AustraliaTalent and science

National Innovation visa in Australia

The National Innovation visa (formerly the Global Talent visa) is a permanent Australian visa for people with an internationally recognised record of exceptional achievement in a profession, sport, the arts, academia or research. The visa is granted by invitation from the Department of Home Affairs only, after an expression of interest, and requires an official nominator with a national reputation in the same field of activity.

Processing time

The Department runs invitation rounds monthly.

Work

You work and live in Australia with no tie to an employer.

The visa grants permanent residence straight away.

Source: Department of Home Affairs — subclass 858

Who can obtain the visa

There is no points test and no state quota here — what is assessed is the applicant's achievements and the reputation of the nominator who attests to them.

The applicant

An internationally recognised record of exceptional achievement — above that of most peers in the field — in a profession, sport, the arts or in academia and research
The achievements remain current: the applicant is still prominent and has recently succeeded in their field
Able to bring benefit to Australia — economic, social or cultural, or to raise the country's international standing in their field
Able to establish themselves in Australia — to find work or to become established independently in their specialty without difficulty

The nominator

An Australian citizen
An Australian permanent resident
A New Zealand citizen with the right to live in Australia (an eligible New Zealand citizen)
An Australian organisation

What it costs

Second visa instalment — if the applicant is 18 or over and has no evidenced functional EnglishCharged only at the Department's request in place of evidence of the level of English. The website does not publish the main visa charge as a fixed figure — it is shown only by the Visa Pricing Estimator, depending on the composition of the application.	+4 890 AUD

Documents to gather

The full list depends on the field of achievement; below are the documents requested from every applicant.

A completed Form 1000 “Nomination for National Innovation visa”, signed by the nominator
Passport pages with the photograph, personal details and the dates of issue and expiry
Evidence of achievement at international level: awards, publications in leading journals, patents, results in major competitions, income at or above the Fair Work High Income Threshold and the like
Documents on the ability to find employment or to become established independently in Australia in your specialty
Police certificates for the last 10 years from Australia and from every country where the applicant has spent 12 months or more since turning 16
Evidence of functional English — or written agreement to pay the second visa instalment
Documents on marriage, partnership or change of name, if applicable
Documents on children and other family members included in the application

How the process runs

The sequence applies to applicants who are outside Australia or inside it, bypassing immigration clearance.

1
Find a nominator and gather evidence of your achievements
The nominator can be an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident, a New Zealand citizen with the right to live in Australia or an Australian organisation — with a national reputation in the same field as the applicant. The nominator attests to the achievements in Form 1000.
2
Lodge an expression of interest
The Department of Home Affairs considers expressions of interest (EOI) and decides whom to invite to lodge a visa. Without an expression of interest and an invitation the visa itself cannot be lodged.
3
Lodge the visa application after the invitation
60 days
After the invitation the Department sends a unique number, which is quoted on lodgement. The visa application has to be lodged within 60 days of the invitation — otherwise it will not be accepted.
4
Attach the documents on identity, achievements and nomination
The completed Form 1000, evidence of achievements, identity documents and, if applicable, documents on the partner and children are attached to the application.
5
Complete the medical examination, identity checks and biometrics
The Department requests medical examinations, police certificates for the last 10 years from every country of residence of 12 months or more, and biometric data — by separate request after the application has been lodged.
6
Receive the decision on the application
The Department notifies the decision in writing: on approval — the visa number, the date it comes into effect and the conditions; on refusal — the reason and the right of review. The visa charge paid is not refunded on a refusal.

Who you can bring with you

Family members can be included in the application at lodgement or added later, before the visa is decided.

Partner and children (members of the family unit)

They are included in the application at lodgement or added at any point before the visa is decided. An applicant under 18 may include only a parent and the members of that parent's own family unit. All family members who apply together with the applicant have to pass the health and character checks.

Relatives after the visa is granted

A permanent resident on this visa may separately sponsor relatives to move to Australia through other family visas.

Renewal and the grace period

The visa is permanent and needs no renewal as such. You can travel to and from Australia on it for 5 years from the date of grant. Once those 5 years expire, a separate visa for returning residents — a Resident Return visa (subclass 155 or 157) — is needed to enter as a permanent resident.

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to citizenship

Citizenship after 4 years of lawful residence, the last 12 months on a permanent visa.

Frequently asked questions about National Innovation visa

Who can apply for the National Innovation visa (formerly the Global Talent visa, subclass 858)?

Someone with an internationally recognised record of exceptional achievement in a profession, sport, the arts or in academia and research, who has been invited to lodge the visa by the Department of Home Affairs following an expression of interest, and who has been nominated on Form 1000 by an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident, a New Zealand citizen with the right to live in Australia or an Australian organisation with a national reputation in the same field.

What does the National Innovation visa cost?

The Department's website does not publish a fixed figure for the main visa charge — the total is shown only by the Visa Pricing Estimator, depending on the composition of the application. One amount is known separately: if the applicant is 18 or over and has no evidenced functional English, a second instalment of 4,890 Australian dollars has to be paid for them. Payment is requested only if the visa decision is positive.

How long does obtaining the visa take?

The Department does not publish exact assessment times: applications are assessed individually, and a guide to the times of recently made decisions is given by the visa processing time guide tool on the website. The only fixed deadline is the 60 days to lodge the visa application after the invitation arrives; miss it and the application will not be accepted.

Can family be included in the application?

Yes. A partner and children (members of the family unit) can be included in the application at lodgement or added at any point before the visa is decided. If the applicant is under 18, only a parent and the members of that parent's family unit can be included. All family members included have to pass the health and character checks — whether or not they are travelling to Australia with the applicant.

What happens once the visa has been granted?

The visa is permanent and needs no renewal. It gives the right to enter and leave Australia for 5 years from the date of grant. Once that period expires, a separate visa for returning residents (a Resident Return visa, subclass 155 or 157) is needed to return as a permanent resident.

How does the National Innovation visa differ from the Global Talent visa?

It is one and the same subclass 858: the Department of Home Affairs page describing it is now called the National Innovation visa, and the former address carrying the name Global Talent Visa 858 is redirected within the site structure to the current page. The conditions — an invitation following an expression of interest, a nominator with a national reputation, an internationally recognised achievement — are set out on that same page under the new name.

Are there age restrictions for this visa?

There is no formal age restriction — you can apply at any age. But if the applicant has not turned 18 or has already turned 55 or more at the time of lodgement, they additionally have to prove exceptional benefit to Australian society: for example, a significant contribution to the economy, the creation of jobs or the strengthening of Australia's international standing in their field.

Other ways to move to Australia

Every route in one list — migration programmes: Australia.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.