888 – Entrepreneur stream

This visa is the second stage application for permanent residency for holders of the 188 – Entrepreneur 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 – Entrepreneur stream,
• 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 visa:

• Provide evidence of your genuine commitment to Queensland, such as: purchase of properties for family residence, additional investment, study in Queensland.
• Provide evidence that you have resided in Queensland for at least 2 years.
• Provide evidence that you have undertaken successful entrepreneurial activities in Queensland after being granted your 188 visa.

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

Register your interest here.

Step 3

Lodge the requested documentation:

• Queensland State Nomination Application form
• Home Affairs Form 1414
• Copy of your 188 visa grant notification letter

All documentation listed in the checklist provided by the Home Affairs that pertain to your successful record of entrepreneurship:

• A summary of your entrepreneurial activities in Queensland, Australia
• the number of people employed by your business during the 12 months before you apply, their citizenship or residency status and relationship to you, if any
• the annual turnover of your business
• any ongoing funding or investment in your entrepreneur activity including:
• the sale of your business for A$2 million
• awards or recognition

If you were invited to apply for your 188 visa – Entrepreneur stream before 1 July 2021, to support your claims of ongoing funding or investment in your entrepreneur activity, please provide:

• a copy of your funding agreement
• a copy of your business plan

If you were invited to apply for your 188 visa – Entrepreneur stream on or after 1 July 2021, please provide evidence of genuine intention to undertake, and continue to undertake, the complying entrepreneur activity in Queensland, Australia.

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.