Global Talent Visa News

Income Thresholds Increasing from 1 July 2025

From 1 July 2025, income thresholds for skilled visas will increase by 4.6%, in line with updates to the Average Weekly Ordinary Time Earnings (AWOTE). These changes deliver on commitments outlined in the Australian Government’s Migration Strategy and reflect recommendations from the Migration Review.

This annual indexation ensures that wages for skilled migrants grow in step with Australian earnings—helping to prevent skilled migration from being used to undercut local workers.

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Minimum Income Threshold Australia

Updated Income Thresholds (Effective 1 July 2025)

Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT)

Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT)

Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT)

Important Note:

For nomination applications lodged on or after 1 July 2025, employers must offer a salary that meets or exceeds the new threshold or the annual market salary rate —whichever is higher.

These changes do not apply to:

  • Existing visa holders, or

  • Nominations lodged before 1 July 2025.

High Income Threshold Updates

The High Income Threshold will also raise from 1 July 2025:

  • Current: $175,000

  • New High Income Threshold (from 1 July 2025): $183,100

The High Income Threshold is one of the factors that may be used to assess the applicant's exceptional and outstanding achievements.

The High Income Threshold may also be used if the applicant for sc-186 Visa - Temporary Residence Transition stream is over 45 years old and claiming for an age exemption.

 

If you're an employer planning to sponsor a skilled worker or a migrant assessing your eligibility, these changes could impact your plans.

Contact our team at Work Visa Lawyers for tailored advice and assistance.

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Sources: 

https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/news-media/archive/article?itemId=1308

https://www.fwc.gov.au/about-us/news-and-media/news/increase-application-fee-2025-26

 

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The Hidden Path to Fast-Tracking Australia’s National Innovation Visa: State Nominations EXPLAINED!

National Innovation Visa and State Nomination SA, NSW and QLD

The National Innovation Visa (NIV), previously known as the Global Talent Visa, is an Australian permanent residency visa for internationally recognised individuals with exceptional talent. 

South Australia and New South Wales have now published their criteria for NIV nominations.

Queenlsand has made industry presentations about the development of their framework.

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Why State Nomination Can Help You Secure an NIV Invitation Faster!

If one state or territory nominates you, you ​w​ill have a better chance to be invited for the National Innovation Visa

​Under Directon 112, those nominated by a state get the second highest priority. The highest priority is for international prize winners, such as the Nobel prize. 

For a further breakdown of the priorities see our information page on NIV.

Three Stage Process

State nominations being open mean for many NIV applicants this will involve a three-stage process:

  1. Obtain State Nomination (Completed form 1000 and letter/statement of support)
  2. Submit Expression of Interest to the Department of Home Affairs; and
  3. If invited, submit Visa application for NIV.

business man holding light bulb Social Network

Which State is Best for NIV Nomination?

The short answer, if you have a proven business track record or a collaboration lined up in a state, then that is the best state. If you don’t have an existing relationship or collaboration with a state, it’s the perfect time to begin making that connection.

Below is a quick comparative table of the frameworks of the states who have announced their criteria:

State

NSW

QLD

SA

Framework status

Implemented

Under development

Implemented

Applications opened

TBA – likely July 2025

TBA

Yes

Applicant categories

  1. Academic and Researcher
  2. Entrepreneur
  3. Innovative Investor
  4. Sports Professional
  5. Creative Professional
  1. Entrepreneurs
  2. Innovative investors
  3. Athletes
  4. Creatives  
  1. Global researchers and thought leaders
  2. Entrepreneurs
  3. Innovative investors 
  4. Creatives 
  5. Other globally talented individuals, including athletes

Criteria

Similar to DHA criteria for determining ‘exceptional and outstanding achievements’ (Direction no. 112)

Proof of nexus or contributions in the state for some categories.

NIV nominations won’t be granted:

·         For passive investment (not the BIIP)

·         For vague or unsubstantiated ideas

·         On potential alone

·         For those without a track record

Depending of the applicant category, additional criteria such as:

·         Investment thresholds and proofs of funds,

·         Contribution to state events or industries,

·         Evidence of established business/investment in QLD

Similar to DHA criteria for determining ‘exceptional and outstanding achievements’ (Direction no. 112)

Proof or nexus or contributions in the state for some categories.

For investors the following ventures are not ‘innovative’ for the purpose of nomination:

  • Cafes and restaurants
  • Consulting firms/companies
  • Employment/labour hire agencies
  • Franchises
  • Purchase of existing enterprise
  • Real Estate/rental management
  • Retail.

Application process

1.    Expression/Registration of Interest

2.    Shortlisting

3.    Invitation

4.    Application and third party endorsement

5.    Decision

6.    Lodgment of Form 1000 and letter of support

7.    Follow up, able to provide additional information if needed.

1.    Expression/Registration of Interest

2.    Shortlisting

3.    Invitation

4.    Application/Interview

5.    Decision

6.    Provided Form 1000 and statement/letter of support

1.    Expression/Registration of Interest

2.    Contacted if application progresses

3.    Interview

4.    Decision

5.    Provided Form 1000 and statement/letter of support

Assessed by

Investment NSW

Trade and Investment Queensland

 Skilled and Business Migration

For a detailed summary of the abovementioned State’s nomination process refer to our information page on NIV.

When Can I Apply?

South Australia nominations are open now, meaning you can apply right not for their state nomination.

New South Wales nominations are anticipated for July 2025.

Interested in Applying?

Having successfully assisted hundreds of applicants for the Distinguished Talent and Global Talent visas, we are now helping clients with the latest talent-focused visa—the National Innovation Visa.

If you’re interested in applying for the National Innovation Visa, we encourage you to contact us. You can also complete our free assessment to determine your eligibility for an invitation.

Complete our free NIV assessment so our team can provide you with a free evaluation of your eligibility.

Book an Appointment 

Stay Updated!

We will share more updates on the NIV soon, including the nomination allocations for the new financial year once they are released.

Share this article if you know someone that is highly talented.

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Invitation News for National Innovation Visa (NIV)!

It has been hard to know how the National Innovation Visa (NIV) has been going since it started in December 2024.

There have been a lot of questions and speculations as to how difficult it is to get an invitation considering the factors mentioned in Ministerial Direction No 112. Is it harder to get an invitation for the NIV compared to the Global Talent Visa?

When there is a lack of intormation sometimes the best thing to do is an Freedom of Infomatoin request to the Australian Government.

We thought of asking the Department of Home Affairs, how many Expressions of Interest (EOIs) have been submitted and how many have received an invitation since the introduction of the National Innovation Visa?

How Many EOI submitted for the NIV so Far?

We received a response from the Department regarding our request and the Department advised that as on 21 March 2025 they have received a total of 3510 NIV EOIs and they have issued a total of 70 NIV invitations.

Only 70 invitations for the National Innovation Visa since December last year. That seems like a low number!

Which means that only about  2% have received an invitation.

The top 3 priority sectors are:

  1. Critical technologies with 834 EOIs received;
  2. Health Industries with 554 EOIs received; and
  3. Financial Services and FinTech with 372 EOIs received.

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Here are the Most Invited Sectors!

The top 3 sectors of those who got invited were:

  1. Critical technologies – 23 invitations;
  2. Health Industries – 23 invitations; and
  3. Renewables and low emission technologies – 9 invitations.

We recently received an invitation to apply for the National Innovation Visa for one of our clients who worked in the Health Industries sector. Please check our Instagram video for more information about the invitation.

Check your own sector in the FOI results here:
https://www.workvisalawyers.com.au/images/National-Innovation-Visa-Updates-FOI.pdf

More Details on the Most Successful NIV Sectors:

Critical Technologies

Critical technologies are those technologies that were identified by the Australian government which can impact Australia’s national interest including the country’s economic prosperity, national security and social cohesion. These include the fields of:

  • advanced manufacturing and materials technologies
  • artificial intelligence (AI) technologies
  • advanced information and communication technologies
  • quantum technologies
  • autonomous systems, robotics, positioning, timing and sensing
  • biotechnologies
  • clean energy generation and storage technologies.

Health Industries

Health Industries is not just any person working in Health. They are looking for specialisations such as:

  • antimicrobial resistance
  • artificial intelligence in health
  • biochemistry and cell biology
  • biotechnology
  • genomics
  • emerging health threats and emergencies
  • health economics
  • implantable and wearable devices
  • infectious disease prevention
  • pharmaceuticals and precision medicine
  • medical science manufacturing for therapeutic products.

Renewables and low emission technologies

They are looking for the following specialisations:

  • bio-methane production
  • circular economy innovations
  • clean energy technology
  • emission reduction and carbon storage
  • green metals
  • low-carbon liquid fuels
  • processing and refining of critical minerals
  • renewable energy generation
  • transmission, distribution or storage
  • renewable hydrogen
  • Waste to Energy (WtE) technology.

It is not surprising that the top sectors are Critical technologies, Health Industries and FinTech as in addition to EOI candidates who work in these sectors there are also a number of Digitech talents who have specialisations in these sectors who can submit an EOI under these sectors now that pure Digitech has been removed as a priority sector.

Why are the Invitations So Low for the NIV?

However, despite having the third highest EOIs received, there are no invitations extended in the Financial Services and FinTech sector. This could be because this sector is a Priority four Tier 2 sector.

It is also interesting to note that there are less than 5 invitations extended to those in the arts and less than 5 invitations for those in the sports. As Arts and Sports are not included in any priority sectors those that got the invitation would have been ‘recipients of international ‘top of field’ level awards.’

The Global Talent Visa and the National Innovation Visa are allocated 4,000 places for the 2024-2025 Financial Year. 

As there are less than 3 months left before the end of the current financial year and some of the places are already used up by the Global Talent Visa applicants, there are not a lot of places left and most of the EOI candidates can expect to wait longer to see if they will get an invitation.

Next Big Opportunity for the NIV New Allocations from 1 July 2025:

The next allocation for the NIV will be from the 1 July 2025.  This will be a big opportunity because the Global Talent Visa is now shut.  So all the allocations from the 1 July 2025 will need to go to the NIV.

So there is a strong incentive to get your EOI for when the new allocations open from the 1 July 2025, to give you the best chance of getting an invite.

Try Our Free Assessment for the National Innovation Visa Here:

If you want to check  your eligibility for the NIV, we have a free assessment tool on our website - https://www.workvisalawyers.com.au/services/national-innovation-visa/free-niv-assessment.html

Getting the information from the Department is useful. It provided us with some insight regarding the popular sectors and it is good to know that invitations are still being issued even if there are just a few at the moment.

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Learn more about the National Innovation Visa: 

https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/national-innovation-visa-858

https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/working-in-australia/visas-for-innovation/national-innovation-visa

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National Innovation Visa Subclass 858 – Common Questions and Answers 

Since the Department of Home Affairs released the new National Innovation Visa (NIV), replacing the Global Talent Visa in December 2024, we have been receiving many inquiries about this new visa.

The National Innovation Visa is a permanent residency visa designed for exceptionally talented individuals from around the world, including global researchers, entrepreneurs, innovative investors, athletes, and creatives.

We have a service page and a YouTube video explaining more about the National Innovation Visa and also offer a free assessment on our website, where our team can provide you with an evaluation of your eligibility.

In this blog we will discuss some of the main questions we are receiving about the National Innovation Visa

Who is eligible to apply for the National Innovation Visa?

Applicants must demonstrate exceptional and outstanding achievements in one of the targeted sectors, such as critical technologies, education, health, energy, infrastructure and transport, or research or has exceptional and outstanding achievements in sports or the arts.

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How is the process to apply for the National Innovation Visa?

High-talent individuals must submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to the Department of Home Affairs and obtain a nomination from an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or organization. If the applicant receives an invitation, they can apply for the National Innovation Visa.

Is there an age limit for applicants to apply for the National Innovation Visa?

There is no age limit to apply for the National Innovation Visa. However, applicants under 18 or over 55 may need to demonstrate how their work will provide exceptional benefit to Australia.

Do I need a job offer to apply for the NIV?

A job offer is not necessarily required. The focus is on the applicant's achievements and potential contributions to Australia. However, having a job offer in Australia for a job that has a salary equal to or more than the Fair Work High Income Threshold will help.

Do I need a nominator? 

Yes. You need a nominator to attest to your achievements and expertise. The nominator can be a state or territory government, an Australian company, or an Australian citizen or permanent resident who is also an expert in your field. 

Check out our blog for tips on how to find a nominator for the National Innovation Visa.

What are the visa costs for the National Innovation Visa?

The visa application fee for the main applicant of the National Innovation Visa in the 2024-2025 financial year is AUD 4,840. For dependents over 18 years old, the visa fee is AUD 2,425, and for dependents under 18 years old, the visa fee is AUD 1,210.

The fees increase every new financial year. 

Additional costs, including translation for documents, police clearances, medical exams, and immigration lawyers or agents’ fees, may apply as extra expenses.

What are the English language requirements?

Applicants aged 18 years or older must demonstrate at least 'Functional' English, which is 4.5 in IELTS and 30 in PTE. If this requirement is not met, a second visa application charge applies.

Can I bring my family with me?

Yes, the visa allows applicants to include immediate family members, such as spouses and dependent children, in their application.

What is the processing time for the visa?

Processing times vary based on the complexity of the application and the applicant's specific circumstances. If it follows the same processing time as the Global Talent Visa, the visa will likely take between 6 to 12 months to receive a decision.

How can we assist you in applying for the National Innovation Visa?

If you have any questions about the new National Innovation Visa, please complete our free assessment available on our website so we can assess your eligibility. 

You can also book an appointment with one of our lawyers or registered migration agents to discuss your situation. 

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What’s the difference between the National Innovation Visa and the Global Talent Visa?

The National Innovation Visa (NIV) replaced the Global Talent Visa (GTV) from 7 December 2024. However, the new NIV is still subclass 858. So, what changed and what stayed the same?

Here we discussed the similarities and differences between the old Global Talent Visa and the new National Innovation Visa Australia.

 

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Internationally recognized record of exceptional and outstanding achievement

What stayed the same

Both GTV and NIV are for those individuals who have an internationally recognized record of exceptional and outstanding achievement in a profession, a sport, the arts and academia and research.

Like the GTV, applicants for the NIV must be prominent in their area, would be an asset to Australia and would not have difficulty in obtaining employment or in becoming established independently in Australia in their area.

What changed

For the National Innovation Visa, Ministerial Direction No 112 provides the priorities for assessing the applications. With global experts and recipients of top of field international awards will be given top priority followed by those who are nominated by an expert Commonwealth or State or Territory government. The third and fourth priorities will be those working in the tier 1 and tier 2 priority sectors respectively.

The Ministerial Direction also provides for the factors or considerations as to how the achievements are assessed such as whether they have received national research grants, whether they hold a PhD degree with high levels of academic influence or thought leadership.

Previously, athletes, creatives and the like apply under the Distinguished Talent pathway of sc-858. Now all NIV applicants are processed under the same pathway. Innovators, innovative entrepreneurs and investors are also targeted as potential applicants for the NIV.

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National Innovation Visa Australia 858

Sectors

What stayed the same

There are still priority sectors for the National Innovation Visa.

What changed

For the NIV, the sectors are now used to determine the priority in processing and are now classified into 2 tiers. Those falling into the tier 1 priority sector will be given the third priority and those in the tier 2 priority sector will be given the fourth priority.

GTV sectors

NIV Sectors

  • Resources
  • Agri-Food and AgTech
  • Energy
  • Health industries
  • Defence, advanced manufacturing and space
  • Circular economy
  • DigiTech
  • Infrastructure and tourism
  • Financial Services and FinTech
  • Education

Tier 1:

  • Critical technologies;
  • Renewables and low emission technologies;
  • Health industries.

Tier 2:

  • Agri-food and Ag-tech;
  • Defence capabilities and space;
  • Education;
  • Financial services and FinTech;
  • Infrastructure and transport;
  • Resources

The big change in terms of sectors is that DigiTech has been removed.

This is a major change because we previously found that the number of expressions of interest from DigiTech was very high, and the number of invitations issued accounted for 50% or more of the overall Global Talent Visa allocation.

Some of those candidates who previously fit into DigiTech now look at other sectors, such as critical sectors, which include AI, and the financial sector in FinTech, which has specializations including: Innovations in application programming, Blockchain engineering, Cloud technologies, FinTech cyber and data security, Financial data science and analysis and Software engineering.

Fair Work High Income Threshold is Still a Measure of High-Caliber Talent

The new priorities include many more objective measures, such as awards, but they still reference the ability to meet the Fair Work high income threshold.


The Fair Work high income threshold is currently $175,000 per year, and this amount increases every year on July 1st.


With the inclusion of many more criteria, the importance of demonstrating that you can meet the Fair Work high income threshold may have been somewhat diluted.

Nomination

What stayed the same

Just like for the Global Talent Visa, nomination is still required for the National Innovation Visa and a completed Form 1000 is still required at the time of the visa application.

The nominator is still required to have a national reputation in the same area as the applicant.

What changed

An expert Commonwealth or State or Territory government are now also able to nominate applicants for the NIV.

Those applicants referred by or nominated by an expert Commonwealth or State or Territory government are given top 2 priority in the processing of the applications.

Expression of Interest (EOI)

What stayed the same

The EOI is still submitted via a webform on the Department of Home Affairs website.

What changed

Unlike the Global Talent Visa, the EOI is now mandatory in order to have a valid application for the National Innovation Visa.  Previously, those applying for sc-858 under the Distinguished Talent pathway are not required to be invited in order to apply for the GTV. 

The processing of the GTV EOIs took about 3-6 months to be processed and if it was endorsed by a Global Talent Officer EOI is able to be processed in a few days. For the NIV, the Department of Home Affairs will invite applicants throughout the year and the submitted EOIs will be in the Department’s system for 2 years and they will expire.

For the GTV, the invitations used to expire after 12 months then the Department changed the policy and the EOIs had no expiration.

For the NIV, invitations are only valid for 60 days, that is, the applicant must apply for the NIV 60 days from the date of the invitation.

****

Having successfully assisted hundreds of applicants for the Distinguished Talent and Global Talent visas, we are now helping clients with the latest talent-focused visa—the National Innovation Visa.

If you’re interested in applying for the National Innovation Visa, we encourage you to contact us. You can also complete our free assessment to determine your eligibility for an invitation.

Complete our free NIV assessment so our team can provide you with a free evaluation of your eligibility.

Book an Appointment

Sources: 

https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/national-innovation-visa-858

https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/working-in-australia/visas-for-innovation/national-innovation-visa/priorities

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