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This article is updated regularly. Last updated: Thursday 19th of December 2024

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The New National Innovation Visa (NIV) Subclass 858 replaced the Global Talent Visa on the 7 of December 2024.

Some of the Criteria has changed but it has maintained the same subclass of 858 and it still is a direct application straight to Australia Permanent Residency. 

The NIV places a greater emphasis on achievements and awards and for some candidates allows for the state to nominate, which is a new feature.

There are also four levels of priorities and two tier of priority sectors. 

The NIV has maintained flexibility, such as not having a high salary as pre-requisite, but being a desirable characteristic. The flexibility will allow the Australian Government to invite the best candidates across a range of professions and sectors. 

Take the free NIV assessment so our team can provide you with a free evaluation of your eligibility.

What is the New National Innovation Visa?

The National Innovation Visa (subclass 858) is a permanent visa designed for exceptionally talented individuals from around the world.

The National Innovation Visa is aimed at both established and emerging leaders with exceptional skills and talents who can make meaningful contributions to Australia's future prosperity.

This includes:

• Global researchers
• Entrepreneurs
• Innovative investors
• Athletes and creatives  

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National Innovation Visa Requirements

To apply for the new National Innovation Visa the applicant must:

• Have an internationally recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievement
• Receive a nomination
• Have a nominator
• Be any age, however, if the applicant is under 18 years old, or are 55 years or older when you apply, you must be of exceptional benefit to the Australian community
• Have at least Functional English or be willing to pay a second instalment English fee
• Meet the health and character requirement

One important thing to mention is that it is not mandatory to have a salary equal to or above the income threshold, which is currently $175,000. Additionally, the Department of Home Affairs will assess the EOI application by analysing whether the applicant is at an international ‘top-of-field’ level.

National Innovation Visa Priorities

The Department of Home affairs announced there are four levels of priorities for the National innovation visa which are:

Priority number 1:

Exceptional candidates from any sector who are global experts and recipients of international ‘top of field’ level awards.

Priority number 2:

Candidates from any sector nominated on the approved Form 1000 by an expert Australian Commonwealth, State or Territory Government agency.

Priority number 3:

Candidates with exceptional and outstanding achievements in a Tier One sector:

• Critical Technologies
• Health Industries
• Renewables and low emission technologies

Priority number 4:

Candidates with exceptional and outstanding achievements in a Tier Two sector:

• Agri-food and AgTech
• Defence Capabilities and Space
• Education
• Financial Services and FinTech
• Infrastructure and Transport
• Resources

What are the indicators of exceptional and outstanding achievements?

Exceptional and outstanding achievements suitable for the NIV may include the following:

International ‘top-of-field’ level awards

Awards for exceptional and outstanding achievements that are available in all fields. These include but are not limited to:

• Nobel Prizes
• Breakthrough Prizes
• Rousseeuw Prize
• Eni Award
• Institution of Electrical Engineers Medal of Honor
• Fields Medal
• Chern Medal
• Abel Prize
• L’Oreal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science
• Turing Award
• ACM Prize in Computing
• Pulitzer Prize
• International Booker Prize
• International Tchaikovsky Competition Gold Medal
• Olympic Gold Medal
• Laureus World Sportsman or Sportswoman of the year

Recipients of national research grants

Receipt of a national level research grant for the highest quality research in Australia or from other countries showing that the individual is at the top of their field such the Australian Research Council grants.

Holders of PhDs with high-levels of academic influence or thought leadership

Holders of a PhD with high-levels of academic influence or thought leadership in their field, such as:

• recent publications in top ranked journals, for example Nature, Lancet or Acta Numerica
• a high h-index for their stage of career, for example an early career researcher with a h-index of 14
• a research-based degree from a top global university, for example, ranked in the top 100 World University Rankings by Times Higher Education.

Other measures of high-calibre talent

• Other measures of high-calibre talent may include:

• recent keynote appearance at a high-profile international conference. For example: the International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium.
• earning at or above the Fair Work high income threshold, where:
  • there is written communication from an Australian employer offering employment in Australia with an annual salary equivalent to, or higher than, the high income threshold or
  • the primary applicant's current earnings are an amount equal to, or greater than, the high income threshold.

Candidates nominated by an expert Australian Commonwealth, State or Territory government agency

Other indicators of exceptional and outstanding achievements we may consider in conjunction with nomination by an expert Australian Commonwealth, State or Territory government agency include:

• athletes and creatives who will raise Australia’s international standing in their field
• evidence of innovative investment activity with an established track record of supporting successful innovative ventures
• evidence of promising entrepreneurial activities that will lead to the commercialisation of a product or service in Australia, particularly where linked to Commonwealth, State or Territory based innovation hubs.
• recognised intellectual property attributed to them, for example holding relevant international patents

Priority sectors:

Tier One Priority Sectors

Critical technologies

• Potentially transformative enabling technology. This includes:
  
  advanced information and communication technology
• advanced manufacturing and materials technology
• artificial intelligence technology
• autonomous systems
• biotechnology
• clean energy generation and storage technology
• cyber security technology
• quantum technology
• photonics
• robotics
• positioning, timing and sensing technology

Renewables and low emission technologies

• Technology that will support Australia to reach net zero. This sector includes:
  
  bio-methane production
• circular economy innovations
• clean energy technology
• emission reduction and carbon storage
• green metals
• low-carbon liquid fuels
• processing and refining of critical minerals
• renewable energy generation
• transmission, distribution or storage
• renewable hydrogen
• Waste to Energy (WtE) technology

Health Industries

Innovation in medical manufacturing and sovereign capabilities in medical science. This sector includes:

• antimicrobial resistance
• artificial intelligence in health
• biochemistry and cell biology
• biotechnology
• genomics
• emerging health threats and emergencies
• health economics
• implantable and wearable devices
• infectious disease prevention
• pharmaceuticals and precision medicine
• medical science manufacturing for therapeutic products

Tier Two Priority Sectors 

Agri-food and AgTech

• Innovation or value-adding in agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors. This sector includes:
  
  biotechnology
• biosecurity and disease management
• farm management technology
• food technology
• processing primary industry outputs into higher value goods
• innovation and sustainability in agriculture, forestry and fisheries
• manufacturing of products for use in or connection with primary industries

Education

Academia, research or management in universities and higher learning institutions. This sector includes:

• senior management of universities and higher learning institutions
• senior academics and researchers at Australian academic level D or E (or international equivalent).

Defence Capabilities and Space

Advancing sovereign defence and space capability. This sector includes:

• development, manufacturing and sustainment of products that are inputs to defence capability

• electromagnetic technologies
• propulsion systems
• space objects
• space systems engineering
• space sector enabling skills

Financial Services and FinTech

Advancing innovation in the financial services or technology industries. This sector includes:

• innovations in application programming

• blockchain engineering
• cloud technologies
• FinTech cyber and data security
• financial data science and analysis
• software engineering

Infrastructure and Transport

Advancing innovation in the transport sector and infrastructure projects. This sector includes:

• innovative manufacturing and technologies to support the development of the transport sector
• large and complex transport infrastructure projects for roads, bridges, tunnelling, rail and airports

Resources

Innovation, product development or value adding in resource sectors or critical minerals supply chains. This sector includes:

• automation and industry 4.0 skills
• beneficiation technology
• critical and battery minerals
• exploration services
• geology and metallurgy
• oil and gas decommissioning
• resource waste management
• value-add in resource sectors including manufacturing products and technologies to advance mineral processing

If you are in one of the priorities sectors and have an international recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievement in your field, you may have better chances to receive an invitation.

Submitting an EOI

To apply for the National Innovation Visa, you must first receive an invitation from the Department of Home Affairs. To be considered for an invitation, you need to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI).

The Department of Home Affair will consider EOIs based on the indicators of exceptional and outstanding achievements claimed and the NIV program priorities.

The Department stated:

“If we invite you to apply for a NIV, it does not mean we have pre-assessed your eligibility to be granted a visa. Once you lodge a visa application, we will assess you on the merits of your application and the supporting evidence you include when you apply.”

After the applicant submit an EOI, it will remain in the system for two years. During this period, the Department of Home Affairs may invite the applicant to apply for a National Innovation visa.

The applicant cannot update their EOI or submit additional documents once it has been submitted.

Avoid submit multiple EOIs unless there is a significant change in your circumstances.

Nominator

To apply for the National Innovation Visa the applicant must have a nominator who has a national reputation in the same area as you and be an Australia Citizen, an Australian Permanent Resident, an eligible New Zealand citizen or an Australian organisation

Apply onshore or offshore

If the applicant receives the invitation, they can apply for the National Innovation Visa from either inside or outside of Australia, as long as they hold a substantive visa or a Bridging Visa A, B, or C.

To summarize

The National Innovation Visa offers a direct pathway to Australian Permanent Residency for exceptional individuals in their respective fields. With flexible criteria, it recognizes a range of achievements, sectors, high salaries, and even state sponsorship for innovative investment.

Having successfully assisted hundreds of applicants for the Distinguished Talent and Global Talent visas, we are now helping clients with the latest talent-focused visa—the National Innovation Visa.

If you’re interested in applying for the National Innovation Visa, we encourage you to contact us. You can also complete our free assessment to determine your eligibility for an invitation.

Complete our free NIV assessment so our team can provide you with a free evaluation of your eligibility.

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Sources:

https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/national-innovation-visa-858

https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/working-in-australia/visas-for-innovation/national-innovation-visa/priorities