The Department of Home Affairs only allows us to nominate a limited number of applicants each year. That is why you must be invited to apply for ACT nomination.
Step 1: Request for invitation
You can email a request for invitation to migrationservices@act.gov.au.
You must attach the following information to the email:
- ACT business plan, proposed ACT investment or entrepreneur activity.
- Summary of successful business career.
An invitation is not a guarantee that the application for ACT nomination will be approved. The application will be assessed against the eligibility criteria.
Step 2: Invitation to apply
If we agree to invite you, you will receive an invitation email with the weblink to the online application form.
Step 3: Submit the application
You have 14 days to submit the application and pay the service fee, after which time the invitation will expire.
Step 4: We assess your application
We will assess your application against the eligibility criteria. We will only look at the documents that you attached. We will not accept any additional documents or contact you for additional information.
If we are satisfied that your application meets the eligibility criteria, we will let you know by email that we’ve approved ACT nomination:
- 188 nomination: the Department of Home Affairs will send you a formal invitation through SkillSelect to apply for your visa.
- 888 nomination: we will send you the ACT endorsed form 1414 Nomination – Business Skills
ACT nomination does not guarantee that the skilled migration visa will be granted.
Step 5: You apply for a visa
Once you've received your invitation from the Department of Home Affairs, you have 60 days to apply for your visa.
If you do not submit the visa application, the offer of ACT nomination will expire. If you want to apply for ACT nomination again, you must wait at least six months before you can request another invitation.
Please note: If your application for an ACT nominated visa is refused by the Department of Home Affairs, the ACT Government will not, under any circumstances, appeal to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal on your behalf.
What happens if you are unsuccessful?
Unfortunately, not everyone’s application for ACT nomination will be approved. If your application is refused, we will tell you why you were unsuccessful.
You can ask us to reconsider this decision if you can show that the case officer was wrong, and your documents clearly proved that you met the eligibility criteria. However, this request for reconsideration:
- must be in writing; and
- will be based only on the documents you originally attached.
We will not look at any extra documents when we reconsider our decision.
If you now have new documents to support your application for ACT nomination, you can start the process again by emailing a request for an invitation.