Top-of-field recognition
Global experts from any sector who have received an international award recognised as being at the very top of their field.
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National Innovation visa
NIVSubclass 858 · permanent visa
An invitation-only pathway for a small cohort whose exceptional achievements are already recognised internationally—and whose future work can create clear value for Australia.
OutcomePermanent residence
Application modelEOI + invitation
NominationForm 1000 required
Current roundsMonthly
01 · Who is it really for?
A strong career is not automatically an exceptional international record.
The central question is not whether you are employable. It is whether objective, independent evidence places your achievement at an exceptional international level, shows that you remain prominent, and supports a credible Australian contribution.
Degrees, salary, patents, publications, funding, media coverage and awards can all help—but their weight depends on quality, selectivity, attribution, recency and external recognition.
02 · Invitation priorities
Four priorities guide who is considered first.
Priority affects selection order; it does not replace the visa criteria. Sports and the arts may also receive invitations outside the listed Tier One and Tier Two sectors.
Government-agency nomination
Candidates from any sector nominated on Form 1000 by an expert Australian Commonwealth, State or Territory government agency.
Tier One sectors
Exceptional candidates in critical technologies, renewables and low-emission technologies, or health industries.
Tier Two sectors
Exceptional candidates in Agri-food and AgTech, defence and space, education, financial services and FinTech, infrastructure and transport, or resources.
How Home Affairs identifies exceptional achievement
The priority page gives concrete evidence indicators—not a single points test.
One indicator does not automatically secure an invitation. Home Affairs considers the level, recency, selectivity, attribution and international standing of the claimed achievement as a whole.
International top-of-field awards
Examples listed by Home Affairs include Nobel and Breakthrough Prizes, the Fields, Chern and Abel prizes, the Turing Award, Pulitzer Prize, International Booker Prize, Olympic gold and other awards of comparable standing. The list is illustrative, not exhaustive.
National-level research grants
Competitive funding for research of the highest quality, including Australian Research Council or Department of Education Accelerator grants, UKRI, EU Commission, US National Science Foundation or grants of similar national or international significance.
PhD plus exceptional academic influence
A doctorate alone is not enough. Indicators include recent publications in leading journals, a high h-index for career stage, and a research degree from a leading global university. Home Affairs gives an early-career h-index of 14 as an example, not a universal threshold.
Other high-calibre measures
Recent keynotes at high-profile international conferences, recognised intellectual property such as international patents, or earnings at or above the Fair Work high income threshold supported by current earnings or a written Australian employment offer.
Government-agency backed achievement
When an expert government agency nominates a candidate, supporting indicators may include elite sport or arts awards, a proven record of innovative investment, promising commercialisation or enterprise activity in Australia, exceptional community service, or achievement supporting that agency’s strategic priorities.
Priority-sector scope
The sector name is only the heading; the specialisation must fit underneath it.
Critical technologies
AI, advanced ICT and manufacturing, autonomous systems, biotechnology, cyber security, quantum, photonics, robotics, clean-energy generation and storage, positioning, timing and sensing.
Renewables & low-emission technologies
Bio-methane, circular-economy innovation, clean energy, emissions reduction and carbon storage, green metals, low-carbon fuels, critical-mineral processing, renewable hydrogen and waste-to-energy.
Health industries
AI in health, biotechnology, genomics, infectious-disease prevention, pharmaceuticals and precision medicine, medical devices, health economics and therapeutic-product manufacturing.
Agri-food & AgTech
Innovation and value-adding in agriculture, forestry and fisheries, including biosecurity, farm management, food technology, biotechnology and higher-value processing.
Defence capabilities & space
Sovereign defence and space capability, including product development and sustainment, electromagnetic and propulsion technology, space objects, systems engineering and enabling skills.
Education
Academia, research or management in universities and higher-learning institutions, particularly senior management and academics or researchers at Australian Level D/E or equivalent.
Financial services & FinTech
Financial-service and technology innovation including blockchain, cloud technology, cyber and data security, financial data science, application programming and software engineering.
Infrastructure & transport
Innovative transport manufacturing and technology, and leadership in large, complex road, bridge, tunnelling, rail or airport infrastructure projects.
Resources
Innovation and value-adding in resources and critical-mineral supply chains, including automation, beneficiation, geology, metallurgy, decommissioning, waste management and mineral-processing technology.
03 · What must be established?
The case must work as one connected body of evidence.
International standing
A sustained, internationally recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievement—not simply strong qualifications or seniority.
Current prominence
Evidence must show that you remain prominent in your profession, sport, the arts, academia or research.
Benefit to Australia
Explain the concrete economic, social, cultural, research or innovation value you can bring to the Australian community.
Establishment in Australia
Show that you can obtain employment or become independently established in your area in Australia.
Eligible nominator
A nationally reputable Australian citizen, permanent resident, eligible New Zealand citizen or Australian organisation must attest to the record through Form 1000.
Age, English and public-interest criteria
Applicants under 18 or 55 and over face an exceptional-benefit test. English, health, character, identity and other statutory criteria also need separate checking.
04 · The nominator
Australian status alone is not enough.
The nominator must have a national reputation in the same area as the applicant, understand the applicant’s achievements and be able to substantiate the Form 1000 statements. They attest to international achievement, current prominence, benefit to Australia and the ability to obtain employment or become independently established. Home Affairs states that no fee is to be paid merely for completing Form 1000.
05 · Application process
Invitation strategy comes before the visa form.
Assess the evidence
Map achievements against the legal criteria, current invitation priorities and comparable international benchmarks.
Build and submit the EOI
Submit a complete English-only EOI with supporting documents. It is not a visa application and does not provide a bridging visa.
Wait for selection
The Department currently conducts monthly rounds. An invitation is discretionary, is not guaranteed and is not a pre-assessment of visa eligibility.
Secure nomination and lodge
If invited, finalise Form 1000 and lodge the subclass 858 application within the deadline stated in the invitation.
Complete visa assessment
Respond to requests and satisfy achievement, nomination, health, character, English and family-member requirements.
06 · Fees and timing
Know the government charges—and separate invitation waiting from visa processing.
Standard first-instalment visa application charge from 1 July 2026.
An English-language second instalment may also apply where functional English is not demonstrated.
Health examinations, police checks, biometrics, translation and professional services are separate.
This begins after a valid visa application is lodged; time waiting for an EOI invitation is separate and cannot be guaranteed.
Charges and processing times are current at 2 August 2026 and can change. Lower charges apply to eligible Pacific-regional passport holders; always confirm the amount shown in ImmiAccount at lodgement.
Evidence-led assessment
Before an EOI, find the gaps that an invitation team will see.
We can review your field, priority position, international benchmarks, attribution of achievements, Australian contribution plan and nominator fit—then tell you whether an NIV case is worth building.