The Skilled Regional Work Visa (subclass 491) is a five year provisional visa for skilled workers to live and work in regional Australia. You must be nominated by a state or territory government. Nomination triggers the visa invitation from the Department of Home Affairs.
Two year commitment - If you are nominated by the ACT to apply for a 491 visa, you must live and work in Canberra for at least two years from visa grant, or if you are moving from overseas, date of arrival in Canberra.
How to apply for ACT 491 nomination
You can register an interest in applying for ACT 491 nomination by completing a score-based ‘Canberra Matrix’ where points can be claimed against specific criteria including skilled employment, English proficiency, formal qualifications, length of ACT residence / study, investment activity and close family ties, etc. We will rank your Matrix based on the number of points you’ve claimed. Those who rank high enough will be invited to apply for ACT nomination.
The Canberra Matrix is weighted to ensure that applicants who will make/have made a positive economic contribution to the Territory and/or have demonstrated a genuine commitment to the ACT are more likely to be ranked and invited to apply for ACT nomination.
ACT 491 nomination criteria
Read the 491 nomination eligibility criteria carefully. Once you are satisfied that you meet all the criteria, you can submit the Canberra Matrix.
There is no guarantee that you will be invited to apply for ACT 491 nomination, even if you meet the eligibility criteria. The demand for ACT 491 nomination far exceeds the allocation of nomination places.