188B Visa – Investor Stream

Australia Business Migration
Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188)

The Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) is part of the Business Innovation and Investment Programme.

You must submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) through SkillSelect and be nominated by a state or territory government before being invited to apply for this Australia Business Visa.

The Business Australia migration visa includes three streams:

1. Business Innovation stream: for people with business skills who want to establish, develop and manage a new or existing business in Australia.
2. Investor stream: for people who want to make a designated investment of at least AUD$1,500,000 in an Australian state or territory and maintain business and investment activity in Australia.
3. Significant Investor stream: for people who are willing to invest at least AUD$5,000,000 into complying investments in Australia and want to maintain business and investment activity in Australia.

Holding this visa is the first stage before becoming eligible to qualify for a Business Immigration Australia Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (subclass 888).

Features

This visa is for people who want to own and manage a new or existing business in Australia, or to invest in an Australian state or territory.

Requirements

You might be able to get this visa if you are nominated by a state or territory government agency and are invited to apply by the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection.

You might be able to get this visa if:

• You are nominated by a state or territory government
• You are invited to apply
• You (and all your family members) meet certain health and character requirements
• You meet the additional requirements for the stream in which you apply.

188B Visa – Investor stream

You Must

• Be under 55 years of age, although a state or territory can waive this requirement if your proposed investment will be of exceptional economic benefit to the nominating state or territory
• Score at least 65 on the points test
• Have a high level of management skill in relation to the eligible investment or qualifying business activity
• Have at least 3 years' experience of direct involvement in managing one or more qualifying businesses or eligible investments
• Have an overall successful record of eligible investment or qualifying business activity
• Have a genuine and realistic commitment to continuing your business and investment activity in Australia after the original investment has matured
• Have a genuine intention to live for at least 2 years in the state or territory in which you have made a designated investment.

188B Visa Checklist

You, your partner, or you and your partner combined must:

• For at least one of the 5 fiscal years immediately before you are invited to apply, have directly managed one of the following:
• An interest owned by you, your partner or you and your partner combined of at least 10% in a qualifying business
• At least AUD$1,500,000 in eligible investment owned by you, your partner or you and your partner combined
• During the 2 fiscal years immediately before you are invited to apply, have legally acquired net business, investment and personal assets of at least AUD$2,250,000 that are available for legal transfer to Australia within two years of the visa being granted
• Make a designated investment of at least AUD$1,500,000 in a state or territory government security using unencumbered funds accumulated from qualifying businesses or eligible investments and be prepared to hold that investment for at least 4 years from date of issue in your nominating state or territory
• Have had no involvement in unacceptable activities.
• Income that you earn from your designated investment in Australia is subject to tax under Australian taxation law.