188B Business Visa (Investment)
AIS Immigration Solutions can help guide you through the application process for your 188B Business visa. The 188B Business visa is ideal for business owners who are seeking to establish business operations in Australia and who are willing to invest $1.5 million in an Australian state or territory bond.
There are several different streams of 188 business visas, and the experienced team at AIS Immigration Solutions can help you determine which option best suits your circumstances. For more information, get in touch with us on +61 7 3216 0052 or book a one-on-one Skype meeting.
188B Business Visa Overview:
To be eligible for a 188B Business Visa you must first be nominated by an Australian state or territory government. To be nominated, you will need to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) via the SkillSelect system.
The 188B Business Visa is a temporary visa for 4 years and is ideal for people who want to make a designated investment in an Australian state or territory. Once you have maintained your investment in Australia for 4 years you will be eligible to apply for permanent residence via the Business Innovation and Investment (Residence) subclass 888 visa.
You can be either in or outside of Australia when you lodge this visa, however if you are in Australia at the time of lodgement then you must hold a valid Substantive Visa or a Bridging A, B or C visa.
Eligibility:
To obtain a 188B Business Visa, you must the following requirements:
- Have held business and personal assets with a net worth of at least AUD 2.25 million for the last two financial years.
- Be under 55 years of age. There is an exception to this requirement – if the nominating state or territory certifies that the applicant will make an exceptional economic benefit.
- You must make an investment of AUD 1.5 million in Australian state or territory bonds prior to your visa being granted.
- You must have at least 3 years of experience either managing a qualifying business or “eligible investments”, and have shown a high level of management skills.
- For at least one of the last 5 fiscal years you have either managed a business in which you hold a 10% shareholding or have managed “eligible investments” of at least AUD 1.5 million. Eligible investments include:
- Ownership interests in a business
- Cash on deposit
- Stocks or bonds
- Real estate
- Gold or bullion
- Loan to a business
188B Business Visa Points Test:
You will need to score at least 65 points on the 188B Business Visa Points Test to be eligible to apply for the Investor Stream. The test gives points for various elements of human capital and business innovation and includes objective measures of business performance.
Some of the factors that points are awarded for include age, English language ability, qualifications, experience in business or investment, net personal and business assets, business turnover and innovation.
See the below table for more information – all factors are assessed as at the time you are invited to apply for this visa, unless otherwise noted:
| FACTOR | DESCRIPTION | POINTS |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 18-24
25-32 33-39 40-44 45-54 55 and older |
20
30 25 20 15 0 |
| English Language Ability | Vocational English
Proficient English |
5
10 |
| Qualifications | Australian trade certificate, diploma or bachelor degree by an Australian education institute or a bachelor qualification recognised by an education institution of a recognised standard | 5 |
| Bachelor degree in business, science or technology by an Australian institution; or a qualification by an education institution of a recognised standard | 10 | |
| Special Endorsement | The nominating state or territory government agency could decide that your proposed business is of a unique and important benefit to the state or territory where the nominating government agency is located | 10 |
| Financial Assets | Net business and personal assets of you, your partner, or you and your partner combines in each of the preceding two years of at least: | |
| AUD 800 000
AUD 1.3 million AUD 1.8 million AUD 2.25 million |
5
15 25 35 |
|
| Business Turnover | Annual turnover in your main business during a period of at least two years of the preceding four financial years of at least: | |
| AUD 500 000
AUD 1 million AUD 1.5 million AUD 2 million |
5
15 25 35 |
|
| Business Innovation Stream Only Business Experience |
You have held one or more businesses before you were invited to apply for the visa for: | |
| Not less than 4 years within the preceding 5 years | 10 | |
| Not less than 7 years within the preceding 8 years; | 15 | |
| Investor Stream Only Investor experienc |
Eligible investment of at least AUD 100 000 held for: | |
| At least 4 years before the time of invitation to apply for the visa | 10 | |
| At least 7 years before the time of the invitation to apply for the visa | 15 | |
| Business Innovation qualifications Investor experience |
At the time of invitation to apply for the visa: | |
| Evidence of registered patents or registered designs | 15 | |
| Evidence of registered trademarks | 10 | |
| Evidence of formal joint venture agreements | 5 | |
| Evidence of export trade | 15 | |
| Evidence of ownership of interest in a gazelle business | 10 | |
| Evidence of receipt of grants or venture capital funding | 10 | |
| State or territory nomination | Special endorsement (limited places) | 10 |
Is this visa right for me?
Business migration visas are exceptionally complex and it can be difficult to determine whether you are eligible, and if you are eligible, which subclass you should be applying for. Our team of professional migration agents can guide you through the process and help you determine whether the 188B Business Visa is the best option to suit your situation. For more information book a Skype meeting with us today.
Speak to one of our helpful migration assistants today on +61 7 3216 0052 or send us an enquiry for help in obtaining your 188B Business visa.
