Queensland welcomes people with business and investment skills who wish to bring their talent and ideas, establish, develop and manage a new or existing business or make a designated investment in Queensland. State nomination for this visa is managed by the Queensland Government, through Migration Queensland, in collaboration with the Australian Government’s Department of Home Affairs.
Business Innovation Stream
- Must be under 55 years of age
- Must demonstrate a genuine commitment to Queensland
- Meet the Pass Mark in the Business innovation and investment Points test (currently 65 points)
- Must have net business and personal assets of at least $1.25 million ready to be transferred to Queensland after visa grant
- Must invest in one or two qualifying business(es) In QLD after being granted visa:
- business investment of at least A$400,000 if the proposed business will be established in the Greater Brisbane and Gold Coast regions; OR
- business investment of at least A$300,000 if the proposed business will be established in regional Queensland
Nomination Extension
You can apply to extend this visa for an extra 2 years under a Business Innovation Extension stream.
As per the Home Affairs criteria for the extension stream, you must: already hold a visa in the Business Innovation stream, and either:
- have had it for at least 3 years, or
- have a current nomination from Queensland,
- have a genuine intention to live in Queensland, and
- have maintained ownership interest in your nominated main business (ie your business must have been operating actively in Queensland, Australia for at least 2 years immediately before applying for this visa).
Additional Requirements
- Export business must develop international markets for Queensland products.
- General importing business will not be acceptable unless the imported products are highly innovative, advanced in technology, or currently unavailable in Queensland. You should also provide value-adding service to the imported products such as customised design, product assembly installation, testing, repair, maintenance, etc.
- Property Development business will not be accepted.
Investor Stream
Queensland welcomes migrants looking to invest in complying investment funds.
- Must demonstrate a genuine commitment to Queensland
- Meet the Pass Mark in the Business innovation and investment Points test (currently 65 points)
- Must have net business and personal assets of at least A$3 million ready to be transferred to Queensland, Australia (including A$2.5 million for Complying Investment and A$500,000 for Settlement in Queensland)
Complying Investment Framework (CIF)
- 20% in Venture Capital & Growth Private Equity funds (VCPE) that invest in start-ups and small private companies.
- 30% in approved managed funds that must invest in emerging companies listed on the Australian Stock Exchange.
- 50% in balancing investments of managed funds.
After holding this provisional visa for 3 years, you may be eligible to apply for the permanent residency (subclass 888 visa). The Investor Stream cannot be extended.
Significant Investor
Queensland welcomes migrants interested in making a significant complying investment in Australia.
To seek Queensland state nomination, you must:
- demonstrate a genuine commitment to Queensland.
- Meet the Pass Mark in the Business innovation and investment Points test (currently 65 points)
- have net assets of at least A$5 million, which will be invested in Complying Investment in accordance to Complying Investment Framework (CIF)
Complying Investment Framework (CIF)
- 20% in Venture Capital & Growth Private Equity funds (VCPE) that invest in start-up and small private Companies
- 30% in approved managed funds that must invest in emerging companies listed on the Australian Stock Exchange.
- 50% in balancing investments of managed funds.
After holding this provisional visa for 3 years, you may be eligible to apply for the permanent residency (subclass 888 visa). The 188 – Significant Investor stream can be extended up to 2 times.
Nomination for the 188 visa extension
You can apply to extend this visa for an extra 2 years under a Significant Investor Extension stream. You can apply for this extension stream twice.
As per the Home Affairs criteria for the extension stream, you must:
- already hold a visa in the Significant Investor stream, and either:
- have had it for at least 3 years, or
- have not held more than 1 visa in the Significant Investor Extension stream;
- have a current nomination from Queensland,
- have a genuine intention to live in Queensland, and
- have maintained your complying investment or complying significant investment in accordance with the complying investment framework in place at the time you applied for your original 188 visa.
Entrepreneur stream
Queensland welcomes migrants who are start-up and early-stage entrepreneurs who have been endorsed to develop their concepts. This visa is for start-up and early-stage entrepreneurs who propose a business based in Queensland that has strong capacity for growth, generating local employment. Your business plan needs to describe an entrepreneurial activity that leads to commercialisation of a product or service.
- Must be under 55 years of age
- Must have competent English
- Meet the Pass Mark in the Business innovation and investment Points test (currently 65 points)
- Must have commitment to QLD – You must have a genuine and realistic commitment to permanently live and work in Queensland and continue to contribute to Queensland’s economy and society through the entrepreneurial activity.
- Viability of the business plan for entrepreneurial activity – Your business plan must demonstrate how the entrepreneurial activity will lead to the commercialisation of new or improved product(s) or service(s) or the development of a new business that has the potential to become a sustainable high growth startup.
- Adequate funding available to deliver the business plan