Business Innovation stream

As the visa applicant, you must,

• score at least 65 on the points test
• provide proof of your business success (annual turnover, ownership stake)
• You, your partner, or you and your partner together, have total net business and personal assets of at least AUD800,000

• You can be in or outside Australia when you apply for the visa and when a decision is made on your application, but not in immigration clearance.
• You must submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) through SkillSelect, be nominated by a State or Territory, and then be invited to apply.
• You must be nominated by an Australian State or Territory government agency, before being invited to apply for this visa.
• You could receive an invitation any time within 2 years of submitting your EOI. If you are invited to apply for the visa, you will receive an email from SkillSelect.

If you are invited, you have 60 calendar days to apply for the visa. This time will not be extended.

• You must score at least 65 points on the points test. You can get points for many reasons, including your:
  • age
  • English language ability
  • qualifications
  • business experience
  • net personal and business assets
  • business turnover
  • innovation
  • special endorsement

Check how many points you might get with our business visa points calculator.

• You must have a successful business career and a genuine desire to continuously own and manage a business in Australia.
• You will not receive an invitation if you are aged 55 or older at the time of the invitation to apply for the visa. If you are older, a State or Territory might invite you to apply for this visa if your business will be of exceptional economic benefit.
• You must have business ownership. 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.
  • If your business provides professional, technical or trade services, you must have spent less than half your time providing those services, rather than general management of the business.
  • Whether you have 1 or 2 businesses, you must own at least:
    • 51%, of the total value of the business if the business has a turnover of less than AUD400,000 per year
    • 30%, of the total value of the business if the business has a turnover of AUD400,000 or more per year, or
    • 10%, of the total value of the business if the business is operated by a publicly listed company

• When you are invited to apply for this visa, you, your partner, or you and your partner combined must have total net business and personal assets of at least AUD800,000. Your funds must be available to transfer to Australia within 2 years of us granting the visa.
• You and your partner must have had no history of involvement in business or investment activities that are of a nature that is not generally acceptable in Australia.
• All applicants aged 18 or over at the time of application must either have at least functional English or you will be asked to pay the second instalment of the visa application charge. See General Notes section for details.
• You and any family member included in this application must meet all the health and character requirements
• You or any family member must not have any debt to pay to the Australian government. If you or any family members (including those who do not apply for the visa with you) owe the Australian Government money, you or they must have paid it back or arranged to pay it back.
• If you are 18 years of age or older, you must: have read, or had explained to you, the Life in Australia AND confirm you will respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws when you sign an Australian Values Statement

Note: If you have had a visa cancelled or previous application refused, you may not be granted a visa.

• operate a new or existing business in Australia
• stay in Australia for up to 4 years and 3 months
• bring eligible members of your family with you
• apply for a permanent Business Innovation and Investment visa (subclass 888) Business Innovation stream if certain requirements are met.

• This is a provisional visa. You can stay in Australia for up to 4 years and 3 months. The visa is granted with multiple entries. You can leave and re-enter Australia as many times as you want while the visa is valid.
• You must apply for a new visa if you want to stay longer than the initial visa expiry date. Once you have this visa, you can apply for permanent residence through the Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (subclass 888) Business Innovation stream if certain requirements are met. Consult with our expert registered migration agents to explore your visa options.
• You can include members of the family unit in your application when you apply. You can also add dependent children to your application at any time before a decision is made on your application.
• You must pay an extra charge for any applicant 18 years old or older who has less than functional English. This charge is the second instalment. You are required to pay it only when DOHA asks you to. The second instalment charges are:
  • main applicant: AUD 9,795
  • family members: AUD 4,890
• If the visa is granted, you must meet your business obligations. While the holder of this visa, you must:
  • have a substantial ownership stake in a business in Australia
  • take part in its day-to-day management, at a senior level
  • In the business, you must do at least one of these things:
• add to commercial activity and competitiveness within the Australian economy
• develop business links with international markets
• employ people in Australia
• export Australian goods
• introduce new or improved technology, or
• produce goods or services that Australia would otherwise import
• If the visa is granted, you must follow Australian workplace laws;
  • All workers in Australia (including visa holders) have rights and protections at work. Pay rates and workplace conditions are set by Australian law.
  • You must meet workplace laws when operating your business in Australia. The Pay and Conditions Tool (PACT) can help you with:
    • pay rates
    • shift calculations
    • leave arrangements and notice
    • redundancy entitlements