Subclass 888 — Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa

Who the Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (subclass 888) is generally for

In general terms, the subclass 888 is the permanent stage of the Business Innovation and Investment program. It is designed for people who already hold a provisional Business Innovation and Investment visa (subclass 188) and who, after operating in Australia under that provisional visa, want to move on to permanent residence. The subclass 888 is typically not a starting point in its own right — it usually follows on from having held and met the requirements of the matching provisional stream. It is worth noting that the underlying program closed to new subclass 188 applications during 2024, so in broad terms the subclass 888 now serves as the permanent step for existing provisional holders rather than a pathway open to brand-new entrants. The permanent stage has historically been organised to mirror the streams of the provisional visa (for example business-owner, investor and related streams), and the requirements at this stage generally focus on whether an applicant has genuinely carried on the qualifying business or investment activity in Australia during the provisional period. Decision-makers typically look at matters such as the applicant having maintained the relevant activity, met any commitment or holding requirements tied to their stream, and continued to satisfy general criteria. As with most permanent visas, health and character requirements generally apply, and family members can usually be included. The specific thresholds, holding periods and stream rules are detailed and change over time. This is general information only — not immigration assistance or legal advice. Stream rules, eligibility criteria and current requirements change, so always check the official Home Affairs page for the subclass 888, and a registered migration practitioner can advise on whether your provisional stream and circumstances fit the permanent stage.

Common questions about the Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (subclass 888)

Health and character requirements

Most people who apply for an Australian visa are expected to meet the health requirement, and applicants for this visa are generally assessed against it. Depending on individual circumstances, applicants and sometimes accompanying family members may be asked to complete health examinations, which can include a medical examination and a chest x-ray. The results are reviewed by a Medical Officer of the Commonwealth, who considers only the medical situation and not matters such as private insurance or personal finances. The health requirement is mainly concerned with protecting public health and with the cost and availability of health and community services in Australia. In some cases a person may be asked to sign a health undertaking. Applicants are also generally required to meet the character requirements set out in the Migration Act 1958. This usually involves declaring any criminal charges or convictions in any country and answering all questions truthfully. The department may ask for a police certificate from each country a person has lived in for 12 months or more over the past 10 years, and this generally applies to people aged over 17. Other documents such as Form 80 may also be requested. Police certificates are generally valid for 12 months from their date of issue. For Australian checks, an Australian Federal Police national police check is used rather than a state or territory certificate. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.

Health cover and Medicare

This is a permanent visa. Under the Health Insurance Act 1973, Medicare eligibility is generally limited to people permanently residing in Australia, namely Australian citizens, permanent visa holders, New Zealand citizens and, in certain circumstances, people who have applied for a permanent residence visa. People who hold a permanent visa are therefore generally able to access Medicare. People who are not eligible for Medicare are generally responsible for their own health costs in Australia and are strongly encouraged to arrange appropriate private health insurance, whether or not it is a visa condition. Individuals remain financially responsible for any health care debts they incur in Australia, and any outstanding health debts may be taken into account in a future visa application. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.

Costs

The Australian Government charges a Visa Application Charge for this visa. The department lists the charge as starting from AUD4,375. The final amount depends on the applicant's circumstances and on any additional applicants included in the same application, and the department provides a Visa Pricing Estimator to work out an indicative figure. The department notes that, from 1 July 2026, a lower visa cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid application. Other cost concessions are described as applying only in limited circumstances. The government Visa Application Charge is separate from other costs an applicant may need to pay, such as health examinations, police certificates and any professional assistance. The pricing estimator does not include these other costs. Any fee charged by an independent service is also separate from the government's Visa Application Charge. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.

Validity and processing times

This is a permanent visa. People who are granted it can generally live in Australia permanently. The department does not publish a single fixed processing time for this visa. Instead it directs applicants to its visa processing time guide, which reflects recently decided applications and is described as a guide only rather than a prediction for any individual case. Processing can take longer where additional health or character checks are required or where the department asks for more information. Where police certificates are required, they are generally valid for 12 months from the date of issue, and a newer certificate may be requested if a person returns to a country after an earlier certificate has expired. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.

Visa conditions that may attach to this visa

The Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (subclass 888) is a permanent residence visa, so it carries very few conditions. Any condition that applies to an individual grant is set out in the visa grant notification and can be checked through the department's online visa entitlement service (VEVO). That grant notice is always the authoritative statement of what applies to a particular holder. Under the Migration Regulations, the only visa condition a decision-maker may impose on this subclass is condition 8515, and only where the person was assessed against the secondary (family-member) criteria and was outside Australia when the visa was granted. In plain terms, condition 8515 means the holder must not marry or enter into a de facto relationship before entering Australia. Its effect is spent once that person has made their first entry. Because this is a permanent visa, conditions that are common on temporary visas, such as a no-further-stay bar (condition 8503) or a mandatory health-insurance condition (condition 8501), are not applied to it. Holders are still expected to observe any condition shown on their grant letter and to keep the department informed of relevant changes in their circumstances. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.

Eligibility in general terms: streams and what decision-makers look at

This visa is the permanent stage that follows the Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188). It is offered in several streams that mirror the provisional visa: the Business Innovation stream, the Investor stream, the Significant Investor stream, the Premium Investor stream and the Entrepreneur stream. Applicants are generally expected to already hold, and to have held for a required period, the corresponding stream of the subclass 188 visa. Nomination is a central requirement. For the Business Innovation, Investor and Entrepreneur streams, a state or territory government agency generally nominates the applicant; for the Significant Investor stream, a state or territory government agency or Austrade may nominate; and the Premium Investor stream is nominated by Austrade. The nomination must be current and must not have been withdrawn. For the Business Innovation stream, decision-makers generally look at whether the applicant has maintained the required ownership interest in a qualifying business in Australia, has had a direct and continuous management role in it, and meets business measures such as an annual turnover threshold (generally at least AUD 300,000, which the nominating state or territory agency may set aside where it has determined that there are exceptional circumstances). For the investment-based streams, the focus is generally on whether the applicant held the required complying investment, or complying significant investment, for the relevant period. Across the streams, applicants are generally assessed against requirements about time spent living in Australia while holding the provisional visa, together with the usual health and character requirements. Functional English is not a bar to grant, but a second-instalment visa application charge can apply to an applicant aged 18 or over who does not have functional English and who has not already paid it at the provisional stage. This is a general description of the framework and is not an assessment of any individual's circumstances. Eligibility depends on the exact criteria in force and on the evidence provided. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.

Family members and what the visa allows after grant

Members of the family unit can generally be included in the application. This typically covers a spouse or de facto partner, dependent children, and certain other dependent relatives. Family members can usually be added at the time of application, and in some cases a family member may apply later as a subsequent entrant. Each family member generally needs to meet health and character requirements. Once granted, this is a permanent visa, so holders and their included family members can generally live, work and study in Australia on an ongoing basis. Permanent residents are generally able to enrol in Medicare, the public health scheme administered by Services Australia. The visa comes with a travel facility that generally allows travel to and from Australia for five years from the date of grant. When that travel facility ends, a holder who wishes to re-enter Australia as a permanent resident generally needs a Resident Return visa (subclass 155 or 157). Being outside Australia after the travel facility expires does not by itself cancel permanent residence, but re-entry as a resident depends on holding a valid travel facility. Permanent residence can, over time, open a pathway toward Australian citizenship for those who meet the separate residence and other citizenship requirements. Holders are generally expected to keep the department informed of changes to their circumstances and to comply with any condition shown on their grant notification. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.

Common refusal reasons and merits review at the ART

Applications of this type are, in general, refused where a core criterion is not met on the evidence. Commonly reported factual grounds include a nomination that has been withdrawn or is no longer current, a business turnover or ownership requirement that is not satisfied, and insufficient evidence of genuine, direct and continuous involvement in managing the business. For the investment-based streams, refusals can follow where the required complying investment was not held for the relevant period, or where the source and lawful acquisition of funds is not established. Not meeting health or character requirements can also lead to refusal. If a decision is unfavourable, merits review may be available at the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART), the independent body that replaced the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. On a merits review the Tribunal generally looks at the case afresh and can consider new evidence, rather than only checking for legal error. Strict time limits apply, and the exact deadline to apply for review is stated in the department's decision letter, which is the authoritative source for whether review rights exist and when they close. A review application fee generally applies; the ART's published fee for a migration decision made under Part 5 of the Migration Act is AUD 3,727 (subject to periodic increase), with a 50% reduction available where paying the full fee would cause financial hardship, and a refund of 50% of the fee paid where the decision is set aside, varied or remitted to the department. If the ART affirms a refusal, the remaining options are generally limited (for example, judicial review, which examines legal error rather than re-deciding the merits). This is a neutral, factual summary and is not advice or a prediction about any particular case. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.

Costs: government charges explained

The government's Visa Application Charge (VAC) for this visa is payable to the Department of Home Affairs and is separate from any professional or platform service fee. The VAC has a base charge for the main applicant, plus additional applicant charges for each family member included in the application (typically a higher amount for applicants aged 18 and over and a lower amount for those under 18). Because these amounts are indexed and can change each year, the exact current figures are best confirmed using the department's official Visa Pricing Estimator rather than relied on from memory. The VAC can be payable in more than one instalment. The first instalment is generally worked out and paid at the time the application is lodged. A second instalment can apply before the visa is granted for an applicant aged 18 or over who does not have functional English and who has not already paid a second instalment for their subclass 188 provisional visa; the department's published second instalment charge is AUD 4,890. The department requests it only when required, and it is not payable if the application is refused or withdrawn. A subsequent entrant (a family member who applies to join later) generally pays their own applicant charge at the time of their application. Beyond the VAC, applicants generally meet other third-party or departmental costs, such as health examinations, police clearance certificates and biometrics where required, and, for the business and investment assessment, costs connected to state or territory nomination and to preparing financial and business evidence. These are separate from the VAC and from any service fee, which is always shown distinctly and is never part of the government charge. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.