Business Migration to Australia
For new or existing business investors and entrepreneurs interested in taking their business and investment activities to Australia, the Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) is the leading pathway for Australian business immigration!
The benefits of Australia’s subclass 188 visa include:
- Operating a new or an already existing business in Australia;
- Having a pathway to Australian PR leading to Australian citizenship and an Australian passport;
- Travelling to Australia with your partner and children;
- Free primary and secondary education for your children in Australia;
- Pathway to Australia’s public healthcare scheme - Medicare.
The subclass 188 visa has four streams for applicants with overall successful business careers:
- Business Innovation stream (subclass 188A);
- Investor stream (subclass 188B);
- Significant Investor stream (subclass 188C); and
- Entrepreneur stream (subclass 188E).
Each stream has its own set of eligibility requirements for business migrants looking to move to Australia. The eligibility requirements for each stream includes:
Business Innovation stream (subclass 188A)
Being nominated by an Australian State or Territory government;
Own personal and business assets worth AUD1.25 million;
Having an annual turnover of AUD 750,000.
Investor stream (subclass 188B)
Being nominated by an Australian State or Territory government;
Making investments worth AUD2.5 million in Australian businesses;
Significant Investor stream (subclass 188C)
Being nominated by an Australian State or Territory government;
Being able to invest at least AUD5 million in qualifying businesses in Australia;
Entrepreneur stream (subclass 188E)
Being nominated by an Australian State or Territory government;
Undertaking, or willing to undertake, a complying entrepreneur activity which will lead to the commercialisation of a product or service in Australia after immigration;
Undertaking, or willing to undertake, a complying entrepreneur activity which will lead to the development of an enterprise or business in Australia after immigration;
How to apply
To register your interest, set up a meeting with our expert consultants at eduaid by clicking here!
You can also give us a call, send us an email, or visit any of our globally established offices for more information on the ins and outs of Australian immigration!
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Visa Stream
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Requirements
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Business Innovation Stream (188A)
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- Own personal and business assets worth AUD1.25 million;
- Have an annual turnover of AUD750,000;
- Be nominated by an Australian State or Territory government.
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Entrepreneur Stream(188E)
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- Be nominated by an Australian State or Territory government;
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Investor Stream(188B)
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- Investment of AUD2.5 million;
- AUD1.25 million in managed funds;
- AUD750,000 in approved managed funds;
- AUD500,000 in Australian VC and growth private equity funds;
- Be nominated by an Australian State or Territory government;
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Significant Investor Stream (188C)
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- Investment of AUD5 million;
- AUD2.5 million in managed funds;
- AUD1.5 million in approved managed funds;
- AUD1 million in Australian VC and growth private equity funds;
- Be nominated by an Australian State or Territory government;
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Table: Business Innovation and Investment Program (BIIP) requirements for 2021-22 migration year
FAQs
- How long is the processing time for business visas to Australia?
- Business visas to Australia usually take between 1 to 1.5 years for processing.
- Can I become an Australian citizen after applying for Australian immigration with the subclass 188 visa?
- If you successfully obtain a subclass 188 visa, you will eventually become an Australian permanent resident. Afterwards, you can apply for Australian citizenship if you can satisfy certain qualifying conditions!
- Is it mandatory for business visa applicants to Australia to be aged under 55?
- No! There are exemptions to the age requirement when applying for a business visa to Australia. You can get more information on the age requirement waiver by contacting our expert consultants!
- Can I apply for Australian business immigration with an unfavorable academic record or English language ability?
- Yes, you can still apply for Australian business immigration even if you do not have any academic qualifications or English language ability! You can contact us for more information.
- Do I need to establish the same business as my current one after immigrating to Australia?
- No, it is not mandatory to establish the same as your existing business after you immigrate to Australia!
- What are the risks I have to face when applying for a business visa to Australia?
-The first step in applying for Australian business visas is evaluating your profile, which we do for free when you contact us. We also study and evaluate other risk analysis factors. You can get in touch with us to learn more about our risk analysis process!
- Whom can I include in my application as dependent for a business visa to Australia?
-You can include your spouse and children who are unmarried and under 23 years old in your application. You can find out more on this condition by contacting us!
Australia is one of the most pursued migration destinations in the world. Ever since the turn of the millennium, more than 100,000 permanent migrants travelled to Australia every year under its various migration programs. Since 2005-2006, the number of permanent migrants moving to Australia exceeded 150,000 people each year. Temporary migration numbers are even higher; Australia welcomed more than 135,000 temporary migrants in 1996-1997, and the number of temporary migrants to Australia increased to almost 400,000 in 2015-2016.
While Australia is a dream destination for international students and skilled migrants, it is business migration to Australia that stands out over all other Australian immigration programs. Australia’s business programs are extremely popular among successful business people, new or existing business entrepreneurs and investors, and rightly so – few countries can match what Australia has to offer in business and investment activities to investors and entrepreneurs looking to apply for business visas to Australia.
What is Business Migration to Australia?
It is an Australia immigration program that allows successful businessmen and women, investors, venture capitalists and entrepreneurs to contribute to the Australian economy by either purchasing or investing in Australian businesses. Business migrants to Australia can conduct business operations as business owners in Australia, manifest startup ideas to start new businesses in the country or invest in existing Australian businesses. Many applicants who successfully obtain business visas for Australian immigration are granted permanent residency in the country by the Australian Federal Government and can travel to and live in Australia indefinitely with their family members, enjoying the same benefits as Australian permanent residents.
Opportunities in Australia for business migrants
Australia has one of the strongest and most stable economies in the world. As a result, the country naturally attracts new or existing entrepreneurs, investors and business magnates from all around the world as business migrants.
Australia was buzzing with business opportunities before the pandemic disrupted international travel, leading to the highest levels of business migrant intake in recent years. However, it is the post-pandemic business innovation opportunities that stand out more.
While most would be forgiven for thinking that the screeching halt to international travel brought about by the coronavirus outbreak would signal a lengthy layoff for Australian business immigration, it is, in fact, the opposite that has happened. As a result of the global lockdowns and travel restrictions, Australia had to experience a clipped number of business migrants arriving in the country for the better part of a year. However, before international travel was halted by Covid-19, the Australian government had already sanctioned several development projects to urbanise the country’s regions and territories. After lockdowns were imposed and international travel was restricted, these development projects lost momentum.
As regional Australia experienced a surge in population throughout the lockdowns, the regions’ need for investors and entrepreneurs became increasingly apparent – so much so that the Commonwealth Bank of Australia even highlighted the increased opportunities for businesses in Australia. Now that international travel is slowly beginning to gather pace, business innovation, investment and entrepreneurial opportunities in Australia remain on the rise, leading to increased interest among investors and entrepreneurs for immigrating to Australia.
Pathways and requirements for Australian business immigration
Applicants can apply for several business visas – both temporary and permanent – for Australian immigration. Temporary visas, such as the subclass 188 visa streams, allow existing business people to travel to Australia and conduct business affairs for a fixed period of time, while permanent visas, such as the Significant Business History Stream of the Business Talent visa and the Business Innovation Stream, lets business people travel to Australia with their families as permanent Australian residents.
For example, Australia’s Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) is a temporary business visa to Australia. To be eligible for this visa, applying business people are required to own business assets worth AUD 1.25 million, with an annual turnover of AUD 750,000. Candidates can apply for this visa under four streams – Business Innovation, Entrepreneur, Investor and Significant Investor. Although this is a five-year provisional business visa, it will still allow recipients to develop and establish a new business in Australia. Holders of this visa can also apply for a permanent business visa to Australia, sponsor eligible relatives to join them as permanent residents in Australia, and even go on to apply for Australian citizenship!
Another popular business visa to Australia among investors and entrepreneurs is the Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (subclass 888) – a permanent business visa to Australia. Holders of the previously mentioned subclass 188 visa can apply for this permanent visa after three years, provided they meet the requirements of this visa. With the subclass 888 visa, business migrants can continue their business affairs started under the previous provisional visa (subclass 188) and live in the country indefinitely. Business migrants holding this business innovation visa scheme can also sponsor their relatives to join them in Australia as permanent residents and apply for Australian citizenship down the line.
As part of the country’s business migration infrastructure shakeup, the requirements for the subclass 188 visa have been revamped, which came into effect from July 2021.
Benefits for Australian Business Migrants
Australia is always welcoming towards business migrants and provides several significant benefits to business migrants. Many temporary visas have pathways to permanent residency in Australia. Moreover, permanent business visas to Australia allows business migrants to travel to Australia with their relatives as permanent residents and enjoy the same benefits as every other Australian permanent resident – free healthcare under Australia’s public healthcare scheme, Medicare, free primary and secondary education for their children in Australia’s renowned education system, unparalleled safety and security for loved ones, and a higher quality of life in Australia’s culturally enriched and welcoming way of life.
Despite migration being slowed down by the pandemic, interest in business immigration to Australia remains as high as the pre-pandemic days – if not more. Australia has recently announced changes to its Business Innovation and Investment Program (BIIP) in order to boost the country’s economic benefits from incoming business migrants. As a result of the changes to Australia’s business immigration infrastructure, the country’s Department of Home Affairs is encouraging investors, entrepreneurs and talented businessmen and women to apply for business visas to Australia.
With vaccines already being administered to citizens of the world, it is only a matter of time before travel restrictions are lifted and borders are reopened for international travel in full force. As such, individuals keeping a keen eye on moving to Australia would be well advised to prepare for the application process, given that now is the right time to apply for business migration to Australia!
