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Australia.

How Australia sells residence for investors (golden visa): 4 programmes, 0 of them open today. Every number and rule below links to the document it comes from.

6,017
numbers
150
prices and rules
25
events
37
documents and articles
Residence·Closed·2012–2024

Business Innovation and Investment visa

Sells the right to live in the country (a “golden visa”), sometimes leading to citizenship later.

Official name: Business Innovation and Investment Program (BIIP): Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa subclass 188, (Permanent) subclass 888, Business Talent subclass 132

Lowest price when it closed: A$2.5 million

On closure (31 Jul 2024 per the visa website, 1 Jul 2024 per the Migration Program report), the Investor stream required an AUD 2.5 million complying investment for those invited on or after 1 July 2021, family included. Other BIIP streams (business innovation, entrepreneur) had no fixed investment. The Significant Investor stream (AUD 5m) is recorded separately as aus-siv.

Notes from the research

Umbrella programme for business and investor migrants under the Migration Regulations 1994. Provisional (subclass 188, four years; five years from July 2021) then permanent residence (888) if conditions are met; Australian citizenship can follow after the usual residence requirement for permanent residents. Streams over time: Business Innovation, Investor (AUD1.5m bonds 2012-2021; AUD2.5m complying investment 2021-2024), Significant Investor (see aus-siv), Premium Investor (2015-2021, AUD15m, not researched here), Entrepreneur, Business Talent, Venture Capital Entrepreneur. Most applicants needed state/territory nomination. Closed to new applications in July 2024 (1 July per the 2024-25 Migration Program report, 31 July per the visa website); on-hand applications still processed. Programme numbers are Migration Program places, primary and secondary applicants together.

Applications received
05k10k15k20k20162018202020222024

Prices and rules

Rules while it was open

What is measured

  • Golden visas issued2193
  • Investors approved, not counting family members1092
  • Applications received615
  • Share of applications turned down36
  • Applications turned down34
  • Applications pending33
  • Application withdrawal rate30
  • Application grant rate26
  • Applicant share13
  • Programme grants as a share of all grants of the same status9
  • Change in applications received (percent, as stated)7
  • Programme places planned5
  • Share of applicant documents verified3
  • Income of programme migrants3
  • Responses to a public consultation on a programme2
  • Investment by programme investors2
  • Programme planning level as a share of a wider planning category2
  • Modelled lifetime fiscal impact per programme migrant1
Residence·Closed·2003–2012

Older investor visas (pre-2012)

Sells the right to live in the country (a “golden visa”), sometimes leading to citizenship later.

Official name: Pre-2012 Business Skills investor visas: Investor (Provisional) subclass 162, State/Territory Sponsored Investor (Provisional) subclass 165, State/Territory Sponsored Business Investor (Residence) subclass 893

Lowest price when it closed: not determined

No term rows: the programme notes say the investment thresholds over time have not been sourced.

Notes from the research

Investor visas of the Business Skills programme (first version established in 1992, per a 2016 Home Affairs FOI release), replaced by the Business Innovation and Investment Program (aus-biip) from 1 July 2012; the provisional visas are closed to most new applications (family members can still be added). Applicants made a 'designated investment' (state or territory government bonds) for four years, then could apply for permanent residence (892/893). Investment thresholds over time not yet sourced. Only tail-end grants appear in the Migration Program data from 2015-16.

Prices and rules

Rules while it was open

What is measured

  • Golden visas issued93
  • Investors approved, not counting family members10
Residence·Closed·2015–2021

Premium Investor visa

Sells the right to live in the country (a “golden visa”), sometimes leading to citizenship later.

Official name: Premium Investor visa: Premium Investor stream of the Business Innovation and Investment visa (subclass 188 provisional, 888 permanent)

Lowest price when it closed: A$15 million

Complying premium investment of at least AUD 15 million, by Austrade invitation only. This was the rule when the stream closed (applications up to 30 Jun 2021).

Notes from the research

By-invitation stream within aus-biip for people nominated by Austrade (no state nomination, no unsolicited expressions of interest) who made a complying premium investment of at least AUD15 million and held it for 12 months, after which they could apply for permanent residence (subclass 888 Premium Investor). Introduced 1 July 2015 alongside the revised Significant Investor rules; closed to new applications from 1 July 2021 after the BIIP review. Barely used: Home Affairs FOI releases show no applications or grants to 31 May 2017, fewer than five in 2018-19 and none from July 2019 to March 2020; the Migration Program data record a single primary grant (a Canadian national, 2018-19).

Prices and rules

Rules while it was open

What is measured

  • Investors approved, not counting family members8
  • Golden visas issued7
  • Applications received6
Residence·Closed·2012–2024

Significant Investor visa

Sells the right to live in the country (a “golden visa”), sometimes leading to citizenship later.

Official name: Significant Investor visa (SIV): Significant Investor stream of the Business Innovation and Investment visa (subclass 188C provisional, 888C permanent)

Lowest price when it closed: A$5 million

Complying significant investment of at least AUD 5 million (20/30/50 split from 1 July 2021), family included. This was the rule when the stream closed on 31 Jul 2024.

Notes from the research

A stream within aus-biip, kept as its own programme because it is the "golden visa" part. AUD5 million complying investment held for the provisional visa (four years; five from July 2021), with Complying Investment Framework rules from 1 July 2015 and revised ratios from 1 July 2021. No points test; nomination by a state/territory government or Austrade. For permanent residence (888) the investor had to spend 40 days a year in Australia, or the spouse 180 days. Permanent residents can later apply for citizenship under the normal residence rules. 2,264 primary SIVs were granted to 31 Oct 2019; most applicants were Chinese nationals. Closed to new applications 31 July 2024.

Applications received
05001k1.5k2k20142016201820202022

Prices and rules

Rules while it was open

What is measured

  • Golden visas issued619
  • Investors approved, not counting family members534
  • Applications received452
  • Applications turned down71
  • Processing time34
  • Applications withdrawn12
  • Expressions of interest submitted11
  • Invitations to apply issued11
  • Application withdrawal rate11
  • Applicant share10
  • Share of applications turned down10
  • Investment by programme investors7
  • Staff working on a programme2
  • Applications approved1
  • Applications pending1
  • Government spending on running a CBI programme1
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