The National Innovation Visa (NIV) is open 

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The Subclass 858 National Innovation visa (NIV) is open 

The NIV is open. Applicants are able to start the NIV visa process. This starts with an assessment, and ends with a visa application.
NIV process 
To submit an application, much like the General Skilled Migration program, applicants will require a formal visa invitation from the Department of Home Affairs (DHA).
The NIV visa application process involves a number of stages.

Assessment – Are you you eligible to apply for an NIV?

Are you a high achieving:

  • global researcher
  • entrepreneur
  • innovative investor OR
  • athletes and creative

Will your skills, experience, track record be recognised for the NIV?  And what does that look like? Are you in an occupation, or industry, that is deemed a priority sector? Are you a national, international, world or Olympic champion athlete or coach? For academics and industry leaders, have you recognised,  awarded and published? Have you received accolades across your industry? From national or global bodies? Are you a talented entrepreneur or innovative investor? Do you hold patents?

Nomination – Can you find someone who will support your claims? You will need to find a notable person, or Australian authority/body to support your application. That person, or should be someone of equal standing in Australia. Or should be the national authority in your field. It may be a state/territory government that you intend to establish your business, investment or want to commercialise your product. This person will provide a Nomination for you.

Expression of Interest (EOI) – If you can answer yes to the above, you can probably look to submit a formal Expression of Interest (EOI) with the DHA. You will need to back up some of your claims at this stage. You will need a CV, evidence of your achievements, possibly evidence of your Nomination. If it is a state/territory – who is the body, what is the the name and position of the person who will endorse your application.

Visa invitation – If the DHA support your application they will invite you to apply for an NIV visa.

Lodge your NIV application – Invited applicants will have 60 days to submit their application. In addition to  evidencing any claims made on your EOI, you will have to show that you, and your family, are of good health and character as well. Successful applicants – and their dependent family members –  will be granted a 5 year permanent residency visa. This will allow you to move to Australia, establish  yourselves in the country to ultimately remain as residents and provide a pathway to Australian Citizenship.

* Get in touch in touch to discuss the Priority sectors. Alternately check out our Services . 
Our experience & partners 
We have been assisting applicants for this visa –  and the previous incarnations such as the Global Talent & business/investor visas – for decades.
We work alongside  partners who can support you and your family through the process. This can include sourcing someone to provide  your Nomination, introducing you to advisers who can assist the funding  to the commercialisation of your product, who prepare and submit a business and/or investment plan and foreign exchange brokers amongst others. We can initiate and lead discussions with a state/territory on your behalf.
Contact Us 
If you are interested in the NIV.  Please  Contact Us.

Amendments to recently announced 1st December 2021 changes

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Omnicron COVID variant leads to 14 day delay in border reopening

Last week the DHA announced changes to open up the border to eligible visa holders as of 1st December, 2021. The visa holders list included students,  prospective marriage and temporary skill shortage visa holders amongst others.

Given the spread of the new COVID variant the Australian government have announced today that these changes have been temporarily pushed back until 15th December, 2021.

This delay also applies to reopening borders to travellers from Japan & South Korea. Thes were also due to re-open on 1st December.

It follows an announcement on Saturday (27 November, 2021) that the border was closed to any non Australian Citizen, permanent resident or their immediate families, if they have been in a number of African countries where the variant had been detected and spread in the past 14 days.

These countries include South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Malawi and Mozambique.

If you have any questions about a visa application and/or exemptions then please Contact Us.