Business Visas

The second stage of the Business and Innovation program allows applicants who have held this visa subclass 188 to transition to permanent residency through the visa subclass 888 – as well as direct entry to permanent residency. This visa allows you to continue to own and manage a business in Australia or continue business and investment activity in Australia. Like its prerequisite, the 888 visa has five streams depending on your business’s level of contribution to the Australian economy.

Depending on which stream your 188 Visa was granted under will determine which stream of the 888 Visa you qualify for. Most notably, this visa lets you live and work permanently in Australia. You may travel in and out of Australia for five years. You may also have family members accompany you to Australia, and you can enrol in Medicare Australia’s scheme for health-related care and expenses.

Popular for offering a pathway to permanent residency, the provisional Business and Innovation visa is the first out of the two stages eventually leading to PR. Valid for four years, it is the most suitable option for migrants who intend to establish a new business in Australia, manage an existing business, or invest in Australia.

The Investor visa subclass 188 is only open to applicants who have received an invitation by the Department after lodging an Expression on Interest (EOI) and being nominated by a State or Territory Government or Austrade. It includes five streams whereby successful business owners can invest in a new or existing business in Australia. The Government established these five streams, with each contributing at varying levels to the country’s economy. These include: the Business Innovation stream; the Investor stream; the Premium Investor stream; the Significant Investor stream and the Entrepreneur stream.