Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (subclass 888)

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The Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (subclass 888) is for entrepreneurs, investors, and business owners to continue their activity in Australia.

Basic Eligibility

hold a relevant stream of the subclass 188 visa or in relation to applications for a subclass 888 visa in the Business Innovation stream, hold a relevant stream of the subclass 188 visa, or a subclass 444 (Special Category) visa, or a subclass 457 (Business (Long Stay)) visa granted in certain circumstances.

Business Innovation Stream

This visa lets holders of a Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) in the Business Innovation stream or the Business Innovation Extension stream, or holders of a subclass 444 (Special Category) visa, or certain holders of a subclass 457 (Business (Long Stay) visa, stay permanently in Australia.

What can you do on the Business Innovation stream?

On the Business Innovation stream, you can:

continue your business activities that you may have started under your Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa
stay in Australia permanently
work and study in Australia

How long you can stay on this visa?

This is a permanent visa. It lets you stay in Australia permanently.

Are family members included on this visa?

You can include members of the family unit in your application when you apply. You can also add children to your application at any time before the Department of Home Affairs decides on your application. Family members who apply for the visa must meet the strict Department of Home Affairs health and character requirements.

Where can you apply for this visa?

You can be in or outside Australia when you apply for the visa and when the Department of Home Affairs decides on your application but not in immigration clearance.

What are your visa obligations?

You and your family members must obey all Australian laws.

If you are outside Australia when we grant the visa:

you and your family members must enter Australia by a certain date (the Department of Home Affairs will tell you when this is)
any family members included in your application might not be able to marry or enter into a de facto relationship before they enter Australia

Where can you travel to and from?

You can travel to and from Australia as many times as you want for 5 years from the date that the Department of Home Affairs grant this visa.

Visa label

Australian visas are digital and will link the digital visa record to your passport. There are no longer physical visa labels.

What are the eligibility requirements for the Business Innovation stream?

Unless COVID-19 concessions apply, you must be the primary holder of a:

Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) Business Innovation stream. If you were invited to apply for this visa on or after 1 July 2021, you must have held this visa for at least 3 years, or
Special Category visa (SCV) (subclass 444). If this visa was granted on or after 1 July 2021, you must have held this visa for at least 3 years, or
Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) Business Innovation Extension stream, or
in certain cases, a subclass 457 visa

Nominated by Australian State or Territory government agency

You must have a current nomination from a state or territory government agency.

When you applied for your Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa, you would have submitted an expression of interest. A state or territory saw your expression of interest and nominated you.

You do not need to provide a new Expression of Interest. But the state or territory needs to confirm that your nomination is still current.

The current state and territories are below:

Business ownership

For the 2 years immediately before you apply, you must have:

had, and continue to have, an ownership interest in up to two main businesses in Australia
had a direct and continuous management role in that business or businesses
submitted Business Activity Statements to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO)
an Australian Business Number (ABN) for each of your main businesses

For the 24 months immediately before you apply, you must own at least:

51% of the total value of a business with a turnover of less than $400,000 AUD per year, or
30% of the total value of a business with a turnover of $400,000 AUD or more per year, or
10% of the total value of a business that is operated by a publicly listed company

Business acquisition

If you bought your main business (or businesses) from a person who applied for or held:

a Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa or
a permanent business skills visa (in subclasses 890, 891, 892 or 893)

at the time of the acquisition, you must show that you and that person co-owned the business for at least 1 year before you apply.

Have an annual business turnover of $300,000 AUD

Your main business or businesses (or the business or businesses of your spouse or de facto partner, or of you and your spouse or de facto partner together), had an annual turnover of at least $300,000 AUD in the 12 months immediately before the application was made.

You might not need to have a turnover of $300,000 AUD if the nominating State or Territory government agency has determined that there are exceptional circumstances.

Assets and employee’s requirement

For the 12 months immediately before you apply, you or your partner (or you and your partner together) must show at least 2 of the following:

assets of $200,000 AUD net value in your main business (or 2 main businesses) in Australia
personal and business assets in Australia of $600,000 AUD net value
equivalent of at least 2 full-time eligible employees in your main business

If you want to meet the employee rule, your employees must work in your main business (or main businesses) and:

be Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents, or holders of valid New Zealand passports
not be members of your family

Have followed Australian laws

When operating your business in Australia, you and your partner must have followed:

Commonwealth laws
the laws of the states or territories where your business operated

This includes laws about taxation, superannuation, and workplace relations including employment law.

Residence requirement

You must meet one of the residence requirements below:

Unless COVID-19 concessions apply, you must have been physically present in Australia for at least 1 year in the 2 years immediately before you apply if you are the holder of a:

Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) Business Innovation stream and you were invited to apply before 1 July 2021
Special Category visa (SCV) (subclass 444) and your visa was granted before 1 July 2021
Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) Business Innovation Extension stream and you were invited to apply for your original Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) Business Innovation stream before 1 July 2021, or
in certain cases, a subclass 457 visa

You must have been physically present in Australia for at least 1 year in the 3 years immediately before you apply if you are the holder of a:

Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) Business Innovation stream and you were invited to apply on or after 1 July 2021
Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) Business Innovation Extension stream and you were invited to apply for your original Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) Business Innovation stream on or after 1 July 2021
Special Category visa (SCV) (subclass 444) and your visa was granted on or after 1 July 2021

Unacceptable business activities

You and your partner must not have been involved in any business or investment activities that are unacceptable in Australia. It’s important that if you have been involved in any suspect business activities, that you discuss them with us before lodging you visa application.

Have a realistic commitment to continuing business activities

You must have a realistic commitment to continuing your business and investment activities in Australia. There are significant issues that can affect you if you don’t continue with your business activities.

Meet the health and character requirements

You and any family members who apply for the visa with you must meet the Department of Home Affairs strict health and character requirements.

Debt to the Australian government

If you or any family members owe the Australian Government money, you or they must have paid it back or have an approved arrangement in place to pay it back. Not having this sorted prior to having your visa application lodged can cause significant issues.

Have you had a visa cancelled or application refused previously?

You might not be eligible for this visa if you have had a visa cancelled or refused while you were in Australia. It’s important to discuss this with our team as it’s critical to be transparent and upfront with the Department of Home Affairs.

Australian Citizenship

After a certain time, you might be eligible for Australian citizenship.

For citizenship purposes, your permanent residency starts on the day:

the Department of Home Affairs grant the visa if you were in Australia
you first entered Australia on this visa if you were outside Australia when we granted it

Investor stream

This visa lets you continue your investment activities in Australia permanently.

What can you do on the Investor stream?

continue your investment activities started under your Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa
stay in Australia permanently
work and study in Australia
enrol in Australia’s public health care scheme, Medicare
sponsor your relatives to come to Australia
travel to and from Australia for 5 years
if eligible apply for Australian citizenship

How long you can stay in Australia?

This is a permanent visa. It lets you stay in Australia permanently.

Can family be included on this visa?

Where can you apply from?

You can be in or outside Australia when you apply for the visa and when the Department of Home Affairs decides on your application, but not in immigration clearance.

What are your obligations?

You and your family members must obey all Australian laws.

If you are outside Australia when we grant the visa:

you and your family members must enter Australia by a certain date (we will tell you when this is)
any family members included in your application might not be able to marry or enter into a de facto relationship before they enter Australia (we will tell you if this is the case)

Where can you travel to?

You can travel to and from Australia as many times as you want for 5 years from the date, that the Department of Home Affairs grant this visa. This is if the travel facility on this visa remains valid.

Visa label

Australian visas are now digital. The Department of Home Affairs will link your digital visa record to your passport. There are no physical visa labels.

What is the criteria eligibility for Investor stream?

Unless COVID-19 concessions apply, you must be the primary holder of a Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) in the Investor stream. If you were invited to apply for this visa on or after 1 July 2021, you must have held this visa for at least 3 years.

Be nominated

You must have a current nomination from a state or territory.

When you applied for your provisional visa, you submitted an Expression of Interest. A state or territory saw your Expression of Interest and nominated you.

You do not need to provide a new Expression of Interest.

Have held your Complying Significant Investment

If you were invited to apply for a Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) in the Investor stream on or after 1 July 2021, when the Department of Home Affairs granted your Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa, you would have invested $2.5 AUD million in a ‘complying significant investment’.

To be granted a Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (subclass 888), you (or you and your spouse or de facto partner combined) must:

for the whole period during which you held your Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188), have held a ‘complying significant investment’
tell the Department of Home Affairs of any times you transferred funds from one investment to another.

Have held your Designated Investment

If you were invited to apply for a Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) in the Investor stream before 1 July 2021, when your visa was granted, you invested $1.5 AUD million in an Australian state or territory. We call this a ‘designated investment’.

You must have held your designated investment for at least:

4 years if the provisional visa was granted on the basis of an application made on or after 1 July 2015; or
3 years and 11 months if the provisional visa was granted on the basis of an application made before 1 July 2015.

Your designated investment must have been held continuously in your name, or in the names of yourself and your spouse or de facto partner together.

Meet the residence requirement

Unless COVID-19 concessions apply, you must have been physically present in Australia for at least 2 of the 4 years immediately before you apply if you are the holder of a Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) Investor stream and you were invited to apply before 1 July 2021.

Not have been involved in unacceptable business or investment activities

You and your spouse or de facto partner must not have been involved in any business or investment activities that are unacceptable in Australia.

Commitment to continuing business or investment activities

You must have a realistic commitment to continuing your business or investment activities in Australia.

Follow Australian laws

If you operated a business in Australia, you and your partner must have followed:

Commonwealth laws
the laws of the states or territories where your business operated

This includes laws about taxation, superannuation, and workplace relations.

Meet health and character requirements

You and any family members who apply for the visa with you must meet the Department of Home Affairs health and character requirements.

Family members who are not coming to Australia might also have to meet the requirements.

No debt to the Australian government

If you or any family members owe the Australian Government money, you or they must have paid it back or have an approved arrangement in place to pay it back.

Not have had a visa cancelled or a previous application refused

You might not be eligible for this visa if you have had a visa cancelled or refused while you were in Australia. If this is the case, it’s important to talk to our team of registered migration agents and immigration lawyers to ensure that you’re not risking your future in Australia.

Becoming an Australian citizen

After a certain time, you might be eligible for Australian citizenship.

For citizenship purposes, your permanent residency starts on the day:

the Department of Home Affairs grant the visa, if you were in Australia
you first entered Australia on this visa, if you were outside Australia when the Department of Home Affairs granted it

Significant Investor stream

This visa lets you continue your investment activities in Australia permanently.

What can you do on the Significant Investor stream?

With this visa, you can:

stay in Australia permanently
work and study in Australia
enrol in Australia’s public health care scheme, Medicare
sponsor your relatives to come to Australia
travel to and from Australia for 5 years
if eligible apply for Australian citizenship

How long you can stay in Australia for?

The Significant Investor stream is a permanent visa and lets you stay in Australia indefinitely.

For citizenship purposes, your permanent residency starts on the day:

the Department of Home Affairs grant the visa if you are in Australia
you first enter Australia on this visa, if you are outside Australia when the Department of Home Affairs grant this visa

Can you include family on this visa?

Yes – You can include members of the family unit in your application when you apply for this visa. You can also add children to your application at any time before the Department of Home Affairs decides on your application.

Any family members that apply for this visa may also need to meet certain character and health requirements from the Department of Home Affairs.

Where can you apply for this visa?

You can be in or outside Australia when you apply for the visa and when the Department of Home Affairs decide on your application, but not in immigration clearance.

What are your obligations?

You and your family members must obey all Australian laws.

Can you travel on this visa?

Yes – You can travel to and from Australia as many times as you want for 5 years from the date that the visa is granted. This can only occur if the travel facility on this visa remains valid.

Do you get a Visa label?

As Australian visas are all digital now, you will have the digital visa record added to your passport instead.

What are the eligibility criteria for the Significant Investor stream?

Unless COVID-19 concessions apply, you must be the holder of a:

Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) in the Significant Investor. If you were invited to apply for this visa on or after 1 July 2021, you must have held this visa for at least 3 years, or
Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) in the Significant Investor Extension stream, or
Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) granted on the basis that you were the spouse or de facto partner of a person who held a Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) in the Significant Investor stream or Significant Investor Extension stream and
- you have held this visa for at least three years if the primary visa holder was invited to apply for their Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) in the Significant Investor stream or Significant Investor Extension stream on or after 1 July 2021 and
- either you have ceased to be the spouse or de facto partner of the primary visa holder or the primary visa holder has died

Be nominated

You must have a current nomination from a state or territory government agency or Austrade.

When you applied for your provisional visa, you submitted an expression of interest. A state or territory saw your expression of interest and nominated you.

Have held your complying investment or complying significant investment for the required period

When you were granted your Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa, you invested $5 million AUD in a complying investment or a complying significant investment.

To be granted a Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) (subclass 888) visa, you (or you and your spouse or de facto partner combined) must:

for the whole period during which you held your Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) (subclass 188) visa, have held a ‘complying investment’ (if your subclass 188 visa was granted on the basis of an application made before 1 July 2015) or a ‘complying significant investment’ (if your subclass 188 visa was granted on the basis of an application made on or after 1 July 2015),
tell us of any times you transferred funds from one investment to another.

If any part of your investment is or was a direct investment in an Australian proprietary company, then:

if the period of the direct investment was less than 2 years, the company must have been a qualifying business for the whole period, or
if the period of the direct investment was 2 years or more, the company was a ‘qualifying business’ for at least 2 years, or
if the company has been unable to operate as a ‘qualifying business’, you must have made a genuine attempt to operate the business as a ‘qualifying business’.

Meet the residence requirement

Unless COVID-19 concessions apply, to be granted a Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (subclass 888), you (the primary applicant) must have held a:

Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) in the Significant Investor stream for a continuous period of 4 years or
Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) in the Significant Investor stream and one or more Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) Significant Investor Extension stream for a continuous period of 4 years or
Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) in the Significant Investor stream applied for before 1 July 2015, for a continuous period of 3 years and 11 months

Not have been involved in unacceptable business or investment activities

You and your spouse or de facto partner must not have been involved in any business or investment activities that are unacceptable in Australia.

Have a realistic commitment to continuing business or investment

You must have a realistic commitment to continue your business or investment activity in Australia.

Follow Australian laws

If you operated a business in Australia, you and your partner must have followed:

Commonwealth laws
the laws of the states or territories where your business operated

This includes laws about taxation, superannuation, and workplace relations.

Health requirement

You and any family members who apply for the visa with you must meet the Department and Home Affairs health requirement.

Character requirement

You and family members aged 16 years or over who apply for the visa with you must meet the Department of Home Affairs character requirement.

Have no debt to the Australian government

If you or any family members owe the Australian Government money, you or they must have paid it back or have an approved arrangement in place to pay it back.

Not have had a visa cancelled or a previous application refused

You might not be eligible for this visa if you have had a visa cancelled or refused while you were in Australia. It’s vital to talk to our team if you have had a visa cancelled or refused previously.

Becoming an Australian citizen

After a certain time, you might be eligible for Australian citizenship.

For citizenship purposes, your permanent residency starts on the day:

the Department of Home Affairs grant the visa if you were in Australia
you first entered Australia on this visa, if you were outside Australia when the Department of Home Affairs granted it

Premium investor stream

This visa lets you continue your investment activities in Australia permanently.

What can you do on the Premium investor stream?

stay in Australia permanently
work and study in Australia
enrol in Australia’s public health care scheme, Medicare
sponsor your relatives to come to Australia
travel to and from Australia for 5 years
if eligible, apply for Australian citizenship

How long you can stay in Australia?

This is a permanent visa and lets you stay in Australia permanently.

For citizenship purposes, your permanent residency starts on the day:

the Department of Home Affairs grant the visa if you are in Australia
you first enter Australia on this visa if you are outside Australia when the visa is granted

Can you include family on this visa?

Yes, you can include members of the family unit in your application when you apply. You can also add children to your application at any time before we decide on your application.

Family members who apply for the visa must meet the Department of Home Affairs health and character requirements (explained further below).

Where can you apply from?

You can be in or outside Australia when you apply for the visa and when the Department of Home Affairs decide on your application, but not in immigration clearance.

What are your obligations?

You and your family members must obey all Australian laws at all times.

Where can you travel to?

You can travel to and from Australia as many times as you want for 5 years from the date the Department of Home Affairs grant this visa. This is as long as the travel facility on this visa remains valid.

If you want to travel after the initial 5-year travel facility:

you will need to apply for and be granted a Resident Return (RRV) so that you can re-enter Australia as a permanent resident
you might also want to consider Australian citizenship. If you become an Australian citizen, you don’t require a visa to enter Australia. You will need to apply for an Australian passport and use it to leave and re-enter Australia.

Do you need a visa label?

Australian visas are now digital, and no physical visa label will be in your passport. Instead, the Department of Home Affairs links your digital visa record to your passport.

What visa must you have?

A primary applicant for the visa must be:

the primary holder of a Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) in the Premium investor stream.
the holder of a Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) (subclass 188) visa granted on the basis that you were the spouse or de facto partner of a person who held a Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) (subclass 188) visa in the Premium Investor stream, and you have ceased to be the spouse or de facto partner of that person or that person has died.

At the time you (the primary applicant) apply for the permanent visa, you must have held the Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) (subclass 188) visa in the Premium Investor stream for a continuous period of at least 12 months. You must have held your provisional visa for at least 1 year.

Be nominated

You must have a current nomination from Austrade. Before the Department of Home Affairs invited you to apply for your provisional visa, you submitted an expression of interest.

Have held complying premium investments for the required period

When the Department of Home Affairs granted your Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) (subclass 188) visa in the Premium Investor stream, you invested $15 AUD million in a ‘complying premium investment’.

To be granted a Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent)(subclass 888) visa in the Premium Investor stream, you must have:

held, at the time of application, a Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) (subclass 188) visa in the Premium Investor stream for a continuous period of at least 12 months and
held the complying premium investment (except any part of the investment that is a philanthropic contribution) for the whole time you have held your provisional visa.

Not have been involved in unacceptable business or investment activities

You and your spouse or de facto partner must not have been involved in any business or investment activities that are unacceptable in Australia. This aligns with the information above about always complying with Australian laws.

Have a realistic commitment to continuing business or investment activities in Australia

You must have a realistic commitment to continuing your business or investment activities in Australia. Failure to do so will put your visa application at risk.

Followed Australian laws

If you have operated a business in Australia, you and your partner must have followed:

Commonwealth laws, and
the laws of the states or territories where your business operated

This includes laws about taxation, superannuation, and workplace relations, including employment law.

Meet the health requirement

You and any family members who apply for the visa with you must meet the Department of Home Affairs health requirement.

Meet the character requirement

You and family members aged 16 years or over who apply for the visa with you must meet the Department of Home Affairs character requirement.

No debt to the Australian government

If you or any family members owe the Australian Government money, you or they must have paid it back or have an approved arrangement in place to pay it back.

Had no visa cancelled or application refused previously

You might not be eligible for this visa if you have had a visa cancelled or refused while you were in Australia. If you have, it is important to discuss this with our team as soon as possible. If you have had a visa cancelled or application refused previously, can have a massive impact on your next visa application.

Become an Australia citizen

After a certain time, you might be eligible for Australian citizenship. Our team can assist you with your Australian citizenship if you are eligible.

For citizenship purposes, your permanent residency starts on the day:

the Department of Home Affairs grant the visa, if you were in Australia
you first entered Australia on this visa, if you were outside Australia when the Department of Home Affairs granted it

Entrepreneur stream

This visa lets holders and, in some cases, people who have held a Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) in the Entrepreneur stream, stay permanently in Australia.

With this visa, you can:

stay in Australia permanently
work and study in Australia
enrol in Australia’s public health care scheme, Medicare
sponsor your relatives to come to Australia
travel to and from Australia for 5 years
apply for Australian citizenship, if eligible

How long you can stay in Australia?

This is a permanent visa and allows you to stay in Australia indefinitely.

Can this visa include family?

Yes, you can include members of the family unit in your application when you apply. You can also add children to your application at any time before the Department of Home Affairs decides on your application.

Family members who apply for the visa must meet the Department of Home Affairs health and character requirements.

Where can you apply from?

You can be in or outside Australia when you apply for the visa and when the Department of Home Affairs decide your application, but not in immigration clearance.

What are your obligations?

You and your family must obey all Australian laws.

If you are outside Australia when the Department of Home Affairs grant the visa:

you and your family members must enter Australia by a certain date (the Department of Home Affairs will tell you when this is)
any family members included in your application might not be able to marry or enter into a de facto relationship before they enter Australia (the Department of Home Affairs will tell you if this is the case)

Where can you travel to?

You can travel to and from Australia as many times as you want for 5 years from the date that the Department of Home Affairs granted this visa. This is as long as the travel facility on this visa remains valid.

If you want to travel after the initial 5-year travel facility:

you will need to apply for and be granted a Resident Return (RRV) so that you can re-enter Australia as a permanent resident
you might also want to consider Australian citizenship. If you become an Australian citizen, you don’t require a visa to enter Australia. You will need to apply for an Australian passport and use it to leave and re-enter Australia.

Do you receive a Visa label?

Australian visas are now digital, and the Department of Home Affairs will link your digital visa record to your passport.

Have this visa

Unless COVID-19 concessions apply, you must have held the visa for a continuous period:

Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) in the Entrepreneur stream. If you were invited to apply for this visa on or after 1 July 2021, you must have held this visa continuously for at least 3 years or
Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) in the Entrepreneur stream. If you were invited to apply for this visa before 1 July 2021, you must have held this visa continuously for at least 4 years.

Be nominated

You must have a current nomination from a State or Territory government agency.

When you applied for your provisional visa, you submitted an expression of interest. A state or Territory government agency saw your expression of interest and nominated you.

You do not need to provide a new expression of interest.

Successful record of entrepreneurial activities

The Department of Home Affairs assess your (the primary applicant’s) entrepreneurial activities by looking at success factors.

You will need to show either:

2 key success factors, or
1 key success factor and 3 supporting success factors

Key success factors include:

employing 2 or more Australians, permanent residents, or other eligible persons
generating an annual turnover of at least $300,000 AUD
filing a provisional patent or acquiring a standard or innovation patent
receiving ongoing funding or investment in your entrepreneur activity
entering into a partnership with a university
selling an entrepreneurial venture for $2 million AUD.

Supporting success factors include:

adapting your entrepreneurial activities into other business areas
receiving a statement of success from a state or territory government nominator
receiving sponsorship from the corporate sector
starting at least 1 other business or contributing to at least 2 other businesses
receiving formal awards or recognition
raising or contributing to social capital

Entrepreneurial activities in Australia can’t be:

residential real estate
labour hire
buying an existing enterprise or a franchise in Australia

Meet the residence requirement

Unless COVID-19 concessions apply, you must have been in Australia for either:

at least 2 out of 4 years as the holder of a Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) in the Entrepreneur stream if you were invited to apply for this visa before 1 July 2021
at least 2 years as the holder of a Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) in the Entrepreneur stream if you were invited to apply for this visa on or after 1 July 2021.

Not have been involved in unacceptable business or investment activities

You and your spouse or de facto partner must not have been involved in any business or investment activities that are unacceptable in Australia.

Realistic commitment to continuing business or investment activities

You must have a realistic commitment to continuing business or investment activities in Australia.

Followed Australian laws

When operating your business in Australia, you and your partner must have followed:

Commonwealth laws
the laws of the states or territories where your business operated

This includes laws about taxation, superannuation, and workplace relations including employment law.

Meet the health requirement

You and any family members who apply for the visa with you must meet the Department of Home Affairs health requirement.

Family members who are not coming to Australia might also have to meet the health requirement.

Meet the character requirement

You and family members aged 16 years or over who apply for the visa with you must meet the Department of Home Affairs character requirement.

No debt to the Australian government

If you or any family members owe the Australian Government money, you or they must have paid it back or have an approved arrangement in place to pay it back.

Not have had a visa cancelled or a previous application refused

You might not be eligible for this visa if you have had a visa cancelled or refused while you were in Australia. If you have had either of these, get in contact with our team as soon as possible as this can have a major impact on your visa application.

Become an Australian citizen

After a certain time, you might be eligible for Australian citizenship. If you’d like to consider this option, contact our team today to discuss.

For citizenship purposes, your permanent residency starts on the day:

the Department of Home Affairs grant the visa if you were in Australia
you first entered Australia on this visa, if you were outside Australia when the Department of Home Affairs granted it

Do you want to apply for any of the above visa streams under the Business Innovation and Investment (Subclass 888) visa?

Our team have assisted thousands of clients through the visa application process. If you would like to apply for the Business Innovation and Investment (subclass 888) visa, contact our team as soon as possible as it’s important to get the visa application right.

Our team are here to help

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