National Innovation visa
This is a permanent visa for people who have an internationally recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievement in an eligible area.
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At a glance
- Base application charge
- A$6,235
- Checked with the Department on 22 October 2026
- Primary applicant only. The Department publishes five further charges per row.
- 90% decided within
- 2 years
- Slowest of 5 streams - see below
- Age limit
- No limit
- English
- Functional English
Processing times
How long the Department took to decide recently finalised applications. Each figure is a percentile, not an average or a promise.
| Stream | 50% decided within | 90% decided within |
|---|---|---|
| Distinguished Talent / Global Talent (Independent) | 16 months | 2 years |
| Distinguished Talent | 11 months | 2 years |
| Global Talent visa (subclass 858) | 15 months | 2 years |
| National Innovation | 6 months | 8 months |
| National Innovation visa (subclass 858) | 4 months | 7 months |
Captured from the Department of Home Affairs on 16 October 2026. The Department does not state a reporting period for this source. Check the Department's tool for the figure as it stands today.
Streams
Each stream has its own eligibility, duration and charge. Read them alongside the Department's page before lodging.
| Stream | Duration | Base fee | Eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|
Distinguished Talent For highly skilled professionals in target sectors who are internationally recognised and can command a salary at or above the Fair Work high income threshold. | Varies | A$6,235 Subclass charge | Functional English |
As published by the Department of Home Affairs on 22 October 2026
Data verified from immi.homeaffairs.gov.au. Charges and processing times are published by the Department of Home Affairs and change from time to time. Each figure on this page carries its own capture date - the page has no single “as at”, because the charge and the processing times are captured separately.
Running subclass 858 applications for clients?
ImmiIQ keeps each case on one client record, with its documents, the Department's forms and a portal the client signs in to.
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