What Can You Do on the National Innovation Visa (Subclass 858) in 2026?

As at August 2026, the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs’ National Innovation visa (Subclass 858) page confirms that you can stay in Australia permanently, work and study, enrol in Medicare, sponsor eligible relatives, travel to and from Australia for five years, and apply for Australian citizenship if you are eligible. Its principal rights list treats work and study as one combined entitlement, creating six core rights. This article provides general information rather than personalised legal advice; individual circumstances and any visa-specific conditions should be checked against the current official record.

Can I stay in Australia permanently?

Yes. Subclass 858 is a permanent visa and allows you to stay in Australia indefinitely. You become a permanent resident on the day the visa is granted.

For citizenship purposes, your permanent residence is counted from:

• the grant date if you are in Australia when the visa is granted; or
• the date you enter Australia with the visa if you are outside Australia when it is granted.

Can I work and study in Australia?

Yes. The Department’s list of rights includes both working and studying in Australia. These rights remain subject to Australian workplace law and any conditions attached to your visa.

If you are eligible, you may also attend free English-language classes through the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP). This is an eligibility-dependent program rather than an unconditional entitlement to a particular course.

Can I enrol in Medicare?

Yes. Enrolment in Australia’s public healthcare scheme, Medicare, is expressly listed as one of the rights available to Subclass 858 holders.

Medicare enrolment should be distinguished from eligibility for particular government payments and benefits. Newly arrived residents may have to wait before they can access some of those payments, and each program has its own rules.

Can I sponsor relatives to come to Australia?

The principal rights list states that a Subclass 858 holder can sponsor relatives. The Department’s more detailed holder guidance qualifies this by saying that a permanent resident might be able to sponsor eligible family members.

Sponsorship does not mean a relative automatically receives a visa. Each family member must have an appropriate visa pathway and satisfy the requirements of that visa. Family members included in a Subclass 858 application must meet the relevant health and character requirements, whether or not they accompany you to Australia.

How long can I travel in and out of Australia?

You can travel to and from Australia for five years from the date the visa is granted. This is a five-year period measured from the grant date, not a rolling period restarted each time you leave Australia.

After those five years, you will need a Resident Return visa, subclass 155 or 157, to re-enter Australia as a permanent resident. The Department’s VEVO service shows when the five-year travel period ends.

Can I become an Australian citizen?

You may apply for Australian citizenship if you satisfy the applicable eligibility requirements. Subclass 858 does not confer citizenship automatically or guarantee a particular outcome.

The visa’s permanent residence and travel rights therefore operate separately from citizenship. Any applicable citizenship waiting period and residence calculation must be assessed under the citizenship rules rather than from the five-year travel period alone.

Are government payments and benefits available immediately?

Not necessarily. The Department warns that newly arrived residents may need to wait before they can access certain Australian Government payments and benefits.

The Subclass 858 page does not provide one waiting period that applies to every program. Eligibility for a particular payment or benefit must therefore be considered separately from the six core visa rights.

What contribution obligation comes with Subclass 858?

The Department states that you and your family members must obey all Australian laws. It also expects holders to contribute to Australia in their field of expertise and to use the visa for that purpose.

The Department’s wording is an express professional contribution expectation. The published page does not prescribe a minimum number of work hours, a particular employer, project or commercial outcome. Mandatory legal duties remain those under Australian law and any written conditions attached to the visa.

In practical terms, Subclass 858 combines permanent residence with work and study, Medicare, family sponsorship, five years of travel and possible access to citizenship. It does not mean unrestricted travel, automatic citizenship or immediate access to every government benefit, and contributing in your professional field remains central to the visa.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Subclass 858 have a fixed expiry date?

No. Subclass 858 is a permanent visa and allows you to stay in Australia indefinitely. You become a permanent resident when the visa is granted.

Can Subclass 858 holders both work and study?

The Department lists both work and study as rights available to holders. Any visa-specific conditions still apply, and the visa alone does not establish profession-specific or course-specific eligibility.

Can I enrol in Medicare as soon as I receive the visa?

The Department expressly lists Medicare enrolment as a right under Subclass 858. Access to certain government payments and benefits is a separate issue, and newly arrived residents may have to wait for some of those payments.

Does Subclass 858 guarantee that my relatives can migrate?

No. It allows sponsorship of eligible relatives, but each person must qualify for an appropriate visa. A sponsorship right is not the same as a visa grant or permission to enter Australia.

When do I need a Resident Return visa?

You can travel to and from Australia for five years from the date Subclass 858 is granted. To re-enter Australia as a permanent resident after that period, you will need a Resident Return visa, subclass 155 or 157.

Does Subclass 858 make me an Australian citizen?

No. You may apply for citizenship if you are eligible, but citizenship is granted under separate legal requirements. Permanent residence, citizenship eligibility and the five-year travel period are different matters.

What does Australia expect me to contribute?

The Department expects you to contribute to Australia in your area of expertise and to use the visa for that purpose. It does not publish a fixed number of contribution hours, a prescribed employer or a particular project on the cited page.

References

Australian Government Department of Home Affairs — National Innovation visa (Subclass 858)