Australia Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190) vs Australia Visa 858: National Innovation Visa
A factual side-by-side comparison of two residency programmes. All figures are drawn from the canonical program pages — follow either link in the table header for sources and the full profile.
Australia Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190) Australia · skilled worker | Australia Visa 858: National Innovation Visa Australia · skilled worker | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Australia | Australia |
| Category | Skilled Worker | Skilled Worker |
| Application Fee | $4,250 | $4,350 |
| Minimum Income | — | — |
| Minimum Investment | — | — |
| Processing Time | 8 months | Not published |
| Family Included | Spouse or de facto partner and dependent children can be included; all members must meet health and character requirements; each adult dependant adds to the visa application charge. | Members of the family unit may be included, and can be added at any time before a decision; family members who apply must meet the health and character requirements. An applicant under 18 can only include their parents and members of the family unit of that parent. |
| Path to PR | Yes — 0 years | Yes — 0 years |
| Path to Citizenship | Yes — 4 years | Yes — 4 years |
| Physical Presence | Must be physically present in Australia when granted (or arrive within the entry validity period). State nomination carries a commitment to live and work in the nominating state or territory for at least 2 years, and permanent residents must generally reside in Australia for 2 out of every 5 years to maintain unrestricted travel rights. | You must be in Australia, or outside Australia but not in immigration clearance, when you apply and when the visa is decided. If you are in Australia when you apply you must hold a substantive visa or a Bridging A, B or C visa. For citizenship purposes, permanent residence starts on the day the visa is granted if you are in Australia, or the day you enter Australia with the visa if you are outside. |
| Dual Citizenship | Allowed | Allowed |
| Tax Impact | Permanent residents are treated as Australian tax residents and taxed on worldwide income from the date of entry, the same as Subclass 189. | Permanent residents are taxed as Australian residents on worldwide income from the date of entry |
| Tax Residency Trigger | 183 days/yr | 183 days/yr |
| Worldwide Taxation | Yes | Yes |
| Renewal Cost | — | — |
About Australia Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190)
The Subclass 190 Skilled Nominated visa is a points-tested permanent residency visa for skilled workers who receive a nomination from an Australian state or territory government, in addition to meeting the points test (minimum 65, with a mandatory 5 bonus points awarded for the nomination itself). Unlike the employer- and state-independent Subclass 189, applicants must first apply to and be nominated by a specific state or territory, whose own occupation list, criteria, and commitment requirements must be satisfied — nomination is often more accessible than a 189 invitation for occupations that are oversubscribed nationally but in demand in a particular state. Successful applicants receive permanent residence immediately upon grant, with a visa-conditioned commitment to live and work in the nominating state for at least 2 years.
Full Australia Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190) profile →About Australia Visa 858: National Innovation Visa
Subclass 858 is Australia's National Innovation visa (NIV), a permanent visa for people with an internationally recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievement. Until 6 December 2024 the same subclass was the Global Talent visa; the Migration Amendment (National Innovation Visa) Regulations 2024 renamed it and added a requirement that the applicant has been invited in writing by the Minister. The visa is invitation-only. You submit an Expression of Interest (EOI), wait for the Department of Home Affairs to invite you, then apply within 60 days of the invitation with a Form 1000 completed by a nominator who has a national reputation in your area. Invitations and processing follow Ministerial Direction No. 120, which puts first the global experts holding international top-of-field awards, then candidates nominated by a government agency, then candidates in Tier One and Tier Two priority sectors. An invitation does not mean the Department has pre-assessed your eligibility. There is no age limit, but applicants under 18 or aged 55 or over must show they would be of exceptional benefit to the Australian community. Applicants aged 18 or over need at least functional English or must pay a second instalment charge (AUD 4,890). The base application charge is AUD 6,235 for the main applicant (AUD 5,110 for Pacific-regional passport holders), with additional charges for each family member who applies. The visa gives permanent residence from the day it is granted, with a five-year travel facility, and family members can be included. The Home Affairs processing times guide currently shows only times for Global Talent applications lodged before 6 December 2024, so no current processing time is stated here.
Full Australia Visa 858: National Innovation Visa profile →Gotchas to Watch For
Australia Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190)
- ⚠Each state/territory has its own occupation list, criteria, and application process — an occupation ineligible for 189 may still qualify for 190 nomination in a specific state
- ⚠The 2-year state-residency commitment (condition 8558) is a formal visa condition; enforcement has historically been inconsistent, but states have tightened monitoring and non-compliance can complicate future nominations or a Resident Return Visa application
- ⚠Some states require evidence of genuine ties or prior residence before nominating you — a 'fly-in' nomination application with no connection to the state is often refused
- ⚠State nomination programs can pause or close mid-year once their allocation ceiling is reached — timing matters
- ⚠Points cut-offs and state priorities shift with each program year's occupation-list refresh
Australia Visa 858: National Innovation Visa
- ⚠Subclass 858 has been the National Innovation visa since 6 December 2024. Guides that still describe it as the Global Talent visa describe the earlier version
- ⚠It is invitation-only: the Department does not accept applications lodged without an invitation or outside the timeframe stated in it
- ⚠An EOI is not a visa application, and an invitation is not a pre-assessment of your eligibility or a promise of a grant
- ⚠An EOI expires if no invitation is issued within 2 years of submitting it
- ⚠Only applicants under 18 can include their parents; an adult main applicant includes members of their own family unit
- ⚠When showing you can establish yourself in Australia you cannot include income from work outside your field
- ⚠The permanent-resident travel facility lasts 5 years from the grant date; after that you need a Resident Return visa (subclass 155 or 157) to re-enter as a permanent resident
Neutral reference — we don't recommend one programme over another. Programmes change: always verify each detail against the official source linked on the individual program pages.