Australia Investor visa (subclass 188)
The Business Innovation and Investment visas are a group of temporary Skilled visas which are designed to allow successful business owners to invest in either a new or existing business in Australia.
Australia investor is divided into many different stream:
- Business Innovation stream – applicants who wish to establish, develop and manage a new or existing business in Australia
- Investor stream– applicants who aim to maintain business and investment activity and invest at least $1.5 million in a given Australian State or Territory
- Significant Investor stream – in addition to maintaining business and investment activity in the country, applicants qualifying for this stream must wish to invest a $5 million into complying significant investments in Australia
- Premium Investor stream – while also maintain business and investment activity in the country, applicants must also invest at least $15 million into complying premium investments in Australia
- Entrepreneur stream – applicants must have a funding agreement of at least $200,000 from a third party to undertake complying entrepreneur activities leading to commercialisation of a product or service, or the development of a business in Australia
Eligibility conditions
Applicants for the Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) Investor stream must meet several eligibility requirements for their visa to be granted. The applicant and/or their partner (if applicable) must have:
- A nomination from an Australian state or territory government
- At least 10% ownership and direct management of a qualifying business for at least 1 financial year in the past 5 financial years, or
- Eligible investments of at least AUD$1.5 million
- A high level of management skill relating to the qualifying business or eligible investment, with at least 3 years of direct management experience
- A total of AUD$2.25 million in business and/or personal assets, which must have been acquired legally and must be able to be transferred to Australia within 2 years of the visa start date. You and/or your partner must have owned these assets for at least 2 financial years
- The intention to live in the nominating Australian state or territory for at least two years
Applicants must normally be 55 or younger to qualify for this visa, but the age requirement can be waived at the discretion of the nominating state or territory if the proposed investment will benefit the state or territory’s economy greatly.
HOW TO APPLY FOR INVESTOR VISA
STEP 1:
Lodge an application for State Nomination with the Business Migration Centre (BMC). A fee of AUD$750 applies to all provisional visa nomination applications lodged with the BMC.
STEP 2:
If you are granted State Nomination you can proceed to lodge an Expression of Interest (EOI) through SkillSelect.
STEP 3:
Once nominated in SkillSelect by the BMC, you will receive an invitation from Department of Home Affairs to lodge your Business visa application which must be completed within 60 days using Department of Home Affairs electronic lodgement system.
STEP 4: Apply for State nomination for Visa 188 – Business Innovation Investor Stream
STEP 5: Pay the State nomination application fee
COST OF AUSTRALIA INVESTOR VISAS (SUBCLASS 188)
Business Innovation stream From AUD4,985
Investor stream From AUD4,985
Significant Investor stream From AUD7,310
Entrepreneur stream From AUD3,755
Premium Investor stream From AUD8,770
TIME REQUIRE TO ISSUE INVESTOR VISAS
This visa is a temporary visa that leads to Permanent Residency after 2 years of investing and living in Australia. The average processing time of this visa can take between 9 to 28 months from the date that the application has been received by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection.