Australia National Innovation Visa: invitation rounds in April–June 2026
Home Affairs publishes National Innovation Visa (subclass 858) invitation statistics. For April–June 2026 it reports 2,166 expressions of interest received and 248 invitations issued, mostly in Tier One sectors such as critical technologies.
By Beyond Borders Editorial Team
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Key points
- Home Affairs describes the National Innovation Visa (subclass 858) as an invitation-only permanent visa for people with an internationally recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievement.
- The current-invitation-round page reports that invitation rounds happen monthly, and for April–June 2026 shows 2,166 EOIs received and 248 invitations issued.
- Of those invitations, Home Affairs attributes most to Priority three (Tier One sectors), with Critical technologies the largest sector count in the published table.
- An invitation is not a pre-assessment of eligibility; Home Affairs says each application is assessed on its merits after invitation.
What the National Innovation Visa is
The Australian Department of Home Affairs describes the National Innovation Visa (subclass 858) as an invitation-only permanent visa for established and emerging leaders with an internationally recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievement, including global researchers, entrepreneurs, innovative investors, athletes and creatives.
Applicants submit an expression of interest (EOI), wait for an invitation, then apply within 60 days of the invitation date with a completed Form 1000 nomination. Home Affairs says EOIs remain active for two years from submission.
April–June 2026 invitation figures
The current invitation round page (accessed 22 October 2026) says invitation rounds happen monthly. For April–June 2026 it publishes:
| Total EOIs received | 2,166 |
| Invitations issued | 248 |
Invitations by priority level (same page): Priority one fewer than 5; Priority two fewer than 20; Priority three (Tier One sectors) 192; Priority four (Tier Two sectors) 38.
By sector, Tier 1 Critical technologies accounts for 122 of the published invitations, followed by Health Industries 45 and Renewables and low emission technologies 33.
Home Affairs states that an invitation is not a pre-assessment of eligibility and that each application is assessed on its merits and supporting documents.
What this does not mean
An EOI does not guarantee an invitation or a visa. This piece is not legal, tax or immigration advice.
What this does not mean
- It does not mean submitting an EOI leads to an invitation or a visa.
- It does not quote visa application charges in this summary.
- It is not immigration advice.
Official sources
Evidence labels: Verified — we checked this against the official source; Reported — from a named press report, not an official statement; Analysis — our reading of the sources.
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