Business innovation and investor stream (provisional) SC 188/ Business innovation and investor stream (permanent) SC 888

This visa enables applicants with a successful background in business who have a genuine and realistic commitment to engage in investment or business activities in Australia. All applicants for a 188 visa must be nominated by a state or territory government. There are several state-designated visa options for immigrants and different streams depending on whether you already have a business, want to start a business in Australia or want to invest in the state. Each stream has inherent criteria such as age, business experience, level of turnover, and asset ownership, amount of planned investment in Australia that need to be satisfied for an applicant to be eligible to apply for this visa category.

Subclass 188 has multiple streams, which include the:

  • Business Innovation stream – This temporary visa allows you to operate a new or existing business in Australia. The 188A visa is only available to applicants who are nominated by an Australian state or territory government and pass the points test for this visa. To be nominated, the applicant must submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) through the Skill-select system. Once nominated, the applicant can proceed to lodge the visa.
  • Investor stream – Applicant will be qualified to apply for this stream if he invests AUD 2.5 million and maintain business and investment activity in Australia upon nomination by a State or Territory government agency.
  • Significant Investor stream – The significant investor visa enables foreign applicants to invest a minimum of $5 million and maintain business and investment activity in Australia upon nomination by a State or Territory government agency.
  • Entrepreneur Stream – The applicant must undertake, or propose to undertake, a complying entrepreneur activity in Australia upon nomination by a State or Territory government agency.

After establishing ownership of an Australian business, the applicant can apply for permanent residence through the Business Innovation and Investment (permanent) subclass 888 visa.

This is the main business visa pathway for businesspersons to obtain the permanent residency rights in Australia. Once granted, your entire family can migrate to Australia, and you will be eligible for Medicare and schooling for children and other facilities.

The Business Innovation stream is a very popular visa pathway where applicants with required net worth in business and the prescribed level of business turnover will be able to lodge their visas with certainty once the state has approved the nomination. Each state in Australia has in different requirements for establishing business when they are granted visas under this pathway. Subclass 188 is a Provisional visa, which will lead to subclass 888 permanent visa pathway once they conduct the proposed business successfully in Australia.

Trans Aus Migration has MARA license holders with professional accounting qualification to properly advice you on the business viability, tax management and federal and state regulations for you to successfully obtain the first visa which is subclass 188 and then proceed to subclass 888 while onshore.

The Direct permanent visa pathway via Subclass 132 (This visa is closed for new applicants)

Business Talent (Permanent Residence) Subclass 132 visa is a permanent resident visa for experienced business owners who own a large business and plan to move their business or start a new business in Australia. There are 2 streams for entry under this subclass. They are,

  • Significant Business History stream – You need to have a net worth of at least AUD 1.5 million in order to apply for this stream.
  • Venture capital Entrepreneur stream – If you have venture capital of at least AUD 1 million provided by a member of the Australian Investment Council, you are eligible to apply for this stream (AIC).