INVESTOR & BUSINESS
VISAS
Business Innovation and Investment Programme
The Business Innovation and Investment Programme is a state/territory nominated programme which is made up of three subclasses:
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Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188)
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Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (subclass 888)
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Business Talent (Permanent) visa (subclass 132)
Most business innovation and investment migrants enter Australia on a provisional visa for a minimum of four years and after satisfactory evidence of a specified level of business or investment activity, may apply for permanent residence.
Alternatively business migrants may apply for a business talent visa to get direct permanent residence if they have high level business skills or have obtained funding from an Australian venture capital firm.
Australia is actively encouraging business migrants to set up businesses in regional, rural or low growth areas of Australia.
The Business Innovation and Investment Programme enables states and territories to attract and nominate the kinds of business people they are seeking to help in the economic development of their regions.
Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (Subclass 188)
The provisional business innovation and investment visa is for successful business innovators and investors who intend to invest or enter into business in Australia and contribute to the growth of the Australian economy.
This visa has three primary streams:
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The business innovation stream—for people with a successful business career and a genuine and realistic commitment to be involved as an owner in a new or existing business in Australia
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The investor stream—for people with a successful record of qualifying business or eligible investment activity who will make a designated investment (at least $1.5 million) in a state or territory of Australia and have a realistic commitment to continue to maintain business or investment activity in Australia after the designated investment has matured.
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The significant investor stream—for people who are willing to invest at least $5 million into complying investments in Australia and want to maintain business and investment activity in Australia after the original investment has matured.
The Business Innovation and Investment Programme incorporates access to flexibility provisions to assist business people to achieve permanent residence and encourage innovative business.
Provisional visa holders who were granted their visa by meeting the requirements for the business innovation stream may be eligible to apply for a two year extension to their provisional visa provided they are nominated by a state or territory government for the extension.
Similarly, significant investor visa holders can renew their visa twice, to provide a maximum of eight years on their provisional visa.
You might be able to get this visa if:
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you are nominated by a state or territory government
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you are nominated by a state or territory government
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you are invited to apply
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you (and all your family members) meet certain health and character requirements
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you meet the additional requirements for the stream in which you apply
Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (Subclass 888)
The visa allows you to stay in Australia on a permanent basis for the purpose of owning a new or existing business or continuing investment in Australia. To be eligible for this visa you must be the primary holder of a provisional Business Innovation and Investment (subclass 188) visa.
The Permanent Business Innovation and Investment visa has three streams:
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The business innovation stream—for people who own and manage a business in Australia and have met certain business threshold requirements
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The investor stream—for people who have a designated investment in an Australian state or territory and want to maintain business and/or investment activity in Australia after the original investment has matured.
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The significant investor stream—for people have invested at least $5 million into complying investments in Australia and want to maintain business and/or investment activity in Australia after the original investment has matured.
You might be able to apply for this visa if:
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you are the primary visa holder of a provisional Business Innovation and Investment visa (subclass 188) and have met all the requirements of your provisional Business Innovation and Investment visa in the stream in which you first applied; or
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you hold a Specal Category visa (subclass 444) or a Business (Long stay) visa (subclass 457IE) and have met the requirements of the business innovation stream; and
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you and your partner have not been involved in any unacceptable business or investment activities
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you and your partner have a satisfactory record of complying with Commonwealth laws, and of each State or Territory in which you operate a business and employ employees in the business, relating to your business.
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you have been nominated by an Australian state or territory
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you and all your family members meet health and character requirements – you do not need to prove this again if you have already done this for the provisional Business Innovation and Investment visa (subclass 188)
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have a realistic commitment to maintain business or investment activities in Australia
Other requirements depend on the stream in which you held your provisional Business Innovation and Investment visa (subclass 188).
Business Talent (Permanent) visa (subclass 132)
Under the Business Innovation and Investment Programme the business talent visa is made up of two streams:
The significant business history stream—aimed towards high calibre business people who are owners or part owners of an overseas business and have a genuine and realistic commitment to participate in the management of a new or existing business in Australia.
The venture capital entrepreneur stream—to facilitate the entry of migrant entrepreneurs with a high potential business idea who have sourced venture capital funding in Australia. Migrant entrepreneurs will be required to have sourced at least $1 million in venture capital funding through a member of the Australian Venture Capital Association Limited (AVCAL), for early phase start-up, product commercialisation or business development and expansion.
Nomination from an Australian state or territory government is required for these two streams.
You might be able to get this visa if:
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you are nominated by a state or territory government
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you are invited to apply
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you and your family members (whether or not they are included in your application) meet health and character requirements
you meet the additional requirements for the stream in which you apply.