Do I Need to Sign the Australian Values Statement for Subclass 858 in 2026?

Yes if you're 18 or over: Subclass 858 requires reading Life in Australia and signing the Australian Values Statement. Here's what it commits you to.

Published: 17 October 2026

Yes, if you are 18 years of age or older. Under the Australian Department of Home Affairs' official National Innovation visa (Subclass 858) page, as at October 2026, applicants aged 18 and over must have read, or had explained to them, the Life in Australia booklet, and must confirm that they will respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws when they sign an Australian Values Statement. Subclass 858 is published by the Department as the National Innovation visa (NIV), a permanent visa, and the values statement sits in the list of criteria you must meet rather than alongside the talent and nomination criteria.

Who has to sign the Australian Values Statement?

The criterion is written for applicants aged 18 and over at the time of application. The page does not state it as a requirement for applicants under 18.

Subclass 858 has no minimum age — you can be any age to apply — but the page adds a separate condition at both ends of the age range: if you are under 18, or 55 or older, when you apply, you must be of exceptional benefit to the Australian community, and that benefit should be ongoing, sustained and realised shortly after migration. So a younger applicant still faces a higher evidentiary bar, just not this particular one.

What are you actually confirming when you sign?

Two things, and both are stated on the Department's page:

You have read the Life in Australia booklet, or someone has explained it to you.
You will respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws.

The "read or had explained to you" wording matters. The requirement is about understanding the content, not about completing a test, and the page does not describe any assessment attached to the booklet.

Does the statement stop applying once the visa is granted?

No. The Department's obligations section for this visa states that you and your family members must obey all Australian laws. The values statement is the point where you confirm that in writing; the obligation runs for as long as you hold the visa, which for a permanent visa like 858 is indefinite.

The page also records a separate expectation rather than a criterion: the Department expects you to contribute to Australia in your area of expertise, which is the same area in which you were assessed as having an internationally recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievement.

Where does the values statement sit among the other criteria?

It is one of several requirements you must satisfy, and each has its own threshold and its own set of people it covers.

Criterion	Who it covers	What the page requires
Australian values statement	Applicants aged 18 and over	Read, or have explained, Life in Australia; confirm respect for the Australian way of life and obedience to Australian laws
Functional English	Applicants aged 18 and over	Evidence of at least functional English, or pay the second instalment of AUD 4,890
Character	Applicant and family members aged 16 and over	Meet the character requirement
Health	Applicant and any family member who applies, including those not coming to Australia	Meet the health requirement
Debt to the Australian government	Applicant and any family member, including those who do not apply	Repay the debt, or have a payment arrangement in place, before grant

The age thresholds are different on purpose: 18 for the values statement and functional English, 16 for character. A 17-year-old in your application can therefore be caught by the character requirement without being caught by the values statement.

What if family members are included in the application?

The values statement criterion is expressed in terms of the applicant. For family members, the page sets out separate requirements: health for any family member who applies with you (and possibly for those who do not), character for family members aged 16 and over, and the government debt condition for any family member, including those who do not apply for the visa with you.

You may include members of the family unit when you apply, and you can add family members at any time before the Department makes a decision. If you are under 18, you can only include your parents and members of that parent's family unit.

How to prepare before you sign

Read the Life in Australia booklet on the Department's Australian values page. Have someone explain it to you if reading it yourself is not practical. Confirm the statement when the application process asks for it.

None of this is a substitute for meeting the other criteria. The Department must invite you before you can apply, you must be nominated on a Form 1000 at the time of application, and the application is assessed against Ministerial Direction No. 120, which sets the processing order and the indicators of exceptional and outstanding achievement.

This article describes published criteria in general terms and is not advice about your individual circumstances, nor a prediction of any outcome; the official page is the authority on current wording, and if your situation is unusual, a registered migration professional is the appropriate source of advice specific to you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Australian Values Statement a separate form I lodge?

The Department's 858 page lists signing the statement under the criteria you must meet, alongside health, character and the debt condition, and links to its Australian values page, where the booklet and the statement are published. The page does not describe a separate lodgement step or an uploaded document for it.

Do I need to sign it if I am under 18?

The criterion is stated for applicants aged 18 and over. Applicants under 18 face a different condition instead: they must be of exceptional benefit to the Australian community, and that benefit should be ongoing, sustained and realised shortly after migration.

Does signing the statement improve my chances of being granted the visa?

Signing is a criterion you must meet, not a factor that strengthens your case. The decision turns on the other criteria as well — an invitation, a Form 1000 nomination, an internationally recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievement, being still prominent, being an asset to the community, and the health, character and debt requirements.

Do my family members have to sign it too?

The page states the values statement requirement for the applicant aged 18 or over. Family members are covered by their own requirements instead: character for those aged 16 and over, health for those who apply with you, and the government debt condition for any family member, including those who do not apply.

What laws am I promising to obey?

Australian laws generally. The Department's obligations section for this visa states that you and your family members must obey all Australian laws, and the confirmation you make when signing covers both respecting the Australian way of life and obeying those laws.

What if I do not have functional English?

That is a separate criterion for applicants aged 18 and over. If you do not have at least functional English, you must pay the second instalment of the visa application charge, which the page lists as AUD 4,890, and the Department asks for it only if it is going to grant the visa.