ACT Critical Skills List January 2022

The ACT Program Opens to People Outside Australia

On 12 January 2022, the Government of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) re-opened its migration program to people outside Australia. This is very encouraging news news and indicates that 2022 will be a bumper year for people looking to migrate to Australia.

The Australian Migration Program slowed down significantly as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic, but genuine skills shortages in the economy and recent commentary from the Australian Government suggest there will be a return to a generous migration program in 2022.

If you meet the ACT criteria, you can now apply for nomination and the visa directly from your country.

This is good news.

Criteria for Applying from Outside Australia

To meet the criteria from outside Australia you need three years of work experience in an occupation on the ACT Critical Skills List (see below). You need to be accredited in your occupation, have Proficient English, being a score of 7 out of 9 on each part of the IELTS test, and score sufficient points on the ACT Matrix to be invited.

To apply you need to research your employment options in Canberra and show that you have sufficient funds to support yourself until you find a job in Canberra.

Applying from Canberra

You can also apply for ACT nomination if you have an occupation on the ACT Critical Skills List and are living and working in Canberra. In most cases to move to Canberra with a work visa you need to enrol in a course in Canberra and apply for a Student visa. On a Student visa, you and your partner can work 20 hours a week and look for a job to assist your nomination process.

Coming to Australia on a Student visa allows you to settle into your Australian life, gain confidence with the language, and prepare your migration applications from within Australia.

Changes to the ACT Critical Skills List

The ACT Government added some occupations to the ACT Critical Skills List in January 2022 and removed other occupations. The changes reflect changes in demand in the local Canberra economy.

Occupations added to the List in January 2022

• Childcare Centre Managers.
• Primary and Secondary Teachers.
• Special Education Teachers nec.
• Bakers and Pastry Chefs.
• Insurance Loss Adjusters.

Occupations removed from the List in January 2022

• Architects and Landscape Architects.
• Architectural Draftspersons.
• Architectural, Building and Surveying Technicians.
• Building Inspectors.
• Construction Estimators.
• Sports Development Officers.
• Hairdressers.
• Fitters.
• Electricians.
• Lift Mechanic.

If your occupation was removed please contact us to investigate other options. book a consultation.

Skills list 2022

To see all occupations on the List scroll down using the arrows in the top left corner of the chart.

Eligibility criteria – Subclass 491

• Overseas and Residents Applicants must nominate an occupation on the ACT Critical Skills List January 2022.

Source: act.gov.au/migration/skilled-migrants

You can submit the Canberra Matrix once you are certain you meet all the requirements. We can help you determine it, book a consultation with our migration agents to discuss your options.