Latest 858 visa changes
The latest 858 visa changes are Direction 120 from 25 July 2026 and charges of $6,235, $3,120 and $1,560 from 1 July 2026 under Migration Regulations Schedule 1 item 1113.
Filter the dated record
| Date | Type | Change | Source | Guide it changes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 September 2026 | Invitation round | April–June 2026: 2,166 EOIs, 248 invitations. | Home Affairs, Current invitation round | Success rate |
| 29 July 2026 (page date; closure date unpublished) | State program | Queensland closed for 2025–26; 2026–27 reopening not dated. | Migration Queensland; Trade and Investment Queensland, dated 8 September 2026 | Queensland |
| 25 July 2026 | Direction | Direction 120 replaces Direction 112: five priorities, tier 1 and 2 sectors. | Ministerial Direction 120 | Priority order; sectors |
| 1 July 2026 | Fee | Charges $6,235 / $3,120 / $1,560, about 25% higher; $4,890 second instalment unchanged. | Migration Regulations, Schedule 1 item 1113; Home Affairs price data | Fees |
| 1 July 2026 | Direction | Income indicator used by Direction 120: threshold $190,100, previously $183,100. | Fair Work Commission, High income threshold | Income threshold |
| 1 July 2026 | Fee | Tribunal migration review fee $3,727, previously $3,580. | Commonwealth Gazette, 22 June 2026; Administrative Review Tribunal | Refusal |
| 12 May 2026 | Planning level | 2026–27 Talent and Innovation: 3,500 places including 20 BIIP. | Home Affairs planning levels, updated 21 September 2026 | Success rate |
| 15 April 2026 | Invitation round | January–March 2026: 1,815 EOIs, 146 invitations. | Home Affairs invitation page, as published on 11 July 2026 capture | Success rate |
| 19 March 2026 | State program | Tasmania publishes referral-only National Innovation nomination policy. | Migration Tasmania, as published on 15 April 2026 capture | State nomination |
| 16 January 2026 | Invitation round | October–December 2025: 2,368 EOIs, 226 invitations. | Home Affairs invitation page, as published on 17 January 2026 capture | Success rate |
| 8 December 2025 | State program | Queensland opens National Innovation nomination EOIs. | Queensland Government ministerial statement | Queensland |
| 7 October 2025 | Invitation round | July–September 2025: 1,841 EOIs, 122 invitations. | Home Affairs invitation page, as published on 7 December 2025 capture | Success rate |
| 17 July 2025 | State program | Victoria announces National Innovation nomination; route is referral-only. | Live in Melbourne announcement, as published on 23 November 2025 capture; policy captured 10 April 2026 | State nomination |
| 1 July 2025 | Fee | Charges $4,985 / $2,495 / $1,250. | Migration Regulations, 1 July 2025 compilation | Fees |
| 2025–26 (from 1 July 2025) | Planning level | Talent and Innovation 4,300 plus BIIP 1,000; planning page combines them as 5,300. | Home Affairs Administration paper, June 2026; planning levels page | Success rate |
| 10 June 2025 | State program | South Australia opens registrations of interest for National Innovation nomination. | South Australian Skilled and Business Migration news | South Australia |
| 6 December 2024 | Rename | Global Talent becomes National Innovation, same subclass 858; invitation now required. | Migration Amendment (National Innovation Visa) Regulations 2024 and Explanatory Statement | Global Talent |
| 6 December 2024 | Direction | Direction 112 made; later revoked on 25 July 2026. | Ministerial Direction 120, section 3 | Priority order |
| 6 December 2024 | Rename | GTI ends with Global Talent closure; Special Envoy pathway repealed. | Home Affairs GTI redirect; National Innovation amendment Explanatory Statement | GTI |
| 31 July 2024 | Rename | Business Innovation and Investment Program closes to new applications. | Home Affairs BIIP closure page | Founders |
| 2024–25 program year | Planning level | Global Talent 4,000; Distinguished Talent 300; BIIP 1,000. | Home Affairs Migration Program report 2024–25 | Success rate |
| 11 December 2023 | Rename | National Innovation visa announced in the Migration Strategy. | National Innovation amendment Explanatory Statement, 5 December 2024 | Global Talent |
| 2023–24 program year | Planning level | Global Talent 5,000; Distinguished Talent 300; BIIP 1,900. | Home Affairs Migration Program report 2023–24 | Success rate |
| 2022–23 program year | Planning level | Global Talent 5,000; Distinguished Talent 300; BIIP 5,000. | Home Affairs Migration Program report 2022–23 | Success rate |
| 1 July 2021 | Rename | Business Talent visa, subclass 132, repealed. | Migration Regulations, Schedule 13 note | Founders |
| 27 February 2021 | Rename | Distinguished Talent, subclass 858, renamed Global Talent, subclass 858. | Migration Amendment (2021 Measures No. 1) Regulations 2021 | Distinguished Talent |
| 14 November 2020 | Rename | Subclass 124 repealed; one onshore/offshore 858; health criterion becomes waivable. | Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (2020 Measures No. 2) Explanatory Statement | Distinguished Talent |
Latest invitation round — April–June 2026
Home Affairs’ “Current invitation round” page, updated 24 September 2026, reports 2,166 EOIs received and 248 invitations: Priority 1 <5, Priority 2 <20, Priority 3 192, Priority 4 38. Rounds run monthly; these figures cover a quarter.
What you may read that is out of date
- “Direction 112 sets the order” → Ministerial Direction 120 replaced it on 25 July 2026.
- “$4,985 for the main applicant” → Migration Regulations item 1113 sets $6,235 from 1 July 2026.
- “The state invites you to apply” → Home Affairs issues the visa invitation, not the state government.
- “5,000 places” → Home Affairs’ 2026–27 planning page lists 3,500 Talent and Innovation places, including 20 BIIP places.
- “The Global Talent visa is open” → The National Innovation amendment closed it to new applications on 6 December 2024.
- Older income figures → The Fair Work Commission threshold is $190,100 from 1 July 2026; Direction 120 treats earnings as an indicator, not a visa criterion.
858 visa changes in 2026
- 25 July — priority order: Ministerial Direction 120, signed 24 July, ranks global experts with top-of-field international awards first. Home Affairs applies the order to invitations too; check the 858 visa priority order before relying on an older sector list.
- 1 July — application charges: Migration Regulations item 1113 sets $6,235 main, $3,120 additional adult and $1,560 additional child. The 2026–27 Budget introduced the roughly 25% increase; see why the 858 visa fee rose.
- 1 July — income and review fees: The Fair Work Commission threshold became $190,100. The Commonwealth Gazette sets the Tribunal migration review fee at $3,727; the Tribunal says the payment date governs the new fee.
- 12 May — planning level: Home Affairs announced 3,500 Talent and Innovation places for 2026–27, including 20 BIIP places. Do not treat the whole category as National Innovation-only places.
- Queensland closure: Migration Queensland’s page dated 29 July records closure for 2025–26, not the closure’s effective date. For the current position, see is Queensland's 858 nomination open.
- 19 March — Tasmania: Migration Tasmania published a referral-only policy, as published on the 15 April 2026 capture; individuals do not lodge an unsolicited nomination application.
- 16 January, 15 April and 24 September — quarterly figures: Home Affairs published 226, 146 and 248 invitations respectively for October–December 2025, January–March 2026 and April–June 2026. These are invitation counts, not visa grants.
Does Direction 120 affect an application lodged before 25 July 2026?
Yes, for processing order: Ministerial Direction 120 covers National Innovation and on-hand Global Talent and Distinguished Talent applications, subject to its exclusions. It does not replace the transitional eligibility rules for older applications.
858 visa changes in 2025
- 10 June: South Australian Skilled and Business Migration opened registrations of interest; see how to apply for South Australian 858 nomination.
- 1 July: Migration Regulations item 1113 set charges at $4,985 main, $2,495 additional adult and $1,250 additional child; these are historical amounts.
- 17 July: Live in Melbourne announced Victorian nomination, as published on the 23 November 2025 capture. Its referral-only process, captured 10 April 2026, did not accept candidate applications.
- 7 October: Home Affairs dated its July–September figures: 1,841 EOIs and 122 invitations, the earliest quarterly figures found.
- 8 December: Queensland’s ministerial statement announced nomination EOIs opening; nomination is distinct from a Home Affairs visa invitation.
What changed for the Global Talent visa (Australia) in 2025?
The visa was already named National Innovation. The dated changes were South Australian, Victorian and Queensland nomination openings, new July charges and publication of July–September invitation figures, as listed above by the state governments, Migration Regulations and Home Affairs.
From Global Talent visa (Australia) to the 858 National Innovation visa: 2024
- 31 July: Home Affairs’ BIIP closure page records closure to new applications; on-hand applications remain in processing and eligible 188 holders retain the 888 pathway. See what replaced the 188 visa.
- 6 December: The Migration Amendment (National Innovation Visa) Regulations 2024 renamed subclass 858, carried over its achievement criteria and required an invitation. Compare Global Talent visa vs National Innovation visa.
- Earlier applications: Migration Regulations Schedule 13 preserves the law in force when a pre-6-December application was made.
- GTI and Special Envoy: The amendment repealed the Special Envoy pathway. The Global Talent closure and Home Affairs redirect indicate GTI ended with that closure; an old GTI EOI or unique identifier does not substitute for the written invitation required by the Regulations.
Is the Global Talent visa (Australia) the same as the Innovation visa?
It is the same subclass renamed: the 2024 National Innovation amendment changed Global Talent subclass 858 to National Innovation subclass 858 from 6 December 2024, with the achievement criteria carried over.
Global Talent visa (Australia) changes, 2020 to 2023
- 14 November 2020: The 2020 Measures No. 2 Explanatory Statement records subclass 124’s repeal, one 858 for applicants inside or outside Australia, and a waivable health criterion. See is the subclass 124 visa still open.
- 27 February 2021: The 2021 Measures No. 1 Regulations renamed Distinguished Talent 858 to Global Talent 858.
- 2021: The National Innovation amendment Explanatory Statement records introduction of the Special Envoy pathway that year; Migration Regulations Schedule 13 records subclass 132’s repeal on 1 July.
- 2022–23 and 2023–24: Home Affairs’ Migration Program reports list 5,000 Global Talent and 300 Distinguished Talent places in each year; BIIP places were 5,000 and 1,900 respectively.
- 11 December 2023: The National Innovation amendment Explanatory Statement dates the visa’s announcement to the Migration Strategy.
858 invitation rounds by quarter
Home Affairs’ “Current invitation round” page and archived copies provide these four quarters, newest first.
| Quarter | EOIs received | Invitations | Priority 1 | Priority 2 | Priority 3 | Priority 4 | Home Affairs page date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April–June 2026 | 2,166 | 248 | <5 | <20 | 192 | 38 | 24 September 2026 |
| January–March 2026 | 1,815 | 146 | 0 | 15 | 113 | 18 | 15 April 2026; as published on 11 July 2026 capture |
| October–December 2025 | 2,368 | 226 | <5 | <10 | 166 | 52 | 16 January 2026; as published on 17 January 2026 capture |
| July–September 2025 | 1,841 | 122 | <5 | 17 | 84 | 20 | 7 October 2025; as published on 7 December 2025 capture |
On Home Affairs’ figures, there were about 9 invitations per 100 EOIs across these quarters: 742 invitations and 8,190 EOIs. This is a ratio, not a success rate: each quarter’s EOIs and invitations are not the same people. Earlier quarterly figures were not found as at 3 October 2026. See 858 EOIs and invitations by quarter.
Upcoming 858 dates to watch
- July–September 2026 figures: Not yet published on Home Affairs’ invitation page as at 3 October 2026.
- Queensland reopening: Not announced; Migration Queensland and Trade and Investment Queensland say 2026–27 reopening is “at a later date”.
- 1 July 2027: The Fair Work threshold and Tribunal fee are indexed each 1 July under their legislation, but 2027 amounts are not published. The 858 charges changed on 1 July 2025 and 2026; no 2027 charge is published.
- Victoria and Tasmania: Their government pages’ status after the April 2026 captures is not confirmed; no later opening or closure date is confirmed here.
- ACT and Northern Territory: The ACT was not open as published on the 11 August 2026 capture. The NT Government has a National Innovation page, but its contents are not confirmed; no opening date is confirmed here.
When will Queensland reopen 858 nomination?
Not announced. Migration Queensland and Trade and Investment Queensland give “at a later date” for 2026–27, without a reopening date.
How this 858 change log is kept
A change-log entry records a government-source change, using the source’s own date and naming the page or legal instrument. Archived pages carry “as published on” and their capture date; corrections are recorded as entries rather than silently replacing the history.
Read how 858visa.com.au sources and dates every fact, or return to the National Innovation visa (subclass 858) guide.
Ask an Australian migration lawyer to check your application and payment dates against the rules in force on those dates, including Direction 120 and any changed threshold. Migration Regulations Schedule 13 preserves older application rules, Direction 120 governs covered on-hand applications, and the Tribunal’s fee notice makes the payment date relevant to review fees.