Established achievements
Your leadership, business success, professional recognition and other accomplishments provide the starting point. The assessment considers the strength of the evidence you can supply.
Research & Enterprise Pathway
A fully managed pathway to Australian permanent residency by investment.
Connect your business achievements with Australian research and enterprise. Specialists coordinate the project, venture development and immigration preparation around your assessed professional profile.
The legal route is the National Innovation Visa, subclass 858. Your achievements are the foundation; programme funding supports the research and enterprise work.
Fully managed programme · USD
US$250,000
A programme fee funding research, venture development and specialist delivery. There is no scheduled capital repayment.
Direct permanent residence
Upon NIV approval
Profile-led admission
Assessment before commitment
Built around your expertise
Your existing achievements and proposed contribution guide the assessed programme fit.
Specialists manage the technical work
Research coordination, business planning, company administration and immigration preparation.
Permanent residence at approval
An invitation and a successful visa application are required.
The pathway explained
Three elements.
Three elements.
One coordinated programme.
The pathway brings together your professional record, a funded Australian research project and specialist preparation of your permanent residence case.
Research & enterprise
A research project is aligned with your assessed expertise. The programme coordinates university arrangements, venture planning and support for your Australian company.
Specialist immigration preparation
Australian immigration professionals work with you on the expression of interest and, if invited, the visa application. The delivery team coordinates the supporting project and nomination work.
The programme builds on the career you already have.
Funding a project does not replace the NIV requirement for an internationally recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievement. Programme suitability and visa eligibility are assessed separately.
Fully managed delivery
The technical work is coordinated.
The technical work is coordinated.
Your experience remains central.
You do not have to independently assemble a university project, company administrator and immigration team. The programme brings those functions together, with a defined role for you.
- Research matching & institutional arrangements Alignment of the proposed project with your expertise, coordination with an Australian research institution and project facilitation.
- Business plan & venture development Preparation of the startup business plan and the proposed commercial direction connected to the research.
- Support letters & nomination work Coordination of relevant institutional support and work towards a qualifying government-agency Form 1000 nomination.
- Company incorporation & administration Establishment of your Australian company, basic corporate accounting and maintenance within the agreed service scope.
- Research management & incubation Project management support and one year of startup incubation, including the programme’s office headquarters and business support platform.
- Immigration services Specialist support for the principal applicant’s EOI and subsequent NIV application, subject to invitation and the agreed legal service scope.
Your part in the programme:
participate in the intake interview, supply documents and evidence, make the required decisions, work with your immigration professional and fulfil the project responsibilities in your agreement.
From first assessment to visa decision
A sequence you can understand
A sequence you can understand
before you commit.
Your profile is reviewed first. Formal admission, project preparation, nomination work and immigration submissions then follow their respective milestones.
Review your professional profile
After the initial enquiry, suitable prospects are asked for a detailed CV, passport identity page and a one-page summary of their expertise or current business. These support an initial assessment of programme suitability.
You do not need to upload these documents to make first contact.
Complete intake & review the terms
You discuss the programme, attend the selection interview and review the proposed agreement. If accepted, you receive a formal offer and term sheet setting out the services, payment schedule, responsibilities and refund provisions.
Indicative intake period: 1–4 weeks. Acceptance into the programme is separate from an immigration decision.
Build the research & immigration case
The research project, institutional arrangements and venture plan are developed around your assessed expertise. In parallel, immigration professionals prepare your evidence and EOI materials while the delivery team works towards support letters and government-agency nomination.
Programme preparation estimate: 3–5 months after signing.
Submit the EOI & await consideration
The expression of interest presents your achievements and proposed contribution. A qualifying government-agency nomination, if secured, supports Priority Two consideration. Home Affairs decides whether to issue an invitation.
The delivery programme estimates approximately two months for this stage. Invitation timing is not a government commitment.
Lodge the NIV application if invited
You have 60 days from the invitation date to submit the visa application. Your immigration professional works with you on the required evidence, nomination documents and other visa requirements. Home Affairs then assesses the application.
Programme estimate for visa assessment: 6–11 months. An invitation does not establish eligibility for visa grant.
Receive permanent residence upon visa grant
The NIV is a permanent visa. If your application is approved, you receive permanent residence directly. Eligible family members may be included under the applicable rules; their costs and documentation are reviewed individually.
There is no interim temporary residence visa required by this pathway.
Institutional support & nomination
An Australian project.
An Australian project.
A case for your contribution.
Research arrangements and institutional support help explain the work you propose to undertake in Australia. They sit alongside the evidence of your existing achievements.
Why government-agency nomination matters
A qualifying nomination on Form 1000 by an expert Australian Commonwealth, State or Territory government agency places a candidate in Priority Two of the NIV consideration framework.
The programme works towards securing this nomination and the relevant support letters. A university research agreement or support letter is not, by itself, a government-agency nomination.
Home Affairs retains the invitation and visa decisions. Priority consideration does not guarantee either outcome.
Read the official NIV priorities
Who the programme is designed for
Business owners.
Business owners.
Founders. Senior leaders.
The initial review looks for a credible combination of professional achievement, leadership experience and financial capacity.
A founder’s track record, a company leader’s accomplishments or a senior professional’s recognised expertise may provide relevant evidence. The strength of that evidence determines whether a fuller assessment is appropriate.
Meeting the programme’s screening criteria does not automatically satisfy the NIV’s legal requirements. Your immigration professional assesses the visa case separately.
The commitment & timing
Know what you are funding.
Know what you are funding.
Review the terms before signing.
Programme fee
US$250,000
The fee funds research, venture development, programme delivery and the principal applicant’s agreed immigration services.
It is programme expenditure. There is no scheduled repayment or promised investment return.
The written quotation confirms government charges, family-related costs and any additional expenses. This is not a government-prescribed investment threshold or an all-inclusive family price.
A contract with defined milestones
Following formal acceptance, the payment schedule is a US$10,000 deposit and the remaining US$240,000 within three weeks. Fees are held in the delivery provider’s holding account until the agreed milestones are achieved.
Refund terms to understand upfront
Under standard terms, the entire programme fee becomes non-refundable when you receive an invitation to apply for the NIV. Earlier cancellation provisions are set out in the signed agreement. Invitation is not visa approval.
Indicative timing: 11–19 months after signing
This combines the delivery programme’s preparation, invitation and visa assessment estimates. Intake is additional. Government decisions and institutional arrangements can take longer.
Pathway questions
Clear answers before
Clear answers before
your next step.
How the private programme and the Australian immigration process fit together.
Is the Research & Enterprise Pathway a separate visa?
No. It is the managed private programme described on this site. The immigration route is Australia’s National Innovation Visa, subclass 858. Programme admission and visa eligibility are separate assessments.
Do I have to develop the research project myself?
Specialists coordinate research matching, institutional arrangements and project facilitation around your assessed expertise. You still participate in the agreed activities, provide the necessary information and fulfil your contractual responsibilities.
Can I qualify simply by paying the programme fee?
No. The programme commitment funds research and delivery. Your existing professional achievements and the other NIV requirements remain essential. Payment does not secure nomination, an invitation or permanent residence.
Is government-agency nomination guaranteed?
No. The delivery team works towards a qualifying Form 1000 nomination. The relevant agency decides whether to nominate, and Home Affairs independently determines invitations and visa grants.
Does an invitation mean only background checks remain?
No. Home Affairs still assesses your visa eligibility and supporting evidence, alongside health, character and other applicable requirements. An invitation is not a pre-assessment of eligibility for visa grant.
What should I send to start?
Use the short enquiry form below. If an initial review is appropriate, the next request is for a detailed CV, passport identity page and a one-page description of your expertise or current business.
Your next step · Initial profile review
Could your experience open the door to Australia?
Tell us about your career, business and plans. We’ll explain whether an initial profile review is appropriate and what the next steps involve.
- Start with a short enquiry You do not need to upload your passport or CV to make first contact.
- Understand the fit before committing Suitable enquiries progress to a review of your credentials and a discussion of programme terms.
- One coordinated next step We connect suitable candidates with the specialists responsible for assessment and delivery.
US$250,000 programme commitment. No programme payment is required to make this enquiry. Formal admission and visa approval are separate decisions.
Confidential initial enquiry
Request your eligibility assessment
A few details about you and your professional background will help us identify the appropriate next step.