Australian innovation visa is granted to people who have business skills and intend to do business and commercial activities in Australia. Read more about this visa in the 188 visa section.

In the following section, we will examine the conditions for obtaining a 188 Australian visa in the innovation stream in general and by state:

Australian innovation visa
Subclass 188A
​​​​​​​

This visa requires the primary applicant to meet the following general requirements before applying and depending on the state of destination, check the state's requirements.

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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.

Be under 55​​​​​​​

Applicant Eligibility - Subclass 188A

Have business ownership​​​​​​​

• 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

Applicant Eligibility - Subclass 188A​​​​​​​

 Business Turnover​​​​​​​

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:

• AUD750,000 turnover in each of those 2 years if you were invited to apply on or after 1 July 2021

Applicant Eligibility - Subclass 188A​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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:

• AUD1.25 million if you were invited to apply on or after 1 July 2021.

Your funds must be available to transfer to Australia within 2 years of us granting the visa

Applicant Eligibility - Subclass 188A​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Own personal and business assets

 Functional English and
​​​​​​​ Qualifications

A language certificate and an educational certificate are not required for this visa except in some states.
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
But 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 installment of the visa application charge. ​​​​​​​

Applicant Eligibility - Subclass 188A​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Score at least 65 on the points test

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

Applicant Eligibility - Subclass 188A​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Business innovation visa Subclass 188A
 New South Weals' criteria

Last Update 2022-23

For the main applicant who intends to enter the state of New South Wales, in addition to the conditions discussed above, Depending on whether intends to enter Sydney or its surrounding cities, he must meet the state's requirements. . The following conditions will be examined:

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You must be under 50 years of age

​Age

Applicant Eligibility - Subclass 188A​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ | NSW

Personal background​​​​​​​

• A bachelor's degree recognized as equivalent to the Australian standard, or

• 3 years of business experience in a NSW target sector, or
• 5 years of business experience in a non-target sector

Applicant Eligibility - Subclass 188A​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ | NSW​​​​​​​

Business turnover

You must have a qualifying ownership stake in up to two businesses that have a combined annual turnover of the below amount in two of the four most recent fiscal years:

• A$1,250,000 – Sydney
• A$750,000 – Regional NSW

Applicant Eligibility - Subclass 188A​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ | NSW​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

You must have combined net personal and business assets of:

• A$1,750,000 – Sydney
• A$1,250,000 – Regional NSW
  

Personal and business assets​​​​​​​

Applicant Eligibility - Subclass 188A​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ | NSW​​​​​​​

Points test​​​​​​​

Your SkillSelect EOI must show a minimum score of 65 points.
Applications showing the following will be prioritized:

• 15 points for business experience, or
• Points for business innovation qualifications

Applicant Eligibility - Subclass 188A​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ | NSW​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Your business plan​​​​​​​

You must provide a business proposal that clearly describes how your business will contribute to the NSW economy and create new jobs.​​​​​​​

Applicant Eligibility - Subclass 188A​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ | NSW​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Investment commitment

188A to 888A | NSW​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Personal and business assets​​​​​​​

188A to 888A | NSW​​​​​​​

For the 12 months immediately before you apply for NSW nomination, you or your partner (or you and your partner together) must show at least:
net personal and business assets of at least:

• A$1,500,000 – Sydney
• A$600,000 – Regional NSW

net business assets of at least:

• A$600,000 – Sydney
• A$200,000 – Regional NSW

Business investment​​​​​​​

188A to 888A | NSW

NSW will refuse your nomination application for a permanent visa (subclass 888) if during your provisional visa you have not a made a business investment of:

• $A500,000 – Sydney
• $A300,000 – Regional NSW

Business Turnover​​​​​​​

188A to 888A | NSW​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Your main business or businesses, had an annual turnover of at least AUD300,000 in the 12 months immediately before the application was made.

If you purchased an existing business
You must show growth in the business since taking over through either an:

• increase in annual turnover of at least 10%, or
• increase in business assets of at least 25%

188A to 888A | NSW​​​​​​​

Creating new jobs in NSW​​​​​​​

You must have created a minimum of two new full time equivalent jobs while holding your provisional visa.
Employees must work in your main business (or main businesses) and:

• be Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents, or holders of valid New Zealand passports
• not be members of your family

Business innovation visa Subclass 188A
 Victorias' criteria

For the main applicant who intends to enter Victoria , in addition to general conditions, Depending on whether intends to enter Melbourne or its surrounding cities, must meet the state's requirements. . The following conditions will be examined:

Last Update 2022-23

Source

Your proposed business must be within your area of expertise. This must be demonstrated through three years of highly relevant business experience.

Businesses that have been successful in this program in Victoria include:

• Technology development
• Tourism and primary producer
• Cosmetics manufacturing
• Nutritional product manufacturing and export

The following types of businesses will not be accepted:

• property development
• gift stores
• convenience stores
• dollar stores
• franchises (unless an international brand that is new to Australia)
• You must propose to engage in eligible business activity in Victoria
• You must propose to engage in eligible business activity that is highly relevant to your recent business experience.

Your Business Plan

Applicant Eligibility - Subclass 188A​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ |VIC

Personal background​​​​​​​

Applicant Eligibility - Subclass 188A​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ | VIC​​​​​​​

Business turnover

Applicant Eligibility - Subclass 188A​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ | VIC​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Your main overseas business must have a turnover of A$1,750,000 or more instead of A$750,000 if you lack a business degree or...

188A to 888A | VIC​​​​​​​

The business activity must take place in Victoria.

Job creation

Additionally, you must demonstrate that your business has created jobs in Victoria.

A minimum of two full-time employees must work for you.


It is possible to be exempt from this job creation requirement if your eligible business has a turnover of at least A$1 million for the two years before you apply for permanent residency.

Creating new jobs in VIC​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Business investment​​​​​​​

Investment of $500,000 in eligible Victorian businesses
A minimum of $500,000 in assets must be maintained in your Victorian business for a period of one year.

Following your subclass 188 nomination, you will need to provide a balance sheet showing a value of $500,000 or greater for the last two years.

188A to 888A | VIC