National Innovation Visa

DOHA will extend invitations in the following priority order, with priority one being the highest:

Priority one	Exceptional candidates from any sector who are global experts and recipients of international ‘top of field’ level awards.
Priority two	Candidates from any sector nominated on the approved Form 1000 by an expert Australian Commonwealth, State or Territory Government agency.
Priority three	Candidates with exceptional and outstanding achievements in a Tier One sector: Critical Technologies Health Industries Renewables and low emission technologies
Priority four	Candidates with exceptional and outstanding achievements in a Tier Two sector: Agri-food and AgTech Defence Capabilities and Space Education Financial Services and FinTech Infrastructure and Transport Resources

Must have an internationally recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievement

The 858 visa requires that the applicant has an internationally recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievement in one of the following areas (as defined in accordance with their ordinary dictionary meaning):

• a profession (refers to ‘a vocation requiring knowledge of some department of learning or science’);
• a sport (refers to ‘an activity involving physical exertion and skill, in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment’);
• the arts (refers to ‘the theoretical or physical expression of creativity found in human cultures and societies. Major constituents of the arts include visual arts, literature, and performance arts’);
• academia and research (refers to ‘scholarly and systematic inquiry into a subject to discover facts or principles’).

The applicant must also demonstrate that they:

• are still prominent in the area; and
• would be an asset to the Australian community; and
• would have no difficulty in obtaining employment, or in becoming established independently, in Australia in the area; and
• have produced a completed approved form 1000 in which an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, eligible New Zealand citizen or an Australian organisation, who has a national reputation in relation to the area has attested to the applicant’s record of achievement in the same area; and
• would be of exceptional benefit to the Australian community if they had not turned 18, or were at least 55 years old at the time of application—

If DOHA have doubts about the applicant’s international recognition, or level of achievements, then consideration is usually given to seeking further information and supporting evidence from the applicant or nominator.

Policy requirements of international recognition

Under policy, ‘internationally recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievement’ means that a person’s achievements have been, or would be, acclaimed as exceptional and outstanding in any country.

An achievement that may attract national acclaim would be considered ‘internationally recognised’ if that achievement is in an area practised in other countries and has attracted, or would attract, similar acclaim in those countries.

Assessing international recognition

In determining the international standing of the applicant within a field of note, DOHA would consider the standing of the achievement in relation to international standards.

For example, an applicant rated at, or near, the top of their field in their home country would be considered to have an internationally recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievement if:

• the field is undertaken and recognised in a number of countries; and
• the achievement would be similarly recognised in relation to international and Australian standards (where such standards apply) for that area.

Indicators that an applicant would meet the ‘internationally recognised’ threshold are:

• an individual holding a senior position in a highly competitive ‘international organisation’. An individual holding a senior position in an organisation with an internationally renowned reputation would typically be a senior academic (such as a professor), or a senior executive (such as a CEO or Vice President). An organisation with an internationally renowned reputation would be considered as an ‘international organisation’;
• an individual with an established track record of holding senior positions in organisations, in a number of countries;
• an individual completing major international projects that have had a wide reaching impact. For example:
  • a pharmaceutical executive who has led projects and as a result, successfully accelerated the clinical trial process to achieve a medical outcome, would be considered as an individual who has had a wide-reaching impact on the health benefits of society; or
  • a senior software engineer who has successfully led the innovation and implementation of a novel product with market disrupting qualities which will positively impact on the productivity on the industry; or
• an individual whose research in their field is internationally lauded or has global application. For example, a scientist involved in genomic sequencing whose work has benefits for international pandemic control; or a computer scientist whose pioneering research has been recognised with an international award for enduring impacts on the computing industry.
• a professional athlete whose performance is internationally recognised through success in competing at major national or international events.
• an internationally acclaimed artist with a sustained record of well-recognised work.

When assessing the international standing of degree qualifications and research, DOHA would consider:

• the standing of the qualification in relation to Australian tertiary education quality standards.
• the standing of the research activities undertaken in comparison to the international standard, including the consideration of any existing collaborations with world-ranking research centres, scientists, government and industry leaders.

In determining whether an overseas-obtained qualification is equivalent to Australian standards, DOHA would refer to Department of Education, Skills and Employment resources including the Australian Qualifications Framework and the Country Education Profiles.

Policy requirements of ‘record’, ‘exceptional’ and ‘outstanding’ achievement

‘Exceptional’ and ‘outstanding achievement’ is not defined in the Regulations. Therefore, the ordinary dictionary meaning of the words applies. As such, exceptional and outstanding achievement is the act of accomplishing something extraordinary that places the individual above the average. Individuals with an internationally recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievement are usually those who are leaders in their particular field.

It is anticipated that an applicant would generally have a record of sustained and multiple achievement.  However, a single achievement by an applicant may still be regarded as a record of ‘exceptional and outstanding’ achievement if that achievement is ‘cutting-edge’ and highly innovative in nature.

Assessing ‘exceptional and outstanding achievement’

In assessing the applicant’s record of achievement, DOHA would take into account information such as indicated in the following examples:

• information provided by an accepted nominator who has a national reputation in relation to the applicant’s area of claimed achievement. This may include a full account of the reasons why the nominator believes the applicant has an exceptional and outstanding record of achievement;
• supporting statements and material provided by the applicant detailing relevant aspects of their record of achievement, including their qualifications, awards, and professional or academic positions held. This could include information relating to achievements both in Australia and overseas;
• supporting statements from internationally recognised individuals or organisations in the applicant’s claimed area of achievement who are qualified to comment on the applicant’s achievements and the applicant’s reputation within the area; and
• prestigious and internationally recognised awards received from internationally recognised institutions or organisations.

Academia and research

• If the applicant’s area of achievement is in the area of academia and research, evidence of exceptional and outstanding achievements including:
  • reports commissioned;
  • books published;
  • articles published in refereed journals with strong reputation, high Journal Impact Factor (JIF) and a high standard of peer-review as reflected by the prestige of the journal
  • prestigious and internationally recognised awards received;
  • recognition by peers (including an exceptional record of citations in journals);
  • statements of achievement from government, professional, scientific or other relevant bodies;
  • honours and accolades (for example, a Nobel Prize; an award from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), or the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC));
  • professional designation such as Professor, PhD, or M.D (Doctor of Medicine), or associated with credentials attesting to specific competence, learning or skills;
  • membership of international groups and organisations associated with the area of learning;
  • evidence of government/private grants associated with the applicant’s research;
  • evidence of receiving a fellowship or an honorary appointment such as Professor or Associate Professor in one or more highly regarded educational institutions that specialises in the same field;
  • academic qualifications associated with the applicant’s area of expertise that are equivalent to Australian standards, as set out in the Australian Qualifications Framework;
  • scale and audience of research undertaken or completed;
  • statements from the applicant’s research supervisor (or professor) that the student’s thesis/ research has strong prospects of being published;
  • evidence of patents with strong prospects of application and commercialisation;
  • links to any reputable websites that refer to the applicant and what they have done/achieved.

A profession

• If the applicant’s area of achievement is in the area of a profession, evidence of exceptional and outstanding professional achievement could include:
  • prestigious national and international industry awards and accolades;
  • references from current and past employers;
  • statements from prominent business and industry peers;
  • academic degrees or professional designations associated with the applicant’s profession;
  • personal/professional titles (such as CEO, Director, Department Head and Professor) indicating an earned rank or position that is senior, in relation to the hierarchy within the formal structure of an internationally recognised organisation;
  • newspaper and magazine articles attesting to achievements and/or awards; and
  • links to any reputable websites that refer to the applicant and what they have achieved.

A sport

• If the applicant’s area of achievement is in the area of a sport, evidence of exceptional and outstanding international sporting achievements; including:
  • national and international rankings;
  • membership of national sporting teams;
  • results in international competitions or tournaments;
  • statements from international sporting bodies;
  • sporting scholarships received;
  • newspaper and magazine articles attesting to achievements; and
  • links to any reputable websites that refer to the applicant’s sporting achievements.

The arts

• If the applicant’s area of achievement is in the arts, evidence of exceptional and outstanding achievements in the arts including:
  • books published;
  • national and international sales achieved;
  • awards and commissions received;
  • galleries in which works are displayed;
  • scale and audience of displays held;
  • recognition by peers;
  • honours and accolades (for example, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award, an Academy Award, or a Nobel Prize in Literature);
  • academic qualifications associated with the applicant’s area of the arts;
  • statements from national and international artistic bodies;
  • newspaper and magazine articles attesting to achievements;
  • links to any reputable websites that refer to the applicant’s artistic achievements.

While it is open to DOHA to accept a single strong achievement as evidence of an applicant meeting the criteria (for example, winning a Nobel Prize or Olympic Medal), it is generally expected that an individual who is exceptional and outstanding would be able to provide evidence of a track record of achievements, such as those listed in the above examples.

The internet may be used by DOHA to source additional material and as a method of confirming the accuracy of any claims made. DOHA would only consider information that is relevant, credible and significant. DOHA would also have regard to their obligations under the Privacy Act 1988 when sourcing information. Any adverse or conflicting information obtained from internet sources that is relevant to the decision, would be put to the applicant in compliance with section 57 of the Act, in writing, for comment.

Related:

What is the “internationally recognised achievement” in the Global Talent Visa?