Work Visa Lawyers Receives Two South Australian NIV Nomination Approvals for Entrepreneurs and Innovative Investors
Work Visa Lawyers has received two South Australian state nomination approvals for clients under the National Innovation Visa (NIV) subclass 858.
Both nominations were for high-calibre applicants with strong achievements and the potential to contribute to South Australia’s economy, innovation ecosystem and future growth.
To protect our clients’ privacy, we will not share identifying details. However, these outcomes are an important reminder that South Australian state nomination for the National Innovation Visa is possible for the right applicant with the right strategy, evidence and preparation.
What is the National Innovation Visa?
The National Innovation Visa subclass 858 is a permanent visa pathway designed for exceptionally talented people who can make a strong contribution to Australia.
This can include:
- Entrepreneurs
- Innovative investors
- Global researchers
- Innovators
- High-performing professionals
- Creative talent
- Other people with exceptional and outstanding achievements
The NIV is attractive because it can provide a direct pathway to Australian permanent residency. It does not operate like a points-tested skilled visa, and it is not an employer-sponsored visa.
Instead, the focus is on the applicant’s achievements, recognition, leadership, future potential and ability to contribute to Australia.
Please check our NIV page for more details about the NIV and to complete our free NIV assessment.
What is NIV state nomination?
For the National Innovation Visa, applicants generally need to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) and be invited by the Department of Home Affairs before they can apply for the visa.
State nomination can be very important because it may strengthen the applicant’s position in the EOI process. If a candidate receives NIV state nomination, they receive Priority 2 under the NIV priorities.
A state nomination shows that a State or Territory government sees value in the applicant’s achievements and potential contribution. For South Australia, this may include applicants who can contribute to the local economy, innovation, investment, research, commercialisation, business growth or other priority areas.
State nomination is not the same as a visa grant. However, it can be a major step forward in the NIV process.
South Australia and the National Innovation Visa
South Australia is seeking talented people who can contribute to the state’s future. This may include established and emerging leaders across different categories, including entrepreneurs and innovative investors.
For entrepreneurs, South Australia may be interested in people who have built or scaled businesses, developed innovative products or services, attracted investment, created jobs, or shown strong commercial potential.
For investors, the focus may be on people who can support innovation, business growth, venture capital, emerging industries or the broader South Australian economy.
Each case is different. A strong application should clearly explain not only what the applicant has achieved, but also why those achievements matter to South Australia.
Queensland and the National Innovation Visa
Queensland is another interesting state to try for state nomination for the National Innovation Visa. If you are an entrepreneur or an innovative investor and invest in Queensland, you might receive a Queensland National Innovation Visa nomination.
- High-value entrepreneurs who commit AUD $1 million to new ventures in Queensland
- Innovative investors who invest AUD $5 million in Queensland’s innovation ecosystem
You can check more information about Queensland NIV nomination on the following two pages or by completing our free NIV assessment.
State nomination or straight to EOI for the National Innovation Visa?
A common question we receive is:
“Should I apply for state nomination first, or should I go straight to the Expression of Interest for the National Innovation Visa?”
The honest answer is that state nomination is not for everyone.
For high achievers considering the NIV, the best strategy often depends on the applicant’s profile.
When NIV state nomination may be suitable
State nomination may be more suitable for:
- Entrepreneurs
- Innovative investors
- Applicants with strong ties to a particular State or Territory in Australia
- Applicants whose future plans clearly align with a State or Territory’s priorities
For these applicants, the NIV process may involve three stages:
- State nomination
- Expression of Interest
- National Innovation Visa application
This is why state nomination can be important for some applicants. It may help show that a State or Territory recognises the applicant’s achievements and potential contribution.
Our two recent South Australian state nomination approvals show that this pathway can be possible for the right entrepreneurs and investors with strong evidence and a clear strategy.
When going straight to NIV EOI may be better
For some NIV candidates, state nomination may not be the best pathway.
Professionals and researchers with high achievements in selected sectors may be better placed to go straight to the Expression of Interest stage.
For these applicants, the process may involve two stages:
- Expression of Interest
- National Innovation Visa application
This may be more suitable where the applicant’s achievements are strong at a national or international level, but their case is not strongly connected to one particular Australian State or Territory.
Other states such as New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania are also open for the NIV state nomination.
Choosing the right NIV pathway
The key point is that there is no single pathway that works for everyone.
Entrepreneurs and investors may benefit from considering state nomination, especially where they can show a strong connection or potential contribution to South Australia.
Professionals, researchers and other high-achieving applicants may need a different strategy and may be better placed going straight to EOI.
This is why it is important to assess the applicant’s achievements, industry, future plans, evidence and connection to Australia before deciding on the best NIV strategy.
Complete our free NIV assessment
If you are an entrepreneur, investor, researcher, innovator or high-achieving professional, you can complete our free National Innovation Visa assessment.
Our team can review your profile, achievements and potential pathway.
Complete the free NIV assessment
We are proud to support talented people who can bring innovation, investment, leadership and long-term value to Australia.
About Work Visa Lawyers
Work Visa Lawyers is an Australian immigration law firm based in Adelaide, South Australia. The business was founded in 2011 by Chris Johnston, Principal Immigration Lawyer, and has been assisting clients with Australian migration matters for 15 years.
We are proud to be recognised as one of the leading migration law firms in Australia. Our team assists clients across a wide range of visa matters, including skilled visas, employer-sponsored visas, partner visas, appeals, Global Talent visas and the National Innovation Visa.
Work Visa Lawyers also creates regular migration content for social media and YouTube to help people better understand Australian visa options. Our YouTube channel has over 93,000 subscribers, more than 300 videos and over 4 million views. Across all our social media platforms, we have more than 200,000 followers.
On our YouTube channel, we also have many testimonial videos from successful Global Talent Visa clients. The Global Talent Visa was the former pathway before the introduction of the National Innovation Visa, and many of those client stories show the type of high-achieving applicants Australia has attracted through talent and innovation-based visa pathways.
Disclaimer: This article provides general information only and does not constitute legal or migration advice. Each case depends on individual circumstances.
