Australia Visa 858: National Innovation Visa vs Australia Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189)
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 Visa 858: National Innovation Visa Australia · skilled worker | Australia Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189) Australia · skilled worker | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Australia | Australia |
| Category | Skilled Worker | Skilled Worker |
| Application Fee | $4,350 | $4,250 |
| Minimum Income | — | — |
| Minimum Investment | — | — |
| Processing Time | Not published | 9 months |
| Family Included | 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. | Spouse or de facto partner and dependent children can be included; all members must meet health and character requirements |
| Path to PR | Yes — 0 years | Yes — 0 years |
| Path to Citizenship | Yes — 4 years | Yes — 4 years |
| Physical Presence | 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. | Must be physically present in Australia when the visa is granted; PR holders must reside in Australia for 2 years out of every 5 to maintain travel rights |
| Dual Citizenship | Allowed | Allowed |
| Tax Impact | Permanent residents are taxed as Australian residents on worldwide income from the date of entry | Permanent residents are treated as Australian tax residents and taxed 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 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 →About Australia Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189)
Australia's Skilled Independent visa (Subclass 189) is a points-tested route that grants permanent residency from day one, with no employer sponsor, state nomination or family sponsor needed. There is no income requirement, but the nominated occupation must be on the MLTSSL skilled list, and the applicant must hold a positive skills assessment, be under 45 at invitation, and have competent English (IELTS 6.0 in each band). Candidates lodge an Expression of Interest via SkillSelect and must be invited based on a points score, a minimum of 65 though real cut-offs are often much higher. The base application charge for the main applicant is AUD 6,135 (Home Affairs price list, 3 October 2026), with additional charges for family members, and processing is long (around 9 months, median near 12). Family can be included. Citizenship is reachable after 4 years, and dual citizenship is allowed. Applicants must be in Australia when the visa is granted, and PR holders must reside two years in every five to keep travel rights. As tax residents, holders are taxed on worldwide income from entry. Watch that points cut-offs and occupation lists can shift between EOI and invitation.
Full Australia Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189) profile →Gotchas to Watch For
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
Australia Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189)
- ⚠Points cut-offs can rise dramatically between rounds — a score that received an invitation last year may not this year
- ⚠Occupation lists change: your occupation may be removed from MLTSSL between EOI and invitation, invalidating your EOI
- ⚠Employment reference letters must be precise — DHA is strict on format, and inadequate letters are a top rejection cause
- ⚠The 60-day lodgement window after ITA is tight — prepare all documents before submitting EOI
- ⚠Australia taxes worldwide income as soon as you become a tax resident — plan for this if you have offshore income
- ⚠Partner/spouse can be included but adult dependents add AUD 3,070 each to the visa charge
- ⚠Subclass 189 is employer-independent (no sponsorship needed) — a major advantage over 482/186
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.