EMC Australia / Subclass 858
Invitation-only permanent residence — not a business visa you can just lodge.
Invitation-only permanent residence. You cannot lodge unless Home Affairs invites you. An expression of interest asks to be considered. It is not a visa application, and an invitation is not a grant. Subclass 858 is the National Innovation visa. It replaced Global Talent, which had replaced Distinguished Talent. It is not a points test. Distinguished Talent subclass 124 is closed. New entry on Business Innovation and Investment subclass 188 is closed. Business Talent subclass 132, and subclasses 890, 891, 892 and 893, are closed. We do not lodge those.
Who this page is for
- You have an internationally recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievement, and you are still prominent in that field
- The field is a profession, research and academia, the arts, sport, or innovation — a senior job title is not the record
- You can ask to be considered with an expression of interest, and you will only lodge a visa if invited
- Someone who can complete Form 1000 is realistic: an Australian citizen, permanent resident, eligible New Zealand citizen, or an Australian organisation with a national reputation in the field
- You were pointed at Global Talent, Distinguished Talent, or a closed business visa and need the current visa named
How it works
What this visa asks of you
These are the parts of this visa, in the order they usually matter.
EOI (expression of interest)
Home Affairs form, before any application
Expression of interest — not a visa
You ask to be considered. Home Affairs does not have to invite you.
An EOI is not an assessment of eligibility and it does not guarantee an invitation. It can sit for up to two years. Do not lodge a second EOI while one is pending unless your claims have genuinely changed. If you need to be in Australia while you wait, that is a different visa.
Invitation
Only if Home Affairs invites you
Invitation, then 60 days
The invitation email carries a reference and an invitation code. You use those on the visa application.
You have 60 days from the invitation to lodge. That period is not extended. An application without an invitation, or outside that period, is not accepted. If you miss it, you need a new EOI, and a new invitation is not promised. The invitation names the achievement it was based on. The visa file has to evidence that achievement. An invitation is not a grant.
858 visa
In or from outside Australia, after the invitation
Form 1000, then the visa
A nominator attests that the record is internationally recognised, exceptional and outstanding, that you are still prominent, that you will be an asset, and that you can work or establish yourself in the field in Australia.
A job offer is not Form 1000. Home Affairs also publishes priority sectors — including critical technologies, health industries, and renewables and low-emission technologies, and others such as agri-food, defence and space, education, financial services, infrastructure and resources. A sector is not an invitation. Health and character are still decided on the visa.
After grant
Australia
Permanent residence after grant
858 is a permanent visa once it is granted. The travel facility on it still has an end date.
Permanent residence is not citizenship. If the travel facility later ends, coming back is a Resident Return visa, which is a different application. Directions 121 and 122 do not apply to 858, and they do not reopen a closed subclass.
How EMC works
How we help
01
Whether 858 is the honest visa
If the real visa is 189, 190, 491, 482 or a partner visa, we say so before an EOI. 858 is not a way around a points score.
02
The EOI, then the 60 days
We only put in claims the file can evidence. If an invitation comes, the visa is a separate piece of work inside the invitation period.
03
Closed subclasses we will not lodge
Subclass 124 is closed. New entry on 188 is closed. 132 and 890, 891, 892 and 893 are closed. An investment, a business, or an old Global Talent brochure is not an invitation.
First conversation
What to bring
- A CV and the record: awards, publications, international roles, or the equivalent in research, sport, the arts or innovation
- Who could complete Form 1000, and why they have a national reputation in the field
- Any EOI already submitted, any invitation, and the date on it
- Any previous visa refusal, and any advice that told you to use 188, 132, 124 or 890–893
Before you apply
Things that go wrong
- You cannot apply for 858 until Home Affairs invites you. An EOI is not that application.
- A high salary, a business purchase, or a shortfall on 189 points is not exceptional achievement.
- Subclass 124, new-entry 188, 132, and 890, 891, 892 and 893 are closed. We do not market them as open.
- Global Talent is the old name of this subclass, not a second visa you can still lodge.
- Missing the 60-day invitation window means a new EOI. There is no extension.
Questions
People ask this first
Yes, after it is granted. It is still invitation-only. You submit an expression of interest, you lodge a visa only if invited, and Home Affairs still decides the visa. An invitation is not a grant.
Start with your situation.
You do not need to memorise the subclass. Book a consultation, or send us a message.
MARN 1800335 · Level 14, 333 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000.
Related topics
This page is general information, not advice about your circumstances. Australian migration law changes. You should consult a Registered Migration Agent before you apply. EMC Australia is OMARA-registered (MARN 1800335).