Business & Investment Visa Australia (Subclasses 188, 888 & 132 Visa)

Overview

The business visas allow you to own and manage a business, conduct investment activity or undertake entrepreneurial activities in Australia. These visas are for people who wish to establish business operations and help the Australian economy grow. The business visa can lead you to direct permanent residency or can work as a pathway to a permanent residency visa. Most business and investor visas require a state nomination before applying. In addition, there are also specific visas for foreign citizens who want to set up businesses in regional, rural or low-growth areas of Australia. These visas operate in tandem with various state and territory-based economic initiatives. Please see below for more details on business and investor visas:

SC 188 – Business Innovation and investment Visa (Provisional)

This visa allows you to own and manage a business in Australia, conduct business and investment activity in Australia or undertake an entrepreneurial activity in Australia. Generally, you would need to be nominated by a State or Territory government agency or an Austrade, along with an invite to apply for the visa. You would need to submit an Expression of Interest in order to get an invitation. This visa has the following streams:

This provisional visa is for people with business skills. It lets you operate a new or existing business in Australia for five years. If eligible, you will be able to apply for a permanent visa later. To be able to get this visa, you must be nominated by an Australian State or Territory government agency and must have been invited to apply for the visa.

You must provide proof of your business success such as annual turnover, ownership interest, etc. You or your partner or both will need to provide proof that you hold total net business and personal assets or at least AUD1.25 million if you were invited to apply for this visa on or after 1 July 2021 Or AUD800,000 if you were invited to apply for this visa before 1 July 2021. In addition to this, you must be under 55 years of your age. You must score at least 65 points on the points test. You must meet the minimum functional English language proficiency requirement. You must meet health and character requirements. The processing time may vary from 15 to 34 months. A visa application for this visa will cost AUD 6,270. Under this visa you must comply with condition 8515.

This provisional visa requires you to invest at least AUD 2.5 million in Australia. It lets you carry out an investment activity in Australia for five years. If eligible, you will be able to apply for a permanent visa later. To be able to get this visa, you must be nominated by an Australian State or Territory government agency to invest AUD 2.5 million that meets certain requirements if you were invited to apply on or after 1 July 2021 or AUD 1.5 million in an Australian State or Territory if you were invited to apply before 1 July 2021. You will also need to show net business, investment, and personal assets of at least AUD 2.5 million. In addition to this, you must be under 55 years of your age. You must score at least 65 points on the points test. You must meet the minimum functional English language proficiency requirement. You must meet health and character requirements. The processing time may vary from 23 to 38 months. A visa application for this visa will cost AUD 6,270. Under this visa, you must comply with condition 8515.

This provisional visa is for people who are able to invest at least AUD 5 million in Australian investments that meet certain requirements and maintain investment activity in Australia. It lets you carry out an investment activity in Australia for five years. If eligible, you will be able to apply for a permanent visa later on. To be able to get this visa, you must be nominated by an Australian State or Territory government agency to invest AUD 5 million that meets certain requirements and have the genuine intention to hold that investment for the life of your provisional visa.

You must meet the minimum functional English language proficiency requirement. You must meet the health and character requirement. The processing time may vary from 07 to 24 months. An application for this visa will cost AUD 9,195. Under this visa, you must comply with conditions 8515 and 8557.

This provisional visa lets holders of a Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) in the Business Innovation stream extend their stay in Australia.

This provisional visa lets holders of a Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) Significant Investor stream holders extend their stay in Australia for up to 4 more years.

This provisional visa is for people who are nominated by Austrade and who invest at least AUD15 million in Australian investments and/or philanthropic contributions. With this visa, you can stay in Australia for up to 4 years and 3 months. If eligible, you will be able to apply for a permanent visa later.

To be able to get this visa, you must be nominated by an Austrade to invest AUD 15 million that meets certain requirements. You must meet the minimum functional English language proficiency requirement. You must meet health and character requirements. The processing time is not available for this visa. A visa application for this visa will cost AUD 9,455. Under this visa you must comply with conditions 8515 and 8557.

For start-up and early-stage entrepreneurs who have been endorsed to develop their concepts and been nominated by a State or Territory government agency. With this visa, you can stay in Australia for up to 4 years and 3 months. If eligible, you will be able to apply for a permanent visa later on. To be able to get this visa, you must be nominated by an Australian State or Territory government agency to undertake, or propose to undertake, a complying entrepreneur activity in Australia and show them a business plan for your entrepreneurial activity.

You must meet the minimum competent English language proficiency requirement. You must meet health and character requirements. The processing time may vary from 03 to 09 months. A visa application for this visa will cost AUD 4,240. Under this visa, you must comply with conditions 8515 and 8571.

SC 888 Business innovation and Investment (Permanent visa)

This visa is a permanent residency visa for those who hold a four-year provisional subclass 188 visa and are looking to continue to own and manage a business or an investment activity in an Australian state or territory. You are required to have the subclass 188 visa in the Business Innovation stream or SC 444 special category visa or SC 457 Business long stay visa. This visa has the following streams.

You must meet the minimum functional English language proficiency requirement. You must meet health and character requirements.

The processing time may vary from 23 to 29 months. A visa application for this visa will cost AUD 3,025. This visa comes without any conditions.

This visa lets you live permanently in Australia. It requires you to hold the visa SC 188 under Business Innovation and Investment stream for 3 years (If you were invited to apply after 1st Jul 2021). You must have been nominated by an Australian state or territory government agency and must have been invited to apply. You must have met the ‘complying significant investment” requirement of AUD 2.5 million and must have met the ‘designated investment’ requirements. Apart from this, you are required to meet residency and commitment requirements. You must meet the minimum functional English language proficiency requirement. You must meet health and character requirements. The processing time may vary from 22 to 26 months. An application for this visa will cost AUD 3,025. Under this visa, you must comply with condition 8515.

This visa lets you live permanently in Australia. It requires you to hold the visa SC 188 under Business Innovation and Investment stream for 3 years (If you were invited to apply after 1st Jul 2021). You must have been nominated by an Australian state or territory government agency and must have been invited to apply. You must have met the ‘complying significant investment’ requirement of AUD 5 million. Apart from this, you are required to meet residency and commitment requirements. You must meet the minimum functional English language proficiency requirement along with health and character requirements. The processing time may vary from 25 to 29 months. An application for this visa will cost AUD 3,025. Under this visa, you must comply with condition 8515.

This visa lets you live permanently in Australia. It requires you to hold the visa SC 188 under Entrepreneur stream for 3 years (If you were invited to apply after 1st Jul 2021) or SC 188 Business innovation stream if applied before 1st Jul 2021. You must have been nominated by an Australian state or territory government agency and must have been invited to apply. You will need to provide a record of successful entrepreneurial activities. Apart from this, you are required to meet residency and commitment requirements. You must meet the minimum functional English language proficiency requirement. You must meet health and character requirements. The processing time may vary from 20 to 27 months. A visa application for this visa will cost AUD 3,025. Under this visa you must comply with condition 8515.

SC 132 Business Talent (Permanent visa)

This visa lets you live permanently in Australia. It allows you to establish a new business or develop an existing business in Australia. Generally, you will need to meet the funds and assets requirement. This visa has two sub-streams: Significant Business History Stream and Venture Capital Entrepreneur Stream.

This visa lets you live permanently in Australia. It is for people with ownership interests in large businesses. You must have been nominated by an Australian state or territory government agency. To be eligible to apply, you must have assets of AUD 1.5 million and a business turnover of AUD 3 million. You must be under 55 years of age. You must meet the minimum functional English language proficiency requirement. You must meet health and character requirements. The processing time may vary from 16 to 40 months. A visa application for this visa will cost AUD 7,855. Under this visa, you must comply with condition 8515.

This visa lets you live permanently in Australia. It is for people who have access to venture capital funding of at least AUD 1 million. You must have been nominated by an Australian state or territory government agency. You must meet the minimum functional English language proficiency requirement. You must meet health and character requirements. The processing time may vary from 15 to 40 months. A visa application for this visa will cost AUD 7,855. Under this visa you must comply with condition 8515.

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FAQs

Which Australian visa is best for me?

There are a number of visas being provided by the Government of Australia as listed on the Department of Home Affairs website, however, all visas are not the same, as each visa comes with a set of conditions attached to it. Choosing the right visa that leads to permanent residency, and allows dependents, work, and healthcare rights is the key. It is quite possible that you are applying for a visa that won’t get you too far. Therefore, it is always best to seek the advice of an expert. Speak with us today to find out the visa for you!

What is the process for submitting a visa application?

You can apply for an Australian visa either through an online application or via a paper application. These days, online application is more practical for storing and accessing your information. However, a few nations (or visa sorts) may not be qualified for the online application and in those cases, a paper application through an embassy should be submitted. For each kind of application, there are particular guidelines you have to follow while applying for the visa. Here are the steps that you need to follow in order to apply for an online visa:

Create an online account
Select the visa type
Fill in the Australian visa form
Attach the required documents
Pay the application fee
Submit the application
Wait for the outcome

In order to save time and effort and avoid rejection, we always recommend applying through our Registered Migration Agents.

Book a FREE 30-minute consultation with one of our migration agents to discuss the process further.

What general documents are required for my visa application?

The following documents are generally submitted with your visa application for Australia:

Passport
Australian Visa Form
Paid Visa Fee
National Identity Card
Police Certificate
Family Certificates
Evidence of Financial Capacity
Health Insurance Certificate
Evidence of Temporary/Permanent Stay

How to qualify for a permanent resident visa in Australia?

A permanent visa allows you to remain in Australia indefinitely. If you want to apply for permanent residency, there are a number of requirements you need to meet. You can make an application on humanitarian grounds, as a migrant, or as part of a family unit. For more information about how to become a permanent resident speak with one of our registered migration agents today!

How do I find out if my profession is listed on the skilled occupation list for Permanent Residency in Australia?

In order to ensure genuine skills needs and help businesses continue to grow, the Department of Home Affairs of Australia regularly reviews and updates the Skilled Occupation List. This is mainly comprised of Short-Term Skilled Occupation List, Medium and Long-Term Strategic Skills List and Regional Occupation List. The latest skills list can be found on the Department of Home Affairs website.

What is the benefit of studying and working in Reginal Cities of Australia?

If you plan to live in Australia for the long term and want to migrate, then choosing a regional area for your studies would be a wise decision as it comes with numerous benefits, including a lower cost of living, a laidback lifestyle, the fact that you could get extra points towards permanent residency and a possible opportunity of getting a post-graduate visa for up to 4 years.