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National Innovation Visa (NIV) program – South Australia criteria

South Australia Government Updates

National Innovation Visa (Subclass 858) – South Australia Criteria

26 Jun 2025 – Registrations of Interest are now open.

Key Points:

This is a permanent visa for internationally recognised talent that allows you to live and work in South Australia.

What is the National Innovation visa?

The National Innovation visa (subclass 858) is a permanent visa for individuals who have an internationally recognised record of outstanding achievement in their field.

South Australian state nomination for the NIV is aimed at attracting high-calibre, high-performing individuals who can drive innovation, productivity and growth in the state.

Nomination Pathway

To be considered for South Australian state nomination for the NIV, you will need to meet the guidelines under one of the nomination categories.

There are a range of nomination categories for individuals with internationally recognised talent seeking to live and work in South Australia. Read through each of the categories to see if you are eligible to be considered for state nomination.

Five Target Pathways:

Global researchers and thought leaders
Entrepreneurs
Innovative investors
Creative talent
Other globally talented individuals

Your achievements may include having:

Received a national research grant in Australia or overseas.
Undertaken recent keynote appearances at high-profile international conferences.
Recognised intellectual property attributed to you, such as holding relevant international patents.
Current earnings or a job offer in South Australia at or above the Fair Work High Income Threshold (AUD).
A PhD with high levels of academic influence or thought leaderships such as:
- recent publications in top ranked journals in your academic field.
- a high h-index[1] for your stage of career.
- a research-based degree from a top global university, for example, a university ranked in the top 100 of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

[1] The h-index is a scholarly metric that captures research output based on the total number of publications and the total number of citations to those works.

Pathway 2. Entrepreneur

You can demonstrate evidence that your entrepreneurial activities will lead to the:

Commercialisation of a product or service in South Australia; OR
Development of a business or enterprise that will significantly add value to the South Australian economy.

You must also be able to demonstrate:

In-depth knowledge, expertise or a track record in the target product or service and how this could be applied in the South Australian context.
Commitment to launching an innovative business in South Australia, which has the potential to become a sustainable high-growth start-up & create jobs for South Australians.
That the majority of the proposed project development, business assets and staff are or will be in South Australia.

There is no minimum investment threshold required to be considered for state nomination via the Entrepreneurs category.

Pathway 3. Innovative Investor

You can demonstrate an established track record of:

Supporting successful innovative ventures; OR
Leading internationally reputed companies to their Initial Public Offering.

This may include investors who are investing into innovative ecosystems and providing South Australian businesses with capital to bring new products to market and drive productivity growth.

Investing into managed funds will only be considered on an exceptional basis and you must be able to demonstrate:

The significant economic benefits your investments have delivered in South Australia to date; and
Your future investment strategy in South Australia.

There is no minimum investment threshold required to be considered for state nomination via the Innovative Investors category.

The following types of investment activities are not considered as ‘innovative’ for the purposes of state nomination for the NIV:

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

Pathway 4. Creative talent

You will need to demonstrate significant achievements in your creative field, including international level awards or achievements.

Pathway 5. Other globally talented individuals

Other globally talented individuals who do not fit into the other categories can be considered for state nominations on a case-by-case basis.

You will need to demonstrate significant achievements in your field, including international level awards or achievements.

Who can provide immigration assistance?

Immigration assistance is when a person uses knowledge of, or experience in, migration procedure to assist with visa applications or other visa matters by:

preparing, or helping to prepare a visa application or other document
advising about a visa application or visa matter
representing in, or preparing for, proceedings before a court or review authority in relation to a visa matter.

If you appoint someone to give you immigration assistance, they must be:

a registered migration agent
a legal practitioner, or
an exempt person.

Book a Consultation with a registered migration agent

Select a state below to see it’s state nomination requirements:

Australia

https://visaenvoy.com/nsw-skilled-migration-nomination-requirements-190-visa/

https://visaenvoy.com/queensland-190-visa-requirements/

https://visaenvoy.com/south-australia-skilled-migration-190-491-visa/

https://visaenvoy.com/tasmania-skilled-migration-nomination-requirements/

https://visaenvoy.com/victoria-skilled-migration-nomination-requirements/

https://visaenvoy.com/western-australia-190-visa-requirements/

https://visaenvoy.com/act-skilled-migration-nomination-requirements/

https://visaenvoy.com/northern-territory-government-nomination

Talk to us

Applying for a National Innovation Visa (NIV) can be confusing as there are small intricacies in migration law. To alleviate your stress and worry about how to apply for the visa, you can book a time with us to help you understand the processes to make sure that you are on the right track.