188 VISA
Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) Visa Subclass 188

WRITTEN BY
INDAH MELINDASARI, B.Com
MARN 0961 448 | UPDATED MAY 2019
SHARE THIS INFORMATION
Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) Visa Subclass 188 Brief Overview
If you want to own and manage a business or an investment in Australia, or you want to undertake entrepreneurial activities, this visa is the most suitable for you.
188 Visa Basic Eligibility
- You must submit an expression of interest (EOI) in SkillSelect;
- You must be nominated by a State or Territory government agency or Austrade;
- You must be invited to apply for the visa;
- 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.
This would also mean you must own at least:
1. 51%, of the total value of the business if the business has a turnover of less than AUD400,000 per year;
2. 30%, of the total value of the business if the business has a turnover of AUD400,000 or more per year, or
3. 10%, of the total value of the business if the business is operated by a publicly listed company. - You must be under 55 years old;
- You must score at least 65 on the point test.
188 Visa Processing Time
There are no standard processing times available for this visa, so please make sure that your application is complete and you have included all the documents and information needed for the visa.
188 Visa Stay
All of the visa streams here are for a temporary visa that allows you to stay for up to 4 years and 3 months, except for the Business Innovation Extension stream and Significant Investor Extension stream.
Business Innovation Extension stream allows you to stay up to 6 years after the date of the grant of the Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa Innovation stream.
Significant Investor Extension Stream allows you to extend your stay for up to 4 more years from your Significant Investor Stream.
Permanent Residence pathway is possible if you are eligible to apply through the stream you are in.
Frequently Asked Questions

Mrs. Indah Answers
ONEderland Consulting managing director and also registered migration agent with MARN 0961 448 is here to answer your questions!
- How long will it take for my temporary business visa to be granted?
- There is no standard processing times available for this stream, it depends on specific circumstances applied to your application.
- What is the criteria to apply for this visa?
- There are different requirements for the different streams of this visa, but the common criteria for this visa is that you must be nominated by an Australian State or Territory government agency before being invited to apply for this visa.
- Please ensure that they do not withdraw the nomination after you apply for the visa.
- You and your partner must not have been involved in unacceptable business or investment activities and you and any eligible family members must meet health and character requirements.
- How long is the gap to lodge the visa after receiving an invitation from the department of home affairs?
- It’s recommended for you to lodge the application within 60 days after the invitation, otherwise your invitation will expire and you will not be considered for the visa as the validity period of an invitation cannot be extended.
- Do I need to fulfil the point test completely or fulfil an age requirement for any stream?
- You must score at least 65 points on the points test, and you must be under 55 years old when you receive an invitation for the Business Innovation Stream and Investor Stream.
- Are there any options for me to obtain an Australian permanent residency after holding this visa?
- Sure, once you have this visa, you can apply for the Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (subclass 888) if certain requirements are met.
- How much is the visa fee for this visa?
- This visa will costs you AUD 5,375.
- If you want to include your family in your application, it will charge you AUD 2,685 (over 18 years old) and AUD 1,345 (under 18 years old).
- If you or any of your family member who over 18 years old and has less functional English, there will be another charge applied for the second instalment.
- For the main applicant will cost AUD 9,795 and for family members will be charged AUD 4,890. You need to check which stream that applies to your circumstances.
- Do I have to be in Australia when applying for this visa?
- You can apply for this visa while you are onshore or offshore.
- Can I include my family member in my application?
- You can include your family members in your application. You can also add dependent children to your application at any time before decision made by the Department of Home Affairs.
188 VISA
Three Steps Process
188 VISA
Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) Visa Subclass 188
Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) Visa Subclass 188 Brief Overview
If you want to own and manage a business or an investment in Australia, or you want to undertake entrepreneurial activities, this visa is the most suitable for you.

WRITTEN BY
INDAH MELINDASARI, B.Com
MARN 0961 448 | UPDATED MAY 2019
SHARE THIS INFORMATION
188 Visa Basic Eligibility
- You must submit an expression of interest (EOI) in SkillSelect;
- You must be nominated by a State or Territory government agency or Austrade;
- You must be invited to apply for the visa;
- 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.
This would also mean you must own at least:
1. 51%, of the total value of the business if the business has a turnover of less than AUD400,000 per year;
2. 30%, of the total value of the business if the business has a turnover of AUD400,000 or more per year, or
3. 10%, of the total value of the business if the business is operated by a publicly listed company. - You must be under 55 years old;
- You must score at least 65 on the point test.
188 Visa Processing Time
There are no standard processing times available for this visa, so please make sure that your application is complete and you have included all the documents and information needed for the visa.
188 Visa Stay
All of the visa streams here are for a temporary visa that allows you to stay for up to 4 years and 3 months, except for the Business Innovation Extension stream and Significant Investor Extension stream.
Business Innovation Extension stream allows you to stay up to 6 years after the date of the grant of the Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa Innovation stream.
Significant Investor Extension Stream allows you to extend your stay for up to 4 more years from your Significant Investor Stream.
Permanent Residence pathway is possible if you are eligible to apply through the stream you are in.
As there are various streams leading to many different requirements and criteria that you may not be clear about, you may also worry about your business qualification or if you meet any of the visa requirements.
If you experience these struggles and want to apply for a business visa to Australia, we recommend using a professional and trusted migration agent to avoid refusal of the visa.
ONE derland Consulting has extensive experience in obtaining this visa.
Indah Melindasari, as our registered migration agent, will assess your eligibility and inform you whether you are eligible to meet the criteria for this visa.
She will also explain how and what must be provided to fulfill the requirements when applying for this visa to Australia.
Frequently Asked Questions

Mrs. Indah Answers
ONEderland Consulting managing director and also registered migration agent with MARN 0961 448 is here to answer your questions!
- How long will it take for my temporary business visa to be granted?
- There is no standard processing times available for this stream, it depends on specific circumstances applied to your application.
- What is the criteria to apply for this visa?
- There are different requirements for the different streams of this visa, but the common criteria for this visa is that you must be nominated by an Australian State or Territory government agency before being invited to apply for this visa.
- Please ensure that they do not withdraw the nomination after you apply for the visa.
- You and your partner must not have been involved in unacceptable business or investment activities and you and any eligible family members must meet health and character requirements.
- How long is the gap to lodge the visa after receiving an invitation from the department of home affairs?
- It’s recommended for you to lodge the application within 60 days after the invitation, otherwise your invitation will expire and you will not be considered for the visa as the validity period of an invitation cannot be extended.
- Do I need to fulfil the point test completely or fulfil an age requirement for any stream?
- You must score at least 65 points on the points test, and you must be under 55 years old when you receive an invitation for the Business Innovation Stream and Investor Stream.
- Are there any options for me to obtain an Australian permanent residency after holding this visa?
- Sure, once you have this visa, you can apply for the Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (subclass 888) if certain requirements are met.
- How much is the visa fee for this visa?
- This visa will costs you AUD 5,375.
- If you want to include your family in your application, it will charge you AUD 2,685 (over 18 years old) and AUD 1,345 (under 18 years old).
- If you or any of your family member who over 18 years old and has less functional English, there will be another charge applied for the second instalment.
- For the main applicant will cost AUD 9,795 and for family members will be charged AUD 4,890. You need to check which stream that applies to your circumstances.
- Do I have to be in Australia when applying for this visa?
- You can apply for this visa while you are onshore or offshore.
- Can I include my family member in my application?
- You can include your family members in your application. You can also add dependent children to your application at any time before decision made by the Department of Home Affairs.