The 188 visa is a provisional business and investor visa with several streams and a pathway to the permanent 888. Brisbane migration agents. Call BYD Education & Immigration Consultants to check your fit.
The Business Innovation & Investment visa, subclass 188, is a provisional visa for business owners, investors and entrepreneurs who want to build or invest in a business in Australia. It’s granted for a set number of years, and it’s designed as a stepping stone to permanent residency through the subclass 888. If you run a successful business overseas, or you’re an investor looking for a new base, the 188 can be the start of a permanent move to Australia.
This is one of the more complex visa areas, and the settings around it change more than most. Our registered migration agents in Brisbane help business people work out whether they qualify, which stream fits, and how to line up the permanent pathway from the start.
The 188 is a provisional business and investment visa. You’re granted it first, you meet the business or investment conditions over the visa period, and then you apply for the permanent 888. It’s part of the wider group of work, business and study visas, and it sits apart from employer sponsored visas because there’s no employer involved. You’re the one bringing the business skill or the capital.
Almost all 188 applications need a state or territory nomination and an Expression of Interest through SkillSelect, so the state you plan to settle in matters as much as the federal rules.
The 188 has historically been split into several streams aimed at different kinds of applicants, broadly covering business owners, direct investors, and higher-value investors. Because the program’s streams, thresholds and even availability have changed and continue to be reviewed, we won’t set out fixed criteria here that could be wrong by the time you read it. What stays true is the shape of the visa: it’s provisional, it’s tied to a business or investment commitment in Australia, and it leads to the permanent 888.
The safest first step is a proper eligibility check against the current settings for your target state, which is exactly what we do at the start.
Nomination is central to the 188. Each state and territory runs its own program, with its own priorities, business or investment expectations, and settlement conditions. A profile that’s welcome in one state may not be a fit in another. We help you target a state whose program matches what you bring, and we prepare the nomination alongside your federal application so they work as one.
The 888 is the permanent version of this visa. To qualify, you generally need to have held the 188, met the business or investment requirements over the required time, and continued to meet the state’s conditions. The detail depends heavily on your stream and your state, so the smart move is to plan the 188 with the 888 already in mind, rather than treating them as two separate problems years apart.
The 188 suits people with a genuine business or investment background and the capital to match, who want to settle in Australia and are willing to commit to a state. If your goal is skilled work rather than running or funding a business, a points-tested skilled migration visa may be a better fit. Part of our job is telling you honestly which category actually suits you, before you invest time and money in the wrong one.
We check your business or investment background against the current 188 settings.
We help you choose and target the right state or territory for nomination.
We prepare your Expression of Interest, nomination and visa application.
We plan the 188 to 888 pathway so permanent residency stays achievable.
We keep you updated as program settings change, which in this area they do.
It’s a provisional Business Innovation & Investment visa for business owners and investors. You hold it for a set period while you meet business or investment requirements, then you can apply for the permanent 888 visa.
Yes. The 188 is designed as a pathway to the permanent subclass 888. You generally need to have met the business or investment conditions and your state’s requirements over the required time. We’ll map the pathway with you.
In almost all cases, yes. The 188 requires nomination by a state or territory, and each runs its own program with its own priorities. Choosing the right state is a big part of a successful application.
Investment and business thresholds apply, and they differ by stream and state, and they change. Rather than quote a figure that may be out of date, we’ll confirm the current requirements for your target stream and state at your consultation.
The 188 has historically covered business owners, investors and higher-value investors through separate streams. Because the streams and their settings are reviewed and change, we’ll walk you through the options that are currently open and suited to you.
Yes, you can usually include your partner and dependent children. They can generally live, work or study in Australia while the visa is valid, and we’ll make sure they’re added correctly.
Processing times depend on the stream, the state, and how complete your application and evidence are. Business and investment cases need thorough documentation, so preparation matters. We’ll give you a realistic timeframe for your situation.
Business and investment settings are reviewed regularly. We keep track of changes and advise you on what they mean for your case, which is one of the main reasons using a registered agent for this visa is worth it.
No. A business visitor visa is for short trips, not for running or investing in a business long term. The 188 is a provisional residence visa with a pathway to permanent residency. If you only need to visit, a different visa applies.
