ACT State Nomination Latest Results: 559 Invitations Issued Despite Only 165 Interim Places

On 15 September 2025, the ACT released its latest state nomination bulletin. Despite holding just 165 interim allocations, this round saw a remarkable 559 invitations issued. The scale of this round has surprised many applicants, showing that while competition is fierce, there are still strong opportunities.

Source: Internet

Allocation Use: Only 43% Utilised, More to Come

As of 15 September, the ACT has used only 43% of its interim allocations:

• Total allocation: 165 (190: 85, 491: 80)
• Used: 71 (190: 50, 491: 21)
• Remaining: 94 (190: 35, 491: 59)

In other words, despite the large number of invitations already released, there is still room for more. The ACT has confirmed that further invitations will be issued once the final allocation is confirmed.

Invitation Overview: Onshore Applicants Dominate

A total of 559 invitations were issued in this round:

• Onshore applicants: 476 (including critical skills, 482/457 holders, and small business categories)
• Offshore applicants: 83 (mainly under the 491 stream, particularly in education, engineering, and trade occupations)

This highlights the ACT’s strong preference for onshore candidates, although certain offshore roles are still receiving opportunities.

Points Snapshot: Education in Demand, Finance & Accounting Intensely Competitive

• Education: Primary, secondary, and special education teachers were invited at just 60–65 points, both onshore and offshore. By contrast, early childhood teachers faced tougher competition, with onshore 491 invites at 100 points and 190 invites at 110 points.
• Health: Registered nurses saw the highest thresholds (onshore 190 at 115 points, no offshore invites). General practitioners, midwives, and occupational therapists were invited at lower thresholds (onshore 491 at 60, offshore 491 at 65).
• Engineering & Trades: Civil engineers, electrical engineers, and related technicians typically required 100–115 points. Skilled trades such as carpenters, plumbers, and electricians were invited at 80–100 points, both onshore and offshore.
• Finance & Accounting: One of the most competitive areas. Accountants, auditors, and finance managers generally required 120–130 points, with only high-scoring onshore applicants receiving invitations.

Why So Many Invitations with So Few Allocations?

This round is notable because, despite only 165 interim allocations, the ACT issued 559 invitations. This suggests:

• Confidence that the final allocation will be larger, possibly exceeding last year’s numbers.
• This round may represent the final chance for some occupations, as the ACT has already signalled changes to the occupation list. Some roles may be removed in future updates.

What Applicants Should Note

• Onshore candidates: Continue to benefit most, particularly in education, healthcare, and construction. Applicants should optimise their points profiles through English, work experience, or partner skills.
• Offshore candidates: Opportunities remain in select areas, such as engineering technicians, construction trades, and environmental science. Submitting an ROI early is recommended.
• High-scoring occupations: Finance and accounting roles now require extremely high points (120–130), making them viable only for top-tier onshore applicants.
• Future outlook: With a list update expected, some occupations may be invited for the last time in this round.

The ACT’s latest results confirm that despite interim allocations being low, demand for skilled migrants remains strong. Education and healthcare continue to provide relatively accessible pathways, while accounting and finance remain highly competitive. For those targeting ACT nomination, this is a critical window of opportunity.

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