888 – Business Innovation stream

This visa is the second stage application for permanent residency for holders of the 188 – Business Innovation stream.

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.

Eligibility criteria

To be considered for Queensland nomination, you must:

hold a current 188 visa – Business Innovation stream (or you are a 444 visa holder from New Zealand),
have complied with all the Migration Queensland nomination requirements you undertook for the 188 visa,
demonstrate that you meet the Home Affairs Immigration Eligibility Criteria for the Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (subclass 888), and
register your application directly with Migration Queensland.

Additional eligibility criteria are based on your original provisional visa

Provide evidence of your genuine commitment to Queensland, such as: purchase of properties for family residence, additional investment, study in Queensland, and;
provide evidence that you have resided in Queensland for at least 1 year.

EOI for 188 visa submitted from 1 July 2021

provide evidence that a minimum of A$400,000 was invested in one or two qualifying business(es) located in the Greater Brisbane and Gold Coast regions; or
provide evidence that a minimum of A$300,000 was invested in one or two qualifying business(es) located in regional Queensland.

Additional requirements

Export business must develop international markets for Queensland products.
General importing business are not 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, and etc.
Property development business are not acceptable.

EOI for 188 visa submitted between 14 July 2016 and 30 June 2021

Provide evidence that a minimum of A$200,000 was invested in one or two qualifying business(es) located in Queensland.

Additional requirements

Entry level small retail businesses, such as convenience stores, cafés, restaurants, are only accepted if your business(es) are established in regional Queensland
General importing business are not 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, and etc
Property development business are not acceptable.

EOI for 188 visa submitted prior to 14 July 2016

Provide evidence that a minimum of A$500,000 was invested in one or two qualifying business(es) located in Brisbane or the Gold Coast; or
Provide evidence that a minimum of A$300,000 was invested in one or two qualifying business(es) located in other regions of Queensland.

If your current business is different to that initially approved as part of your 188 application, please provide a copy of Migration Queensland’s written approval of changing your business proposal. This approval must be granted before you proceed to lodge your nomination application for 888 visa.

New Zealanders on a Special Category visa (subclass 444)

Please refer to the current Queensland nomination criteria and send an email to Migration Queensland if you have specific questions.

Application process

Step 1

Review your eligibility criteria, visa conditions, and document checklist on the Department of Home Affairs website and the Migration Queensland website. Ensure that you meet both the Home Affairs Immigration Eligibility Criteria and Migration Queensland nomination criteria and that you have all your documentation ready before you apply.

Step 2

Step 3

Lodge the requested documentation:

Queensland State Nomination Application form
Home Affairs Form 1414
Copy of your current Australian visa
Evidence of your business investment activities (see the Department of Home Affairs documentation checklist)
1. Business documents (including summary of business activity and organisational chart)
2. Business ownership
3. Management
4. Taxation (Business Activity Statements)
5. Financial documents
6. Evidence of employees (if applicable)
7. Net assets
Evidence of funds transferred to Queensland
Evidence of Queensland residency – ie property purchase contract and settlement statement, property lease agreement, council rates, or utility bills.

Step 4

After you have uploaded your documents, you will be required to pay the non-refundable application fee to finalise your application.

Migration Queensland will then review your application and may contact you if further information is required.

Note: You will be given 14 days to finalise your application from the date of invitation. If you are unable to provide the relevant information within this time frame, you must seek an extension from Migration Queensland. Applications not finalised within the time frame will be closed and you will need to submit a new application if you wish to seek Queensland nomination again.

Step 5

Once Migration Queensland has received and approved your completed application, you will receive a confirmation of Queensland nomination and a signed copy of the HA Form 1414 to lodge with your visa application. You will be given 90 days to lodge your application with the Department of Home Affairs, but you must do so before your provisional visa expires.