Visa Applicant Eligibility
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As the visa applicant, you must meet the following requirements to be eligible for this visa. You must provide evidence of each with your application.
Nomination
You must be nominated for this visa by one of the following:
- an Australian citizen
- an Australian permanent resident
- an eligible New Zealand citizen
- an Australian organisation.
The nominator must have a national reputation in your field of expertise. The nominator must be able to verify that you have international standing in your field of expertise.
Record of achievement
You must have a record of exceptional and outstanding achievement in a profession, the arts, sport, or research and academia. You must still be active in your field of expertise. Your achievements must be internationally recognised.
You will need to include the following documentation with your application:
- information provided by your nominator
- relevant qualifications and/or awards including those received from internationally recognised institutions
- advice from government, professional, scientific, cultural, sporting or other relevant bodies in Australia.
Prominence
You must provide evidence that you are still prominent in your profession, the arts, sport or research and academia.
You will need to include the following documents with your application:
- references from people qualified to assess your claims to 'distinguished talent'
- items about yourself from the media.
Examples: newspaper or magazine articles or TV programs
Employment
You must be able to obtain employment or become established independently in Australia in your area of expertise. You must be able to show either of the following:
- you have a job
- you can establish a viable business in Australia.
You will need to include the following documentation with your application:
- information provided by your nominator
- your employment/business background
- your knowledge of employment/business opportunities in Australia in your field
- letters from organisations in Australia as evidence of future employment in Australia
- correspondence with relevant bodies in Australia as evidence of a possibility of establishing a business in Australia
- qualifications or experience acquired during previous residence in Australia.
Asset to Australian community
You must be considered a potential asset to the Australian community. You must show how your settlement in Australia could contribute economically, socially or culturally to the nation as a whole - not just a local community.
Age
If you are below 18 or above 55 years of age, you must provide evidence that you would be of exceptional benefit to the Australian community.
Finance
You must be able to support yourself and all accompanying family members. You must not be financially dependent on the Australian community.
Health
You and your family members must meet certain health requirements and may need to undergo a health examination.
See: Health Requirements
Character
You and your family members must be of good character to enter Australia.
See: Character Requirement
Location
You must be in Australia when you apply for this visa and in Australia at the time a decision is made on your visa application.
English language ability
You are expected to have functional English. Functional English is sufficient English to cope with everyday situations and even some work situations.
If you have been assessed as not having a functional level of English will be required to pay a second instalment visa application charge. This charge entitles you to English language tuition in Australia so that you can achieve functional English language ability. You should not pay this charge until requested to do so by the department.
See: Information Form 966i Migrating to Australia - English language assessment (58KB PDF file)
Limitation on applications
You may have a restriction on your current visa that prevents you from making an application for another visa.
See: Information Form 1026i Limitations on applications in Australia (52KB PDF file)
Australian Values Statement
If you are aged 18 years or over, you are required to sign an Australian values statement. The statement is included in your visa application form and all applicants aged 18 years and over will need to sign it to confirm that they will respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws. Before signing this statement you are required to have read, or had explained to you, material made available by the government on life in Australia which is contained in the Life in Australia book.
The Life in Australia book provides more information on the values that Australians share and their way of life.
See:
Australian Values - Overview
Life in Australia Book
Before lodging an application, please read all related eligibility requirements.
See: Other eligibility