Australia NIV Priority 2: Government Nomination and Form 1000
Updated: 2 days ago
NIV Priority 2 applies to candidates nominated on the approved Form 1000 by an expert Australian federal, state or territory government agency. It is a priority category within the National Innovation visa process, not an entrepreneur-only P2 visa. A private accelerator, commercial package or industry letter does not automatically create this government nomination.
What does Priority 2 actually mean?
Home Affairs’ current priority page places expert government-agency nominations in Priority 2, across sectors. The department considers claimed achievements and the priority order when inviting candidates. If invited, a person must still submit a visa application and satisfy the criteria. The department expressly distinguishes an invitation from a pre-assessment that all grant requirements have been met.
Priority 2 is different from general Form 1000 eligibility
For the visa application, a qualifying nominator with a national reputation in the same area must attest to the applicant’s achievements. The ordinary qualifying categories include Australian citizens, permanent residents, eligible New Zealand citizens and Australian organisations. That broader list does not make every nomination Priority 2. Government-agency nomination has the additional identity and expert-agency requirements described in the priority guidance.
Record or event | What it establishes | What it does not establish |
Private company or accelerator support | The actual support described by the issuer | Automatic government Priority 2 nomination |
Qualifying completed Form 1000 | The nomination and attestations it contains | An invitation or a visa grant |
Home Affairs invitation | An opportunity to lodge within the stated deadline | Pre-approved satisfaction of all visa criteria |
Visa grant | The department’s actual decision and conditions | A guaranteed outcome for another applicant |
What should the nominator attest to?
The official form concerns an internationally recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievement, current prominence, value to the Australian community and the ability to obtain work or become independently established in the field. A signature should relate to those actual matters. A proposed business plan may explain future activity, but it cannot manufacture past achievements or the nominator’s knowledge of them.
How should a founder prepare a nomination discussion?
Prepare a short record of the individual’s role, completed achievements, independent recognition and proposed contribution. Identify which original documents support each statement and which claims remain uncertain. Explain company-level results separately from personal work. When approaching a relevant agency, check its current published remit and process; a meeting, information session or willingness to discuss an idea should retain its real description.
Is there a fee for the nomination?
Form 1000 states that no fee is to be paid to the nominator for completing the form. It also says the department does not charge for processing the nomination, while a visa application charge remains payable. If a proposal bundles nomination, investment and professional work, ask for the purpose and recipient of each charge in writing before deciding. Do not assume an unexplained nomination payment is authorised by a wider package.
How do EOI, nomination and the visa application fit together?
The federal process starts with an EOI and requires a Home Affairs invitation before a visa application can be made. An EOI remains active for two years and may expire without an invitation. After an invitation, lodge the formal application within 60 days and include the completed Form 1000 and required evidence. Government-agency and state processes should be checked separately; support at one stage is not permission to bypass another.
Does Priority 2 remove age, English or character requirements?
No. Priority is not a waiver of the federal criteria. Applicants under 18 or aged 55 or over must address exceptional benefit to the Australian community. Applicants aged 18 or over must address functional English or the applicable second-instalment arrangement. Health, character and family requirements remain relevant. Review the individual application instead of treating government support as a blanket exemption.
Costs and timing should remain itemised
The current ordinary principal visa charge starts at A$6,235, with additional family charges and concessions in limited circumstances. An applicable English second instalment is A$4,890 when requested. Nomination discussions, EOI waiting and visa processing have different timeframes; there is no universal six- or twelve-month completion date. Use the official processing information as a guide, not a contractual promise of the decision date.
Discuss a nomination evidence review with PremierVisa
Provide your field, personal role, independent achievement evidence and the exact support already obtained. Keep the agency name, document type and current stage clear. Ask for the responsible professional, scope and itemised fees; an initial enquiry should identify evidence gaps and suitable next steps. Share detailed records through the agreed private process.
Official-source check
using the NIV priority guidance, visa requirements and current Form 1000. Check the actual agency process and federal instructions again before relying on a nomination.
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