Your Priority Business

The National Innovation (subclass 858) Visa eligibility criteria are available at the Department of Home Affairs website https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/working-in-australia/visas-for-innovation/national-innovation-visa

The Queensland government guidelines for nomination are available at the Trade and Investment Queensland website https://www.tiq.qld.gov.au/invest/national-innovation-visa

Innovative Investor. PR Pathways has developed the Innovative Investor pathway focused on a Queensland government priority nomination

No. Applications for an NIV are 'invitation only’ from the Department of Home Affairs after submitting eligible expressions of interest.

No. An Expression of Interest is submitted on the Department of Home Affairs portal by a clients registered migration agent which includes information from PR Pathways.

No. PR Pathways is not registered with the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority. PR Pathways provides corporate advisory and business broking services only to registered migration agents. We do not provide migration advice.

Yes. PR Pathways (or a migration adviser) submits a documented well-developed existing deployment of investments for Innovator Investors to substantively meet the eligibility to be shortlisted by Queensland government for nomination.

No. The Innovative Investor pathway developed by PR Pathways aligns a client’s existing eligibility with the Queensland government guidelines to be shortlisted for nomination.

No. However, the NIV legislative instrument mandates the Department of Home Affairs to consider Expressions of Interest in a priority order where nominations by the Queensland government are considered the second highest priority.

The Queensland NIV Fund is established specifically as an asset manager for the NIV program and to provide the strongest possible pathway for Queensland government nomination.

(Note: Expressions of Interest must satisfy both the Department of Home Affairs criteria and the Queensland government guidelines. Therefore, there remains a possibility that an Expression of Interest submitted with a state government nomination without sufficient substance may be invited to apply but ultimately be rejected.) 

First. PR Pathways receives the clients’ track record of innovative investment from the migration agent.

Second. PR Pathways arranges membership and investment into the Queensland NIV Fund.

Third. PR Pathways arranges an active involvement in Queensland businesses that align with the Queensland government guidelines for nomination to the NIV program.

Fourth. PR Pathways arranges with Queensland government department and agency stakeholders to shortlist the client for nomination by the trade and investment commissioner of the client’s passport country.

No. PR Pathways is promoter of the Queensland NIV Fund, a licensed and professional asset manager that aligns with the Innovative Investor pathway of the NIV program.

PR Pathways is a division of Veritasium group of companies and provides visa related services to migration agents. Veritasium is promoter and related party to the trustee of the Queensland NIV Fund which is asset manager to specialised enterprise and business precincts for the NIV program Tier One and Tier Two industry sectors.

The Queensland NIV Fund was established for the NIV program and specifically for the Innovative Investor pathway. The trustee and fund manager are licensed and professional asset managers with experience in venture capital, private equity and government co-investment.

 The Queensland NIV Fund is an asset manager that operates specialised enterprise and business precincts for Tier One and Tier Two industry sectors in the NIV program, including renewable energy and low emission technology, agri-food and agri-tech, financial services and fintech, infrastructure and transport. 

No. The Queensland NIV Fund is a trust operating as a regulated managed fund and the legal owner of tenant businesses in an enterprise or business park. However, investors in the Queensland NIV Fund are indirectly beneficial owners through its portfolio of financial assets. 

Yes. In the case where an Investor in the Queensland NIV Fund has a track record with a business that would qualify as an innovative business for the NIV program, then the trustee of the Queensland NIV Fund can establish an internal sub-fund to deploy up to 50% of the investment to a specific start-up business co-owned with the Queensland NIV Fund and commercially operated by the Innovative Investor.

(Note: The balance of the investment must be deployed through the portfolio of tenant businesses to maintain the investment objective for all investors and strengthen the submission for nomination by the Queensland government) 

The NIV is a skilled visa program with a focus on the talent of Innovative Investors, demonstrated by an established track record of supporting innovative ventures. Queensland government guidelines also require the active involvement of Innovative Investors talent in the deployment plan through asset managers.

PR Pathways collaborates with the asset manager for Queensland NIV Fund to incorporate Innovative Investor talent into the portfolio with appointments to investment committees, supervisory boards, executive committees and project control groups.

(Note: Innovative Investors in the Queensland NIV Fund can be actively involved as part of a specific business in some circumstances. See “Is there an option for investors in the Queensland NIV Fund to have a direct ownership in a tenant business” above) 

The Queensland NIV Fund is not a Queensland government department or agency. It is established by the Veritasium group of companies to work with state and local government programs and initiatives in Queensland’s economic development and innovation ecosystem. 

PR Pathways fee is paid in two instalments.

On signing the PR Pathways signature pack a non-refundable assessment fee of A$5,500 (inc. GST) is payable for aligning an established track record (information provided by the migration agent) with membership in the Queensland NIV Fund and an ongoing active involvement in the portfolio of tenant businesses.

(Note: If assessed as not eligible or the PR Pathways proposal is not accepted then the Consultants Fee is not payable and the agreement in the Signature Pack comes to an end) 

Where the clients Innovative Investor pathway in Queensland is assessed as achievable PR Pathways provides written corporate advice on the proposed arrangements and a non-refundable consultancy services fee of $16,500 (inc. GST) is payable.

PR Pathways commences the proposed arrangements when the Innovative investor becomes a member of the Queensland NIV Fund by Investing a minimum A$5 million.  

Investment in Queensland NIV Fund

The Queensland government guidelines specify a minimum of $5 million for two or more years. Asset managers for the Queensland NIV Fund research and source tenant businesses for each enterprise and business precinct. Investment of private equity and venture capital are structured to provide appointments to investment committees, expert supervisory and executive committees, and project control groups for ongoing active involvement as nominated.

$5,000,000 (minimum). The Queensland government guidelines specify a minimum of $5,000,000 for two or more years. Queensland NIV Fund asset managers then research and source tenant businesses for each enterprise precinct. Investment of private equity, venture capital and co-investment are structured to provide appointments to expert supervisory executive committees, project control groups, and board appointments for ongoing active involvement as nominated.

(Note: Start-up tenant businesses in enterprise precincts may provide a limited availability for co-investment with the Entrepreneur NIV pathway and is assessed by PR Pathways on a case-by-case basis).

The Innovative Investor must become a member of the Queensland NIV Fund for PR Pathways to commence arranging the Innovative Investor pathway with tenant businesses and government agencies.

When the Signature Pack is executed and the client is assessed as eligible, PR Pathways will make a written proposal. When accepted the client pays the Consultancy Fee and invests $5,000,000 to become a member in the Queensland NIV Fund.

PR Pathways and the asset manager for the Queensland NIV Fund arranges for an active involvement for Innovative Investors with appointments to roles that align with their talent. 

(Note:  The Queensland government guidelines require evidence of $5 million “to deploy upon a visa grant” however for the strongest possible submission for Queensland government nomination with evidence of ongoing active involvement, PR Pathways arranges investment in the Queensland NIV Fund before submitting a registration of interest with the Queensland government for nomination and not on visa grant)

The Queensland NIV Fund is specifically designed to align with the Queensland government guidelines for nomination. The asset managers deployment plan makes significant investment in Queensland government programs and initiatives that make up its innovation ecosystem.

The Queensland NIV Fund investment managers and asset managers have an existing operational relationship with Queensland government and local government departments and agencies and are already operating and investing in the NIV program Tier One and Tier Two industry sectors in Queensland.

PR Pathways as promoter of the Queensland NIV Fund is ideally positioned to provide corporate advisory and business broking services to migration agents for Innovative Investors to build the strongest case to be shortlisted for nomination.

Yes. The Queensland NIV Fund has a minimum investment term of 12 months. Members may make withdrawal requests after the minimum term. The trustee is obligated to meet withdrawals from the portfolio of investments at the earliest possible time subject to the liquidity cycle which may be some months.

If an investor in the Queensland NIV fund is given notice by the Department of Home Affairs that they are not being invited to make an application for an NIV, the trustee will automatically make a withdrawal request for the investor.

The investor may decide not to withdraw and remain invested to accrue a stronger track record of supporting innovative ventures through the Queensland NIV Fund for resubmitting an Expression of Interest in the future.

(Note: There is no requirement for an Innovative Investors track record to be outside of Australia. A track record accrued in Australia through the Queensland NIV Fund diversified portfolio on tenant businesses may accelerate the track record for a first or second submission) 

No. The Queensland NIV Fund is a managed investment scheme (managed fund) regulated under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) in Australia. The trustee is obliged by the managed fund constitution and the law to act in the best interests of all investors in achieving the investment objective. The portfolio of investments in tenant businesses is specifically designed for the NIV program and maintains sufficient liquid assets to meet operating expenses and transaction management only.

The investment strategy disclosed in the Information Memorandum to investors is actively focused on achieving the return on investment for investors and demonstrating to Queensland government agencies the deployment plan is driving growth in the economy and specifically the Queensland innovation ecosystem.  

(Note: Investors in the Queensland NIV Fund are issued units in proportion to their investment and have an indirect beneficial interest in the portfolio of financial assets held in underlying tenant businesses in enterprise and business parks operated by the Queensland NIV Fund asset managers. Liquidity management in the portfolio forms part of the unit value for all unitholders)