Premium Investor stream

As the visa applicant, you must,

• be nominated by Austrade
• be invited to apply for this visa
• invest at least AUD15 million in Australian investments and/or philanthropic contributions that meet certain requirements
• have a genuine intention to hold the investment for the whole period of the visa (except any part of the investment that is a philanthropic contribution)

• 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 be nominated by Austrade and be invited to apply.

First you must submit an Expression of Interest (EOI). If Austrade accepts your EOI and nominates you, DOHA will invite you to apply for this visa.

Austrade will not accept unsolicited expressions of interest.

Learn more about the Premium Investor program from Austrade.

• You must make a complying premium investment of at least AUD 15 million.
  • After you lodge your application, you must make a complying premium investment of at least AUD15 million in any of the following options
• Australian securities exchange listed assets
• Australian government or semi-government bonds or notes
• corporate bonds or notes issued by an Australian exchange listed entity (or wholly owned subsidiary of the Australian listed entity), investment grade rated Australian corporate bonds or notes rated by an AFS licenced debt rating agency
• Australian proprietary limited companies that operate qualifying businesses (providing goods or services to the public with a profit-making intention, and not passive or speculative in nature)
• real property in Australia excluding residential property
• deferred annuities issued by Australian registered life companies
• state or territory government approved philanthropic contribution
• To be an eligible fund, a further requirement is that cash is to be no more than 20% of a fund’s net assets and derivatives are to be used for risk management purposes only.
• Premium investors may elect to make a portion or the entirety of their investment by way of a philanthropic donation (endorsed by a state or territory government.

Further information on the complying premium investment

Income that you earn from your complying premium investment in Australia is subject to tax under Australian taxation law. You must also have a genuine and realistic commitment to continue your investment activity in Australia after your visa ends.

Do not make your complying premium investment before you submit a visa application. Once you have lodged an application, if DOHA is satisfied you meet other criteria for the grant of the visa, you will be invited to make a complying premium investment.

• You must have net assets of at least AUD15 million. These assets could belong to you, your partner, or you and your partner combined. They must be legally acquired, unencumbered, and available to make the complying premium investment in Australia.
• You and your partner must not have a history of involvement in business or investment activities that are of a nature that is not generally acceptable in Australia.
• You must agree not to bring any action against the Commonwealth for any loss relating to your complying premium investment. This also applies to any member of the family unit 18 years of age or older who is also an applicant for this visa.
• 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.

With this Visa, you can,

• carry out investment activity in Australia
• stay in Australia for 4 years and 3 months
• bring eligible members of your family with you
• apply for a permanent Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (subclass 888) Premium Investor stream

You and your family members who are part of your application must comply with all visa conditions and Australian laws.

If you apply for a Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent visa (subclass 888) Premium Investor stream, you must genuinely have a realistic commitment to maintain business and investment activity.

You must also hold your investment of AUD15 million for a minimum of 12 months and follow Australian workplace laws.

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.

• 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) Premium Investor 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