural Engineer

Environmental Engineer

ICT Business Analyst 

Web developer

Developer Programmer

Software Engineer

Chef

Cook

*Each occupation group (sharing the same first four ANZSCO digits) has a monthly cap on the number of nominations; a small number of occupations are only eligible for the Subclass 491

*The ACT Critical Skills List has also been updated today, and offshore and onshore applicants will be selected in separate rounds — both of these points are covered in detail below

Offshore Subclass 190:

-Skills assessment for an occupation on the ACT Critical Skills List,and currently working full-time in the nominated occupation(where required by the nominated occupation, the relevant Australian registration or licence must also be held)

-A job offer from a medium to large Canberra-based employer with 50 or more employees

-IELTS with a score of at least 7 in each band, or PTE with at least 65 in each component

-Neither the applicant nor their spouse/partner has lived in any part of Australia in the past 12 months, and neither holds any Australian visa other than a visitor visa

-EOI score meets the Department of Home Affairs’ minimum requirement of 65 points

Offshore Subclass 491:

-Skills assessment for a nominated occupation on the ACT Critical Skills List,and currently working full-time in the nominated occupation(where required by the nominated occupation, the relevant Australian registration or licence must also be held)

-At least three years of work experience closely related to the nominated occupation following graduation, which must be recognised by the relevant skills assessing authority

-Pass the ACT Labour Market Test

-IELTS with a score of at least 7 in each band, or PTE with at least 65 in each component

-Neither the applicant nor their spouse/partner has lived in any part of Australia in the past 12 months, and neither holds any Australian visa other than a visitor visa

-EOI score meets the Department of Home Affairs’ minimum requirement of 65 points

Analysis & Outlook — Prospects for Canberra’s Offshore Opening

As Australia’s borders continue to reopen and domestic labour shortages persist, the ACT Government has wasted no time opening its offshore application channel to attract talent in critical occupations. This reflects the ACT Government’s longstanding commitment to welcoming diverse migrants.

The state government has confirmed that onshore and offshore applicants will be selected in separate rounds, with Matrix invitation rounds currently held weekly,and we expect the minimum invitation score for offshore Subclass 491 to be in the range of 60–65 points. Canberra state nomination has always beenknown for its stability and transparency, and applicants who are still in the early planning stages are encouraged, based on the current Matrix points requirements and prerequisites,to begin preparing their English and skills assessment as early as possible.

For the 2021–22 financial year, Canberra has a total quota of 2,000 nominations — 1,400 for Subclass 491 and 600 for Subclass 190. More than half have already been issued. Given the limited allocation remaining, the expected intake will not be large, particularly for Subclass 190, where the bar remains high. Offshore applicants seeking Subclass 190 will need a competitive job offer, and the state government’s assessment criteria are expected to be stringent.

We therefore recommend that offshore applicants give greater consideration to the Subclass 491, as offshore applicants tend to have a natural advantage in terms of work experience, and the Subclass 491 has already become the mainstream pathway for Canberra state nomination this financial year. The quota is expected to increase in the next financial year, offering even more opportunities for offshore applicants.

Newly added occupations

– Primary and secondary teachers.

– Bakers and pastry chefs.

– Insurance loss adjusters

Occupations temporarily removed in this update

– Architects and landscape Architects.

– Architectural draftspersons.

– Sports development officers.

– Hairdressers.

– Fitters.

– Electricians

Applicants affected by the occupation list changes

— both opportunities and challenges — please contact us directly for an assessment