Australia Visa 858: National Innovation Visa vs New Zealand Skilled Migrant Category Resident 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.
Key Differences at a Glance
- ›Faster to citizenship: Australia Visa 858: National Innovation Visa at ~4 years, vs 5 for New Zealand Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa.
Australia Visa 858: National Innovation Visa Australia · skilled worker | New Zealand Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa New Zealand · skilled worker | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Australia | New Zealand |
| Category | Skilled Worker | Skilled Worker |
| Application Fee | $4,350 | $400 |
| 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. | Partner and dependent children under 24 are included in the residence application |
| Path to PR | Yes — 0 years | Yes — 0 years |
| Path to Citizenship | Yes — 4 years | Yes — 5 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 present in New Zealand at the time of residence grant; must reside in NZ to maintain resident visa travel conditions |
| Dual Citizenship | Allowed | Allowed |
| Tax Impact | Permanent residents are taxed as Australian residents on worldwide income from the date of entry | New Zealand residents are taxed on worldwide income; a transitional tax exemption on foreign income may apply for the first four years of residency |
| 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 New Zealand Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa
New Zealand's Skilled Migrant Category is a points-based residence visa for skilled workers, scoring age, qualifications, work experience and skilled employment. There is no income threshold, but a job offer from an INZ-accredited employer paying at least NZD 29.66/hour is effectively mandatory after the October 2023 reform, so offshore applicants without a role cannot easily progress. Candidates lodge an Expression of Interest, are selected from the pool, then apply. Uniquely, the grant is permanent residence from day one. Partner and dependent children under 24 are included. Processing targets 6-12 months; first-year costs run about NZD 10,000-22,000. Holders must be in New Zealand at grant and reside there to keep travel conditions. NZ taxes worldwide income (183-day rule), though a transitional exemption zero-rates most foreign income for the first 4 years for those not NZ-resident in the prior decade. Citizenship follows after 5 years with no language or civic test, and dual nationality is permitted.
Full New Zealand Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa 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
New Zealand Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa
- ⚠Post-October 2023 reform: a NZ job offer is now essentially mandatory for SMC — offshore applicants without a role secured cannot progress easily
- ⚠Employer accreditation with INZ must be checked before accepting a role — non-accredited employers cannot support your SMC application
- ⚠NZ taxes worldwide income (except transitional resident exemption for first 4 years) — plan for offshore income and assets
- ⚠Green List occupations can skip most of the SMC process — check the list before proceeding with generic SMC
- ⚠NZ citizenship after 5 years of PR is one of the most accessible in the developed world (no language or civic test)
- ⚠KiwiSaver contributions lock up 3% of salary until retirement (age 65) or first home purchase — plan cash flow accordingly
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.