Business Visa Melbourne - Subclass 188 Visa

Overview: Australian immigration is open for business opportunities, investment and capital inflow to overseas people. A business visa helps you set up your own business in Australia which further assists in making your PR pathway easy. Our expert agents will aid you in securing the business visa you want!

Business visas falls into the following categories:

Australia is always welcome the successful business owners and entrepreneurs. Multiple temporary business visas are available to these intellectual business owners which further contribute in the pathway to the permanent visas. Below is the brief overview of the temporary business visas and their permanent pathway.

1) BUSINESS INNOVATION STREAM (SUBCLASS 188) – TEMPORARY VISA

This visa will let you:

Operate a new or existing business in Australia
Bring eligible members of your family with you

The basic criteria are:

Be under 55 years of age.
You must be nominated by an Australian State or Territory government agency, before being invited to apply for this visa and state or Territory government agency that nominates you must not withdraw their nomination after you apply.
You must score at least 65 on the points test
You must provide proof of your business success (annual turnover, ownership interest)
You, your partner, or you and your partner together, have total net business and personal assets of at least:
- AUD1.25 million if you were invited to apply for this visa on or after 1 July 2021
- AUD800,000 if you were invited to apply for this visa before 1 July 2021

For 2 out of 4 fiscal years immediately before you receive an invitation to apply, you must have had an ownership stake in 1 or 2 businesses that had at least:

AUD500,000 turnover in each of those 2 years if you were invited to apply before 1 July 2021
AUD750,000 turnover in each of those 2 years if you were invited to apply on or after 1 July 2021

Whether you have 1 or 2 businesses, you must own at least:

51%, of the total value of the business if the business has a turnover of less than AUD400,000 per year
30%, of the total value of the business if the business has a turnover of AUD400,000 or more per year, or
10%, of the total value of the business if the business is operated by a publicly listed company

If your business provides professional, technical or trade services, you must have spent less than half your time providing those services, rather than general management of the business

Have a successful business career
Have functional English or pay second instalment of the visa application charge

Permanent Pathway

Eligible subclass 188 Business Innovation stream holders can apply for a permanent Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (subclass 888) in the Business Innovation stream if certain requirements are met.

2) INVESTOR STREAM (SUBCLASS 188) - TEMPORARY VISA

This visa will let you:

Carry out business and investment activity in Australia
Bring eligible members of your family with you

The basic criteria are:

Be under 55 years of age.
You must be nominated by an Australian State or Territory government agency, before being invited to apply for this visa and state or Territory government agency that nominates you must not withdraw their nomination after you apply.
You must score at least 65 on the points test

You must be nominated by a State or Territory government agency to invest at least
- AUD2.5 million that meets certain requirements if you were invited to apply on or after 1 July 2021
- AUD1.5 million in an Australian State or Territory if you were invited to apply before 1 July 2021
You must have net business, investment and personal assets of at least AUD2.5 million

Have the right investment and business experience
Have functional English or pay second instalment of the visa application charge

2.1)Permanent Pathway

Eligible subclass 188Investor stream holders can apply for a permanent Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (subclass 888) in the Investor stream if certain requirements are met.

3) SIGNIFICANT INVESTOR STREAM (SUBCLASS 188) – TEMPORARY VISA

This visa will let you:

Carry out investment activity in Australia
Bring eligible members of your family with you

The basic criteria are:

You must be nominated by an Australian State or Territory government agency, before being invited to apply for this visa and state or Territory government agency that nominates you must not withdraw their nomination after you apply.
You must be invited to apply for this visa
You must be nominated by a State or Territory government agency or Austrade to invest at least AUD5 million that meets certain requirements and have a genuine intention to hold that investment for the life of your provisional visa
You must have a genuine intention to live in the State or Territory whose government agency nominates you
Have functional English or pay second instalment of the visa application charge

3.1) Permanent Pathway

Eligible subclass 188 Significant Investor stream holders can apply for a permanent Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (subclass 888) in the Significant Investor stream if certain requirements are met.

4) PREMIUM INVESTOR STREAM (SUBCLASS 188) – TEMPORARY VISA

This visa will let you:

Carry out business and investment activity in Australia
Stay in Australia for up to 4 years and 3 months
Bring eligible members of your family with you

The basic criteria are:

You must be nominated by Austrade
You must be invited to apply for this visa
You must invest at least AUD15 million in Australian investments and/or philanthropic contributions that meet certain requirements
You must have a genuine intention to hold the investment for the whole period of the visa (except any part of the investment that is a philanthropic contribution)

Have functional English or pay second instalment of the visa application charge

4.1) Permanent Pathway

Eligible subclass 188 Premium Investor stream holders can apply for a permanent Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (subclass 888) in the Premium Investor stream if certain requirements are met.

5) ENTREPRENEUR STREAM (SUBCLASS 188) – TEMPORARY VISA

This visa will let you:

Carry out entrepreneurial activity in Australia
Bring eligible members of your family with you

The basic criteria are:

Be under 55 years of age.
You must be nominated by a State or Territory government agency
You must undertake, or propose to undertake, a complying entrepreneur activity in Australia
You must show us a business plan for your entrepreneurial activity
If you were invited to apply on or after 1 July 2021, you must be endorsed by your nominating state or territory agency to develop your entrepreneurial concepts. If you were invited to apply before 1 July 2021, you must have one or more legally enforceable agreements from an approved entity to receive funding with a total of at least AUD200,000.
You must have at least competent English

5.1) Permanent Pathway

Eligible subclass 188 Entrepreneur stream holders can apply for a permanent Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (subclass 888) in the Entrepreneur stream if certain requirements are met.

Note: Holders of the following temporary business visa categories:

Business Innovation Stream (Subclass 188)
Investor Stream (Subclass 188)
Significant Investor Stream (Subclass 188)

Can extend their stay if required under the following extension categories:

Business Innovation Extension Stream
Significant Investor Extension Stream
Premium Investor Stream

Please get in touch with us for further details at +61 3 9000 0555