Australia’s National Innovation Visa (subclass 858) invited 248 people out of 2,166 Expressions of Interest in the April to June 2026 round, an invitation rate of about 11.4%, up from roughly 8% in the January to March 2026 round, according to the Department of Home Affairs’ own current-invitation-round page. It’s still one of the most selective permanent visas Australia offers, reserved for people with an exceptional, internationally recognised record of achievement who can contribute meaningfully in a handful of named priority sectors, but this round’s figures show it opening up slightly as the program matures.
What is the National Innovation Visa (subclass 858)?
The National Innovation Visa (NIV) is a permanent visa that replaced the old Business Innovation and Investment Program and folded in the former Global Talent and Significant Investor pathways. If you’re weighing it up against other investment migration options in Australia, the NIV is now the main route for high achievers rather than a straightforward capital-for-visa exchange. There’s no temporary or provisional stage: an applicant who’s invited and successfully applies is granted permanent residence directly. It’s built for established and emerging leaders, including researchers, entrepreneurs, innovative investors, athletes and creatives, who can show exceptional and outstanding achievement and a realistic path to contributing in one of the sectors the government has flagged as nationally important.
Who is eligible for the National Innovation Visa?
You need an invitation before you can apply at all; there’s no direct-application route. Getting one starts with a free Expression of Interest (EOI) lodged online, which stays active for two years before it expires if you’re not invited. Once invited, you have 60 days to lodge the full application, which must include a completed Form 1000 from a nominator: an Australian citizen, permanent resident, eligible New Zealand citizen, or an Australian organisation with a genuine national reputation in your field. Beyond the nomination, applicants also need to clear standard health and character checks, and the visa can extend to a partner and dependent children, who receive permanent residence alongside the main applicant. The Department doesn’t publish a fixed age cut-off or English-test score for the NIV the way it does for points-tested skilled visas. Eligibility turns on the strength of your achievements and nomination rather than a checklist, which is exactly why a personalised assessment matters more here than it does for most other permanent residency pathways in Australia.
What are the priority sectors under Ministerial Direction 120?
Since 24 July 2026, Ministerial Direction 120 has set the order in which Home Affairs works through National Innovation, Global Talent and Distinguished Talent visa applications. It ranks candidates in five tiers: global experts and recipients of top international awards come first, then applicants nominated on Form 1000 by an Australian government agency, then exceptional achievers in Tier One sectors, then Tier Two, then everyone else. Tier One covers Critical Technologies, Health Industries, and Renewables and Low Emission Technologies. Tier Two covers Financial Services and FinTech, Defence Capabilities and Space, Agri-food and AgTech, Education, Infrastructure and Transport, and Resources. The April to June 2026 invitation data shows how lopsided this is in practice: of the 248 invitations issued, 192 went to Tier One sector achievers, 38 to Tier Two, and fewer than 25 combined went to the two highest-priority global-expert and agency-nominated categories.
How competitive is the National Innovation Visa right now?
An 11.4% invitation rate means roughly nine in ten Expressions of Interest in the April to June 2026 round didn’t receive an invitation. Within the 248 who did, Critical Technologies alone accounted for 122 invitations, about half of everything issued that round, followed by Health Industries (45) and Renewables and Low Emission Technologies (33). Every other sector, from Financial Services and FinTech (14) down to Infrastructure and Transport and Resources (fewer than 5 each), shared the remaining invitations. If your field sits outside Critical Technologies or Health Industries, the numbers say you’re competing for a noticeably smaller slice of an already small pool, which makes the strength of your EOI and nomination even more important.
How does the National Innovation Visa application process actually work?
The process runs in three stages. First, you submit an EOI online, setting out your achievements and which priority sector you’re claiming to fit. Second, you wait. EOIs are assessed against the NIV priorities in Ministerial Direction 120, and an EOI that isn’t invited within two years simply expires, so there’s no indefinite queue. Third, once invited, you lodge the full application within 60 days through ImmiAccount, with your Form 1000 nomination, health examinations, police clearances from every country you’ve lived in for 12 months or more over the past decade, and the supporting evidence of your achievements. An invitation to apply is not a pre-assessment of eligibility. Home Affairs still assesses the full application on its own merits, so being invited is the start of the real test, not the end of it.
Common mistakes to avoid with the National Innovation Visa
- Treating the EOI as a formality. With roughly nine in ten EOIs missing out each round, a thin or generic EOI that doesn’t clearly map your achievements to a named priority sector is unlikely to get a second look.
- Assuming any nominator will do. Form 1000 needs a nominator with a genuine national reputation in your specific field. A well-meaning friend or a loosely related organisation won’t carry the same weight.
- Confusing an invitation with an approval. Being invited only means you can apply; the visa application itself is assessed on its own merits and can still be refused, and it’s worth knowing your options under our visa refusal response guide before you lodge, not after.
- Letting the EOI lapse. Because an EOI expires after two years with no invitation, it’s worth revisiting and strengthening your EOI well before that window closes, rather than waiting and hoping.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people were invited for the National Innovation Visa in the latest round?
248 people were invited out of 2,166 Expressions of Interest in the April to June 2026 round, an invitation rate of about 11.4%, per the Department of Home Affairs.
Which sector has the best chance of an invitation?
Critical Technologies received the most invitations by far in the April to June 2026 round (122 of 248), followed by Health Industries (45) and Renewables and Low Emission Technologies (33), all Tier One sectors under Ministerial Direction 120.
Is the National Innovation Visa a permanent visa?
Yes. Successful applicants are granted permanent residence directly, with no temporary or provisional visa stage beforehand.
Can I apply for the National Innovation Visa without an invitation?
No. You must lodge an Expression of Interest and be invited before you can apply. An EOI stays active for two years and expires if no invitation is issued in that time.
Can my partner and children be included in my application?
Yes, eligible family members, including a partner and dependent children, can be included and receive permanent residence alongside the main applicant.
Key takeaways
- The National Innovation Visa invited 248 of 2,166 applicants in the April to June 2026 round, an 11.4% invitation rate, up from around 8% the previous quarter.
- Ministerial Direction 120, in effect since 24 July 2026, sets a five-tier priority order, with Critical Technologies, Health Industries, and Renewables and Low Emission Technologies (Tier One) receiving the large majority of invitations.
- There’s no direct-application route: an EOI, valid for two years, must lead to an invitation before you can apply, and you then have 60 days to lodge with a Form 1000 nomination.
- It’s a direct-to-permanent-residence visa with no temporary stage, and it can include a partner and dependent children.
- Eligibility isn’t points-tested. It turns on the strength of your achievements, your nomination, and how clearly you fit a named priority sector, which is why individual guidance matters more here than for standard skilled visas.
This is general information, not a personalised eligibility assessment. Figures are current as of the Department of Home Affairs’ current-invitation-round page (last updated 24 September 2026) at the time of writing; invitation rounds and priority settings can change, so confirm current figures before relying on them for a specific application.
Ready to find out if you qualify?
Kingsbridge Australia offers a free 15-minute pre-assessment with Dexter Lee, our Registered Migration Agent (MARN 2518927), to see if you qualify for this pathway. Book a time below.
