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Need a legal partner in navigating the complex pathway to Australia’s business and investment visas? Parish Patience is a highly experienced team of Australian migration consultants who can expertly help in securing a provisional 188 visa Australia offers for business owners and investors like you.
Formally known as the Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (Subclass 188), it is a pathway for individuals looking to conduct business, investment, and entrepreneurial activities in Australia.
It’s an opportunity for qualified applicants to contribute to the Australian economy while taking a major leap towards permanent residency. The basic eligibility requirements are:
There are seven (7) streams under this visa, as follows:
A points-tested visa designed for individuals with business skills, the 188A visa lets successful applicants operate a new or existing business in Australia for up to 5 years. To be eligible to apply, you need the following:
If you can invest at least AUD 2.5 million in Australian investments, this temporary investor visa allows you to maintain a business or investment activity here for up to 5 years. Among the key requirements are:
Similarly, the 188C visa lets you live in Australia for up to 5 years to conduct investment activities, provided you invest at least AUD 5 million in Australian investments.
Talk to one of our Visa Experts Now.
Need to extend your stay in Australia to continue your business activities? This stream lets holders of the Business Innovation stream visa to stay for up to 3 more years, or a total of 8 years after the grant date of their initial visa.
Continue to conduct substantial investment activities in Australia for up to 4 more years after exhausting your 5-year residency on a Significant Investor stream visa. Additional eligibility criteria include that you:
With this visa, you can live and stay in Australia for up to 4 years and 3 months by investing at least AUD 15 million, including philanthropic contributions. Main criteria include:
NOTE: New applications for this stream have been closed.
Are you a startup or early-stage entrepreneur endorsed to further develop your concept, and nominated by a State or Territory government agency? This stream enables you to carry out entrepreneurial activities for up to 5 years. You must also:
For those who are 55 years of age or older, you can still apply and qualify for a business innovation visa, investor visa, or entrepreneur visa, as long as you can prove that your business or investment activity will be of exceptional economic benefit to Australia.
Apply for a subclass 188 visa under the stream that best suits your qualifications with this step-by-step process:
1
As a critical step, you must submit an expression of Interest, secure a State nomination, and receive an invitation to formally apply for the visa.
2
Once settled, gather every documentary requirement and supporting documentation to make sure you will submit a complete and error-free application.
3
You can apply for business migration under any stream online using an ImmiAccount. Specific instructions on how to apply shall be indicated in your invitation letter.
4
After lodging your application, wait for any status updates, such as whether you need to submit additional documents to support your visa application.
5
Provided you satisfy all 188 visa Australia requirements, celebrate your visa grant and enjoy the perks of living and managing a business down under!
Need a professional hand to help you strengthen your visa application? Speak to a registered migration agent from Parish
Patience to maximise your visa success.
Talk to one of our Visa Experts Now.
Processing times vary per application and their individual complexity, volume of applications, and whether the submitted application is complete or missing documents.
Fees, meanwhile, are subject to change. Refer to the Department of Home Affairs website for the latest fees, processing times, and immigration news.
The table below represents processing times for 50% to 90% of applications processed, respectively. The fees, on the other hand, apply only for the main applicants and are exclusive of additional fees regarding health and character checks, among others.
| Stream | Processing Time | Fees |
| Business Innovation | 35 months to 51 months | AUD 9,450.00 |
| Investor | 37 months to 49 months | AUD 9,450.00 |
| Significant Investor | 21 months to 32 months | AUD 13,860.00 |
| Business Innovation Extension | 17 months to 19 months | AUD 1,135.00 |
| Significant Investor Extension | No data | AUD 1,135.00 |
| Premium Investor | No data | AUD 9,455.00 |
| Entrepreneur | 16 months to 23 months | AUD 6,395.00 |
You don’t have to handle this complex process alone. Let our experienced Australian immigration consultants help maximise your chances of being granted your dream visa.
Every client and case is of unique nature. We offer personalised advice and services tailored to your individual business or investment aspirations.
Operating as a law firm since 1888, our long history of service made us among the most trusted legal partners for all things immigration and Australian visas.
From the moment you reach out to your visa grant, we’re keen to provide you with full and compassionate support throughout your immigration journey to Australia.
Honesty and openness are core values for us. Our transparent approach ensures you always know what to expect. No surprises, only clear communication.
Our customers are always happy to share their thoughts with us.
Here is what some of them have said!
The team at parish Patience Immigration Lawyers were incredibly helpful throughout the application process. Their assistance made our lives so much less stressful and their expertise cleared up any confusion we had. They remained engaged with us the whole time and quickly responded to any questions with thoughtful, detailed answers. Special thanks to Usman Ali and Shan . We highly recommend the team at Parish patience immigration lawyer for anyone considering help regarding any kind of visa .
Highly recommended lawyers! Extremely professional and reliable service, with outstanding outcomes. A special thanks to Mr Thong and Marlene, for helping us with our difficult case. Not only did they ensure that everything was ready to go, but their professionalism came in favor when we were granted our visa within just under 6 months!
Thong and Marlene helped my partner gain permanent residency in Australia. We did the application ourselves but it turned out lots of information we needed to provide was missing. Thong and Marlene picked our case up and helped amend it. I really appreciate their help and guidance and look forward to contacting them again in the future. I am pleased by their efforts and professionalism.
Successfully handled my case. He had been prompt, caring and very professional in dealing with my case. I am glad to have received very strong support, guidance and service from them. I would highly recommend Parish patience immigration lawyers. I wish the best for their future prospects.
I’m really thankful for the guidance and assistance I’ve received regarding my Partner visa from Shan and his assistance Asha at Parish Patience. They handled my matter professionally and there were clear instructions from the beginning till end. I got my partner visa 820 granted in less than 7 months, thanks to their knowledge and expertise. I wish them all the best and highly recommend Parish Patience Immigration Lawyers for any sort of immigration matters.
On the lookout for Australia visa professionals who can truly help you explore your visa options and give sound advice on your business development goals using your 188 visa? Parish Patience is the 135-year-old Australian migration agency providing excellent immigration services. Contact us today and schedule an official appointment.
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One of the main benefits of applying for this visa is you can apply alongside your family members. Not needless to say, they must also comply with the visa requirements, including health, character, and English proficiency requirements.
The 188 visas in Australia are provisional visas designed for business people and investors. However, provided you satisfied all the conditions of your initial visa, each stream leads to permanent residency under subclass 888.
Among seven streams, the entrepreneur stream of the business innovation and investment visa (subclass 188) takes the least amount of time to process at 16 to 23 months, followed by business innovation extension at 17 to 19 months, and significant investor at 21 to 32 months. The business innovation and investor streams take 35 to 51 months and 37 to 49 months, respectively.
