Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (subclass 888) – Business Innovation stream

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Important information about seeking migration advice

The Office of Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA) regulates registered migration agents (RMAs) and publishes a list of agents that have been disciplined.

The OMARA has a register of RMAs that you can visit at www.mara.gov.au.

Investment NSW advises that all applicants considering engaging migration advisory services check whether the person handling your application has been disciplined at https://portal.mara.gov.au/disciplinary-decisions/.

It is important that all applicant’s check their own eligibility for NSW’s migration nomination programs.

If you’re a consumer, stay up-to-date with the latest information on Australia’s Migration Programs at https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/.

Eligibility criteria

For applicants whose provisional visa was nominated by NSW after 01 July 2021.

See our Legacy nomination criteria page for information about NSW nomination criteria if you were nominated by NSW for your provision visa before 01 July 2021.

Visa criteria

You must meet the Home Affairs requirements for the Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (subclass 888A) – Business Innovation stream.

Personal and business assets

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

While holding your provisional visa, you must have made an investment into your business of at least:

  • A$500,000 – Sydney
  • A$300,000 – Regional 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

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%

Exemption

You may be exempt from the job creation and business growth requirement if your eligible business:

  • has implemented innovative practices that did not previously exist in the marketplace, or
  • is located in Regional NSW and trades primarily in a Regional NSW target sector

Previously nominated by another state or territory

If you were nominated by another Australian state or territory for your subclass 188 visa, you must obtain a letter of release from your nominating state or territory on the Home Affairs’ Form 1414.  

How to apply 

You need to apply for NSW nomination before you can apply to Home Affairs for this visa. Applying for NSW nomination from involves the following steps: 

Apply for NSW nomination 

Apply to NSW for nomination using our online form.  

See our guide to supporting documents for information about what supporting evidence you need to supply at the time you apply to NSW. 

Pay application fee 

You (or your migration agent) will be emailed a payment link immediately after submitting your online application form. This payment link is valid for 30 minutes only. 

Your application will only be assessed after you completed the application payment. To ensure the timely assessment of your application, you must complete payment within the 30 minute timeframe. 

Application fees if you are applying from: 

  • within Australia: A$1397 

  • outside Australia: A$1270 

Application fees are non-refundable. Applications that remain unpaid will be closed by our office. Retain a copy of your receipt as proof of payment.  

Application processing time 

You will receive an outcome, or request for further information, within four weeks of your application payment.  

Next steps 

If your application is approved, you will receive a notification of approval by email with a signed copy of the Home Affairs’ Form 1414. NSW nomination is valid for 90 days.   

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