National Innovation Visa · VIC
Victoria state nomination
Victoria operates a referral-only NIV nomination model. Direct EOIs are not accepted. The pathway runs through engagement with eligible VIC-based organisations.
Program status
Victoria operates a referral-only NIV nomination model. Candidates must engage with a Victorian Government department or agency on a project plan in their field of internationally recognised expertise. The department or agency identifies and refers eligible candidates. Victoria does not accept candidate-initiated Registrations of Interest for the NIV. Once the department or agency supports a nomination, it prepares the nomination document and provides it to the candidate, who lodges the EOI with the Department of Home Affairs together with the Victorian nomination. Victorian nomination places candidates in Priority 2. New projects should not be proposed solely for the purpose of securing nomination.
The VIC NIV ecosystem
Victoria has the largest concentration of universities, research institutes, and headquartered Australian companies in the country. The University of Melbourne, Monash, RMIT, and Deakin lead in research output across fields. The Parkville biomedical precinct, the Florey Institute, the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, and the Doherty Institute are internationally significant. Melbourne hosts Australia's largest fintech, biotech, and creative industries clusters. Engagement with a Victorian Government agency on a substantive project is the gateway to NIV nomination.
The federal NIV framework
The Subclass 858 National Innovation Visa is a federal program administered by the Department of Home Affairs. It replaced the Global Talent Visa and the Business Innovation and Investment Program from 7 December 2024. The visa is invitation-only. Applicants must lodge an Expression of Interest, receive an invitation, and lodge a complete visa application within 60 days.
Eligibility requires an internationally recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievement, continuing prominence in the applicant's field, and capacity to make a substantial contribution to Australia. The visa application stage requires nomination on Form 1000 by an Australian individual or organisation with a national reputation in the field.
State or territory government nomination at the EOI stage places the applicant in Priority 2. Tier One sector achievements (Critical Technologies; Health Industries; Renewables and Low Emission Technologies) place the applicant in Priority 3. International top-of-field awards place the applicant in Priority 1. Strategic positioning of the EOI within this framework materially affects invitation prospects.
Speak with an immigration lawyer about your NIV strategy
We assess your record of achievement against the priority framework, identify the strongest available priority position (state-nominated, federal Form 1000, or Tier One sector), and prepare the EOI and visa application to a litigation-ready standard.
Book a consultationOther NIV pathways for VIC-based applicants
State nomination is one of several routes to NIV invitation. Where Victoria nomination is not the right fit, the alternatives include nomination by another state or territory government, federal Form 1000 nomination by an Australian individual or organisation with a national reputation, and Tier One sector achievement supporting a Priority 3 EOI.
For applicants whose achievements meaningfully meet the NIV threshold, the right strategic question is which priority level the profile genuinely supports and which nominator best matches the field. Lodging speculatively at a low priority wastes the EOI; lodging at the strongest available priority is the strategic position.
Common questions
Does Victoria nominate for the National Innovation Visa?
What is the VIC NIV ecosystem?
What is the alternative if VIC does not nominate?
What is Form 1000?
How does the priority framework work?
Can family be included?
Information current as at 30 April 2026. State and territory NIV nomination programs are revised through the program year. Confirm current settings at liveinmelbourne.vic.gov.au and at homeaffairs.gov.au before lodging an Expression of Interest.