Where do you submit the 858 visa EOI?
Submit the 858 visa EOI through Home Affairs’ “National Innovation visa - Expression of Interest form”, updated 30 September 2026. It has no payment step or ImmiAccount login: that is the basis for describing it as free and separate—not SkillSelect and not ImmiAccount. The application for the National Innovation visa (subclass 858) comes later, in ImmiAccount, as the Department’s National Innovation visa page explains.
The Department’s form can be submitted for you with your written consent; a representative attaches Form 956 or Form 956A, and an Australian migration lawyer can prepare and submit the EOI on your behalf.
The old Global Talent EOI route is no longer the current route: the explanatory statement to the 2024 National Innovation visa amendments says no new Global Talent applications were accepted after 6 December 2024, and regulation 858.211 now requires a written Ministerial invitation following the current National Innovation visa EOI.
What does the 858 EOI form ask?
The Department’s National Innovation visa EOI form asks about one area of achievement, sector, earnings, qualifications and indicators used in Direction 120: awards, grants, publications, h-index and intellectual property. These descriptive row labels follow the form’s order.
| Section | What it asks | What to prepare | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earlier EOIs | Previous National Innovation EOI and its status | Earlier reference, if any | Submitting another without significant changed circumstances or new achievement claims, or without withdrawing the first. |
| How you heard of the visa | Where you learned about the visa | — | — |
| Personal and passport details | Identity and passport details | Passport bio-data page: pdf, jpg or png, up to 1 MB | Oversized file or cloud-storage link. |
| Where you live and your visa | Australian residence and current visa | Current visa details | Treating the EOI as maintaining lawful status: it gives no bridging visa. |
| Area of achievement | One: Profession, Academia and research, Sports, or Arts | The area your record supports | Choosing an area your application cannot prove: regulation 858.212(3) requires the invited area and achievements. |
| Sector | One of 9 visa sectors, Sport, The arts, or Other | Your sector; whether it is tier 1 or tier 2 under Direction 120 | —; tier 1 is Priority 3, tier 2 Priority 4. |
| Occupation and employer | Occupation and employer | Current role details | — |
| Annual earnings | 9 AUD bands, from $0–49,999 to $1 million or more; income only in your achievement area | Earnings evidence, required if invited | Counting income from outside your field. |
| Highest qualification | Highest qualification | Evidence in English or translated, up to 1 MB | Non-English evidence without translation. |
| Top-of-field award | Name of an international award | Award name; Direction 120 Schedule A examples include Nobel Prizes and the Fields Medal | — |
| National research grant | Grant details and country | Grant details; Direction 120 names ARC, UKRI, European Commission and US NSF grants “or similar” | — |
| Publications and h-index | Highly ranked international journal paper in the last 3 years; h-index | Citation details; Direction 120 gives an early-career h-index of 14 as an example | — |
| Intellectual property | Internationally recognised IP | Patent details; Direction 120 names international patents | — |
| Achievement summary | Short achievement summary | Self-contained typed text | Writing “see attachments”: the form says the Department will not refer to attachments. |
| CV and online links | CV upload and online links | CV: pdf, jpg or png, up to 4 MB; public links | Leaving documents on cloud platforms. |
| Government agency referral | Referral and nomination; agency, representative and connection to your area | Form 1000 Part A completed by the agency; supporting statement, up to 4 MB | Attaching an individual’s or organisation’s nomination now: only agency-nominated candidates attach it at EOI. |
| Acknowledgements | Declarations, including Direction 120 assessment consent | — | Submitting before finalising: nothing can be added afterwards. |
Answer each field fully in the form itself: the Department’s National Innovation visa EOI form says it will not read attachments to fill gaps in your answers.
Which documents go with the 858 EOI?
Home Affairs’ “Submitting your EOI”, updated 29 July 2026, lists:
- Your passport bio-data page.
- Your resume or CV.
- Evidence of your highest qualification.
Agency-nominated candidates also attach Form 1000 with Part A completed by the agency and its supporting statement explaining how their expertise is expected to contribute to the agency’s priorities.
“Submitting your EOI” and the Department’s form require English documents or English translations, pdf/jpg/png files, no cloud links, a 1 MB limit per passport or qualification file, and 4 MB for the CV and agency attachments.
The full achievement evidence is uploaded later with the visa application; see 858 visa documents.
What happens after you submit an 858 EOI?
Home Affairs’ “After you submit your EOI”, updated 30 September 2026, explains:
- It remains active for 2 years from submission, then expires; Home Affairs emails you on expiry.
- There are no progress updates.
- You cannot add information or documents.
- It gives no bridging visa.
- Keep one EOI at a time: resubmit only after significant changed circumstances or new achievement claims, and withdraw the old EOI.
- Withdraw before expiry or invitation by emailing National.Innovation@homeaffairs.gov.au with your name, date of birth and EOI reference.
- Submission does not guarantee an invitation. If it expires uninvited, you need a new EOI.
How are 858 invitations issued?
- Priority order. Home Affairs’ National Innovation visa priorities page says the Direction 120 application order also applies to invitations:
- Priority 1: exceptional global experts who are top-of-field international award recipients.
- Priority 2: candidates nominated by an expert Australian Government agency or a state or territory government agency.
- Priority 3: exceptional achievements in tier 1 sectors.
- Priority 4: exceptional achievements in tier 2 sectors.
- Priority 5: everyone else. Direction 120 includes this final category; the Department’s priorities page lists only the first four.
- Monthly rounds. Home Affairs’ current invitation round page states that rounds run monthly.
- Email invitation. “After you submit your EOI” says the email includes a unique reference identifier and invitation code.
- Named achievements. The invitation identifies the achievements on which it was based.
For April–June 2026, Home Affairs’ current invitation round page, updated 24 September 2026, reports 2,166 EOIs and 248 invitations: Priority 1 fewer than 5; Priority 2 fewer than 20; Priority 3 192; Priority 4 38. See 858 EOIs and invitations by quarter.
Direction 120 took effect on 25 July 2026 and revoked Direction 112; it therefore postdates those quarterly figures.
The 858 invitation and the 60-day window
An 858 invitation is the Minister’s written invitation to apply, required by regulation 858.211 and Schedule 1 item 1113(3A) of the Migration Regulations 1994 before a valid application.
Home Affairs’ “After you submit your EOI” gives you 60 days from the invitation date, with no extension. Miss the window and you must submit a new EOI, without any guarantee of another invitation.
The Department’s current invitation round page says an invitation is not a pre-assessment: each application is assessed on its merits. Under regulation 858.212(3), your application must evidence the area and achievements named in the invitation.
How long after an 858 EOI until an invitation?
Home Affairs publishes no EOI-to-invitation waiting time and gives no progress updates. The next monthly round is the first potential opportunity, not a promised invitation date; your EOI expires 2 years after submission if you remain uninvited. These limits follow the Department’s current invitation round and “After you submit your EOI” pages.
Across July 2025–June 2026, the Department’s quarterly figures total 8,190 EOIs and 742 invitations—about 9 invitations per 100 EOIs. Earlier quarterly pages were captured on 7 December 2025, 17 January 2026 and 11 July 2026. EOIs received and invitations issued are not the same cohort, so this is a ratio, not a success rate or a waiting-time estimate.
Does an 858 EOI need a nominator?
No, unless an Australian government agency nominates you. Home Affairs’ “Submitting your EOI” requires agency-nominated candidates to attach Form 1000 Part A and the agency’s statement. Everyone else provides Form 1000 with the visa application; “After you submit your EOI” recommends finding a nominator while waiting.
Under regulation 858.212 of the Migration Regulations 1994, the nominator needs a national reputation in your area. The Department’s form applies that requirement to agencies too. Read about the 858 nominator.
Frequently asked questions
What happens to an 858 EOI after 2 years?
It expires, Home Affairs emails you, and a new EOI is needed to remain under consideration, according to “After you submit your EOI”.
How long does it take to get an 858 EOI invitation?
No time is published. Home Affairs’ current invitation round page lists monthly rounds; “After you submit your EOI” gives the EOI a 2-year life, not an invitation deadline.
Is there an EOI login for the 858?
No account is needed for the Department’s National Innovation visa EOI web form. There is no ImmiAccount login; the later visa application is lodged in ImmiAccount.
Can someone else submit the 858 EOI for me?
Yes, with your written consent. The Department’s form requires a representative to attach Form 956 or Form 956A.
Can I submit a second 858 EOI?
Only after significant changed circumstances or new achievement claims, and after withdrawing the first, under “After you submit your EOI”.
How do I withdraw an 858 EOI?
“After you submit your EOI” says to email National.Innovation@homeaffairs.gov.au with your name, date of birth and EOI reference before expiry or invitation.
After the 858 invitation: applying within 60 days
- Check the invitation date and named achievements against Home Affairs’ “After you submit your EOI” requirements.
- Obtain your nominator’s signed Form 1000, required by Schedule 1 item 1113(3)(d) of the Migration Regulations 1994.
- Lodge Form 47NI in ImmiAccount, as prescribed by the visa application arrangements instrument amended by LIN 24/078.
- Pay the charge: Home Affairs’ National Innovation visa application instructions say processing does not begin until payment.
Follow the steps to apply for the National Innovation visa.
Before submitting your EOI, consider having an Australian migration lawyer check eligibility, evidence consistency and the completeness of your typed answers. That review addresses a concrete constraint: Home Affairs’ form locks after submission and does not use attachments to fill answer gaps, while regulation 858.212(3) fixes the application to the invited area and achievements. It does not guarantee an invitation or visa grant.
Last changed: 3 October 2026.