subclass-124-closed
This visa is closed to new applications.
858 visa processing time, November 2026
National Innovation, National Innovation: 50% decided within 78 days, 90% within 214 days. Department of Home Affairs processing time figures.
50% decided within means half of the applications decided in the latest reporting period took this many days or fewer, counted from lodgement to decision. The 90% figure works the same way. Applications still waiting are not counted.
Stream codes: DE = Direct Entry, TRT = Transition, AGR = Agreement, PT = Points-Tested, CS = Core Skills, ST = State/Territory, HE = Higher Education, ES = Employer Sponsored.
Where it comes from: the Department of Home Affairs global visa processing times tool. We copy the figures and keep the history.
Dates: latest official update 9 Nov 2026, checked by us 14 Nov 2026. Each visa shows its own official date.
Stream codes: DE = Direct Entry, TRT = Transition, AGR = Agreement, PT = Points-Tested, CS = Core Skills, ST = State/Territory, HE = Higher Education, ES = Employer Sponsored.
Where it comes from: the Department of Home Affairs global visa processing times tool. We copy the figures and keep the history.
Dates: latest official update 9 Nov 2026, checked by us 14 Nov 2026. Each visa shows its own official date.
858 78 days National Innovation 90% 214 102 d shorter858 493 days Distinguished Talent / Global Talent (Independent) 90% 732 11 d longer186 670 days Employer Nomination DE 90% 727 39 d longer189 90 days Skilled Independent PT 90% 288 29 d longer190 240 days Skilled Nominated 90% 482 108 d longer482 174 days Skills in Demand CS 90% 287 43 d longer491 521 days Skilled Regional ST 90% 920 365 d longerSee all visasall 74 streams
858 visa processing time: 50% decided within 78 days
858 National Innovation processing time: 50% decided within 78 days, 90% within 214 days.
Official figures dated · Checked by us · Official source · 858 visa page
Stream codes: DE = Direct Entry, TRT = Transition, AGR = Agreement, PT = Points-Tested, CS = Core Skills, ST = State/Territory, HE = Higher Education, ES = Employer Sponsored.
Where it comes from: the Department of Home Affairs global visa processing times tool. We copy the figures and keep the history.
Dates: latest official update 9 Nov 2026, checked by us 14 Nov 2026. Each visa shows its own official date.
Count from the day the visa application was lodged, not the nomination or invitation.
50% decided within78days102 days shorter than on 29 Sep 2026Lodgement to decision, among applications already decided. Not the time left on yours.
90% decided within214days11 days shorter than on 29 Sep 2026Nine in ten decided applications took this long or less.
Now processing, lodged innot publishedno official statementThe Department states a lodgement month for 7 skilled visas only.
Pressure index, 85827/ 100Low, slower share and drift onlyHow the official figures moved. 50 is a flat month.
25%5656 days
50%7878 days
75%1334 months
90%2147 months
Days from lodgement to decision, among applications already decided. 25% means a quarter of them took this many days or fewer. Black marker: your day count.
Day 440858 National Innovation, since 31 August 2025 (example date, enter yours above)
50%: 78 d90%: 214 d
- If the latest figures held, 50% of applications lodged on that date would be decided by 17 Nov 2025 and 90% by 2 Apr 2026 (both dates are already past). This is arithmetic on the official percentiles, not a predicted decision date.
- The Department does not publish a lodgement month for this visa.
What this can't tell you
- When your own application will be decided. Nobody outside the Department can see individual cases.
- Whether anything is wrong with an application that has passed a percentile.
- How occupation, nationality or requests for more documents change the wait. The official figures are not split that way.
Cite this page: Visa Processing Time, "858 visa processing time (National Innovation)", Department of Home Affairs figures dated 2 November 2026, retrieved 14 November 2026, https://visaprocessingtime.com.au/visa/858/national-innovation/
858 Processing Pressure Index: 27 out of 100, low, November 2026
27out of 100Low
- Slower share
- 1 of 2 streams
- Drift
- -27.2% median
- Queue lag
- not published
All visas 53 Moderate
In plain words: 1 of the 2 streams of the 858 visa with an earlier figure got slower at the latest official update, the typical change was -27.2%. A reading above 50 means the published figures moved towards longer waits; below 50, towards shorter ones.
Calculated from official processing time figures only. It describes how published figures moved, not a prediction, and it is not advice. How the index is built.
Show the formula and today's working
PPI = 100 × (0.35 × slower share + 0.30 × drift + 0.35 × queue lag)
- Slower share: streams whose 50% figure rose since the previous official update, divided by all streams with a figure.
- Drift: median percentage change in the 50% figure, clipped to plus or minus 25% and mapped to 0 to 1.
- Queue lag: average number of months between today and the lodgement month the Department says it is processing, divided by 24 and capped at 1.
Every input is a figure the Department of Home Affairs publishes. Bands: 0 to 39 Low, 40 to 59 Moderate, 60 to 79 Elevated, 80 to 100 High. The index describes how the published figures moved. It says nothing about any single application and it is not advice.
| Component | Score 0 to 1 | Weight | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slower share1 of the 2 streams with an earlier figure have a higher 50% figure than at the previous official update. | 0.50 | 0.35 | 17.5 |
| DriftMedian change in the 50% figure is -27.2%. Minus 25% scores 0, no change scores 0.50, plus 25% scores 1. | 0.00 | 0.30 | 0.0 |
| Queue lagThe Department does not publish a lodgement month for this visa. | not published | 0.35 | 0.0 |
| ReadingTwo components only, so the sum is divided by 0.65. | 26.9 |
858 processing time since 29 Sep 2026, 50% mark
| Stream | Was | Now | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Innovation | 180 | 78 | 102 days shorter |
| Distinguished Talent / Global Talent (Independent) | 482 | 493 | 11 days longer |
Days. "Was" is each stream's figure before its latest change.
858 processing time then and now, 50% mark
| Stream | First | 1 yr ago | Now | vs 1 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Innovation | 180 | none | 78 | |
| Distinguished Talent / Global Talent (Independent) | 482 | none | 493 |
Days. First figure on record for National Innovation: 29 Sep 2026. Longer means applicants waited longer than a year ago.
Is the 858 visa processing time getting faster or slower? 102 days faster since 29 September 2026
As of November 2026, the Department of Home Affairs reports that 50% of National Innovation (subclass 858) National Innovation applications are decided within 78 days and 90% within 214 days. The 50% processing time was 180 days in September 2026.
90% decided within50% decided within
| Recorded | National Innovation 50% / 90% | Distinguished Talent / Global Talent (Independent) 50% / 90% |
|---|---|---|
| 78 / 214 | 493 / 732 | |
| 180 / 225 | 482 / 726 |
National Innovation in the chart, all 2 streams in the table, days. 2 changes recorded since 29 September 2026. Figures before November 2026 come from public archives of the official page.
858 pressure index history: latest reading 27
Slower share and drift only, rebuilt from archived figures
The Department publishes no lodgement month for this visa, so the reading uses slower share and drift only, rebuilt back to June 2025.
What did Home Affairs post about the 858 visa? 1 banner, newest 27 February 2021
Banner notices on the Department's visa pages that mention the 858 visa, newest first.
Source: banners on official Department of Home Affairs visa pages, archived daily since 14 November 2026. 69 banners on file, read 14 November 2026. Titles and first sentences are the Department's own wording. No interpretation added.
What do the 858 processing time figures leave out? 4 things
- They count decided applications only. Cases still waiting are not in the percentiles.
- The figures describe the recent past. They are not a forecast.
- The percentiles are not published by occupation, by state, or by whether the applicant was in Australia.
- Only streams the Department lists in its global processing times tool have a figure here.
7 questions about the 858 visa processing time, answered from November 2026 figures
How long does a 858 visa take to process in 2026?
In November 2026 the Department of Home Affairs reports a 858 visa processing time of 78 days for 50% of National Innovation applications and 214 days for 90%. Distinguished Talent / Global Talent (Independent) is 493 and 732 days.
What is the 858 National Innovation processing time right now?
Half of National Innovation applications are decided within 78 days, a quarter within 56 days and three quarters within 133 days. These are the official processing time figures dated 2 November 2026.
Is the 858 visa processing time getting faster or slower?
The 50% processing time for National Innovation moved from 180 days on 29 September 2026 to 78 days now, 102 days faster. The first figure we have on record is 180 days in September 2026.
Is the 858 processing time counted from the day of lodgement?
Yes. The published processing time runs from the day the visa application was lodged to the day it was decided, and it covers decided applications only.
How often is the 858 visa processing time updated?
The Department usually refreshes its processing time figures once a month. The latest official date for the 858 visa is 2 November 2026. We check the official page every day and record any change with its date.
Does the 858 processing time tell me when my visa will be decided?
No. A processing time describes applications that were already decided. It is not a prediction for any single application and this site does not give migration advice.
What is the Processing Pressure Index for the 858 visa?
A 0 to 100 reading calculated from official figures only: how many 858 streams got slower, by how much, and how far behind today the lodgement month being processed is. The 858 reading is 27 (low); across all visas it is 53. The formula is printed on this page.