188 visa has been popular among business persons and investors in Asia as a pathway to gain permanent residency (PR) in Australia. The visa has three streams:

• Business Innovation：for business owners who has had a management role and would like to enter into business in Australia

• Investor：for business owners or investors who is willing to make at least AUD 2.5 million in complying investments in Australia

• Significant Investor：for individuals who is willing to make at least AUD 5 million funds in complying investments in Australia

You either need to meet the points test or assets test. The 188 visa is typically granted for a 5 year period and is eligible to apply for PR after 3 years conditional to meeting the PR requirements under the relevant stream. ​Pathway to PR is a two stage process

• 1st stage：subclass 188 visa provides you and your family with temporary residence for a period of 5 years (or more depending on the stream) to conduct business or investment activities.

• 2nd stage：subclass 888 visa provides you and your family with permanent residence status once you are assessed to satisfy the visa requirements under the relevant stream.

​Below is a basic comparison table of criteria under each stream：

Temporary residence	Business Innovation (188A)	Investor (188B)	Significant Investor (188C)
For people who are	Business owner who has had a management role and would like to enter into business in Australia	Business owner or investor who is willing to make at least AUD 2.5 million in complying investments in Australia	​Individual who is willing to make at least AUD 5 million funds in complying investments in Australia
Age	Under 55 (unless exceptional economic benefit can be demonstrated)	Under 55 (unless exceptional economic benefit can be demonstrated)	No
Point test	Yes at least 65 points are required to be eligible ​the points are earned based on your age, education, business or investor experience, financial assets, business turnover, evidence of innovation and special endorsement from the government	Yes ​at least 65 points are required to be eligible the points are earned based on your age, education, business or investor experience, financial assets, business turnover, evidence of innovation and special endorsement from the government	No
Nominated by an Australian State/Territory government	Yes	Yes	Yes
English language requirement	Yes or pay second government’s application charge	Yes or pay second government’s application charge	No
Net personal & business asset	Yes ​Ownership interest/annual turnover value	Yes Have at least 3 years experience of direct involvement managing one or more qualifying businesses or eligible investments For at least 1 out of last 5 fiscal years, you have maintained direct involvement in managing: a qualifying business; you, your spouse, or you and your spouse together had at least 10% ownership interest; or ​eligible investments of at least AUD 2.5 million owned by you, your partner, or you and your partner together.​	NO
Net personal & business asset	Yes at least AUD 1.25 million	Yes at least AUD 2.5 million for the last 2 fiscal years	No but the AUD 5 million funds used to make the complying investments for the visa must be legally acquired and unencumbered

Pathway to permanent residency

Permanent residence	Business Innovation (888A)	Investor (888B)	Significant Investor (888C)
When can you consider for PR	​After 3 years of holding provisional visa	​After 3 years of holding provisional visa	After 3 years of holding provisional visa
Residence requirement at permanent residence stage	Total period of at least 1 out of the 3 years before PR application	Total period of at least 2 out of the 3 years before PR application	At least 40 days multiplied by the number of years for you as the main applicant; or At least 180 days multiplied by the number of years for your spouse
Other requirements	Ownership interest in an actively operating main business/es in Australia in the last 2 years and continuing: 51% if annual turnover is less than AUD 400K; or 30% if annual turnover is more than AUD 400K; or 10% if business is publicly listed. ​Annual turnover of at least $300K in the last 12 months. Meet 2 out of the 3 in the last 12 months: net business assets of at least AUD 200K in the nominated business/es; net business and personal assets in Australia of at least AUD 600K; ​employ at least the equivalent of 2 full time employees.	Continuously held complying investment for life of the 188 visa	Continuously held the complying significant investment for at least the duration of the provisional SIV

858 Global Talent

Is a permanent resident visa for highly skilled persons who have an internationally recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievement in the 10 target sectors to Australia.
Generally, you must be：

• In one of the 10 target sectors - Resources, Agri-food and AgTech, Energy, Health industries, Defence, advanced manufacturing and space, Circular economy, Digitech, Infrastructure and tourism, Financial services and FinTech, Education;

• Have internationally recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievement in the field;

• Can attract a salary equivalent to the Fair Work High Income Threshold (FWHIT), currently AUD 162,000 or have completed PhD in the last 3 years.

189 Independent Skilled

Is a permanent resident visa for people with skills that Australia need to live and work in Australia. You need to be under the age of 45, have a skills assessment approval in the nominated skilled occupation, and score at least 65 points in the point test (although 65 points does not guarantee you the visa). Points for skilled visas can be earned in various ways which is determined by your age, English language level as well as employment experience and education.

​190 Skilled Nominated

Is a permanent resident visa for skilled people who have been nominated by State/Territory government to live and work in Australia. You are required to meet State/Territory government’s requirement in the nominated occupation, in addition to the criteria under the 189 Independent Skilled visa.

We assist clients with

• Business and investment visas;

• General skilled visas;

• Employer nominated visas;

• Family visas;

• Student visas; and

• Review the immigration department’s negative decisions of an application to be considered by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.