First ACT Invitation Round of 2026-27

Oct 28

3 min read

Updated: Oct 30

Updated on 28 October 2026 Key takeaways

The ACT Government published minimum Matrix scores for 105 occupation unit groups after the 12 October 2026 invitation round. This post sets out what the figures show and how they sit against the main ACT Skilled Migration Program page.

ICT Business and Systems Analysts carry the highest scores, at 140 for Canberra residents and 120 for overseas applicants.
Resident scores run from 65 to 140 and overseas scores from 65 to 120. The median is 90 for both groups.
27 resident scores sit at 65, all in health, care, counselling and school teaching occupations.
Subclass 491 reads N/A in every row. A score is the minimum invited in one round, not a cut-off for the next.

Scores By Occupation

Each row shows the minimum Canberra Matrix score invited in that occupation. Canberra resident and overseas applicant scores are separate ranking queues, and this round covered subclass 190 only. Search by occupation name or ANZSCO code, filter by occupation group, and use Previous and Next to move through the table five occupations at a time. Select a column heading to sort. N/A means Matrix submissions were not considered, and a date under a resident score is printed by ACT beside that occupation. Scores are minimums for this round and not a guarantee for the next one.

Resident and Overseas Scores Compared

The resident score is higher in 41 occupations, equal in 31 and lower in 31. The largest resident lead is in Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teachers, at 130 against 80. Cook, Other Engineering Professionals, ICT Support Technicians and Contract, Program and Project Administrators each show a 40 point lead.

The overseas score is the higher figure mostly where residents sit at 65. Ambulance Officers and Paramedics are at 65 for residents and 90 for overseas applicants, and Health and Welfare Services Managers at 65 and 85. The most common overseas score is 90, which appears in 40 occupations. A score of 80 is next, in 31 occupations.

Reading The Dates

ACT prints a date beside five Canberra resident scores. They are Accountants (1 October 2026), Electronics Engineers (3 August 2026), Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teachers (24 August 2026), Software and Applications Programmers (7 September 2026), and Database and Systems Administrators, and ICT Security Specialists (16 September 2026).

The table does not say what the dates mean. The likely reading is that each one is the day the last invited Matrix at that score was submitted, because ACT ranks equal scores by the earlier submission date. ACT has not said this, so treat it as a reasonable guess and not a rule.

The Way of ACT Ranks the Scores

Each figure is the lowest Matrix score invited in that occupation on 12 October 2026. Within an occupation, ACT ranks submissions by score first and by submission date when scores are equal.

Monthly allocation, occupation caps and critical sector priority also decide who gets reached. A critical sector occupation can be assessed ahead of the others in a round whatever its score. That fits with the health occupations that sit at the 65 point floor for residents

Canberra Residents

If your Matrix total is below the resident score for your occupation, you are below the last invited level in this round.
A total at or above the listed score does not guarantee an invitation. Allocation and caps change from round to round.
Every point you claim must be provable on the day you submit. A submitted Matrix cannot be edited, and a new one resets your submission date.

Overseas Applicants

Overseas applicants are ranked in their own queue. They compete with each other and not with residents.
Overseas scores are lower than resident scores in most ICT, business, engineering and hospitality occupations, and higher in many health occupations.
ACT published subclass 190 scores only. Overseas applicants aiming for subclass 491 had no Matrix submissions considered.