Entrepreneur stream

• stay in Australia while the visa is valid
• undertake entrepreneurial activity in Australia
• work and study in Australia
• attend free English language classes through the Adult Migrant English Program, if eligible
• travel to and from Australia as many times as you want while the visa is valid
• bring eligible members of your family with you
• apply for permanent residency, if eligible, through the Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (subclass 888) in the Entrepreneur stream.

This is a provisional visa. You can stay in Australia for up to 5 years.

The visa is granted with multiple entries. You can leave and re-enter Australia as many times as you want while the visa is valid.

The visa is valid from the date it is granted.

This is a provisional visa. You must apply for a new visa if you want to stay longer. Explore your visa options.

Once you have this visa, you can apply for permanent residence through the Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (subclass 888) Entrepreneur stream if certain requirements are met.

You can add your dependent child or children to your application at any time before we decide on your application. They will need to meet our health and character (if applicable) requirements.

The spouse or de facto partner of the main applicant who did not make a combined application at the initial lodgement of the subclass 188 visa, can make a subsequent entrant application. A subclass 188 visa can only be granted to a subsequent entrant after the main applicant’s subclass 188 visa is granted.

Complete the online 'Application for a Business Innovation and Investment (Subsequent Entrant) Visa' application form in ImmiAccount. An application charge is applicable.

In order for the primary applicant to be granted the visa, family members who are not coming to Australia must meet our character requirements and might have to meet our health requirements.

From AUD8,455.00 for the primary applicant (concessions apply in limited circumstances).

There is also a charge for each family member who applies for the visa with you.

Any applicant 18 years old or older who has less than functional English must pay an extra charge. This charge is the second instalment. Pay it only when we ask you to. We will refund the charge if we do not grant you the visa.

The second instalment charges are:

• primary applicant: AUD9,795
• family members: AUD4,890

To work out what your visa will cost use the Visa pricing estimator. The estimator does not take into account the second instalment or other costs. You might also have to pay other costs for health checks, police certificates and biometrics.

Cost concession for eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste visa applicants

From 1 July 2026, a lower visa cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid visa application.

We will charge eligible applicants the lower visa application cost during the application process in ImmiAccount. We will recognise eligible applicants by the valid passport from the specified countries used in the application when they apply.

Family members are also eligible for the lower visa cost. We base this on the passport of the primary applicant (or visa holder who satisfies the primary visa criteria).

The primary applicant must hold a valid passport issued by one of the following countries:

• Federated States of Micronesia
• Fiji
• Kiribati
• Nauru
• Palau
• Papua New Guinea
• Republic of the Marshall Islands
• Samoa
• Solomon Islands
• Timor-Leste
• Tonga
• Tuvalu
• Vanuatu

You can be in or outside Australia when you apply for the visa and when we decide on your application, but not in immigration clearance.

For an indication of processing times for this visa, use the visa processing time guide tool. This will show the processing times for recently decided applications. It is a guide only and not specific to your application.

There are no standard processing times available for this stream.

But your application might take longer to process if:

• you do not fill it in correctly
• you do not include all the documents we need or we need more information from you
• it takes us time to verify your information

You and your family members who are part of your application must comply with all visa conditions and Australian laws.

Learn more about conditions for this visa.

You must meet certain obligations related to your entrepreneurial activities. You must also obey Australian workplace laws.

Meet your entrepreneur obligations

If you were invited to apply on or after 1 July 2021

You must be undertaking or propose to undertake a complying entrepreneur activity in Australia and have a genuine intention to undertake, and continue to undertake, the complying entrepreneur activity. You must also have been nominated by a State or Territory government agency to develop your concepts.

If you were invited to apply before 1 July 2021

You must be undertaking or propose to undertake a complying entrepreneur activity in Australia and have a genuine intention to undertake, and continue to undertake, the complying entrepreneur activity. You must also have a legally enforceable funding agreement with a third party of at least AUD200,000. There are other eligibility requirements for this visa.

The funding party must pay your entrepreneurial entity at least 10% of the total funding. They must do this within 12 months of the day you start the entrepreneurial activity in Australia. You must use this funding in accordance with your funding agreement.

Follow Australian workplace laws

All workers in Australia (including visa holders) have rights and protections at work. Pay rates and workplace conditions are set by Australian law.

If you operate a business in Australia, you must comply with workplace laws. The Pay and Conditions Tool (PACT) can help you with:

• pay rates
• shift calculations
• leave arrangements and notice
• redundancy entitlements

We recommend you take out health insurance to cover any unforeseen medical treatment you might need in Australia. You are personally liable for all your healthcare costs while you are in Australia. Insurance can help limit your financial liability.

See what we consider adequate health insurance.

Learn more about health insurance for overseas visitors.

Reciprocal healthcare agreements

Some countries have a reciprocal healthcare agreement with Australia. Find out more from Services Australia about reciprocal healthcare agreements.

You can travel outside Australia and return as many times as you want while the visa is valid.

The time you spend outside Australia does not extend the visa.

Australian visas are digital.

We do not put a visa label in your passport. Instead, we link your digital visa record to your passport.

First, you must submit an Expression of Interest (EOI). If an Australian State or Territory government agency accepts your EOI and nominates you, we will invite you to apply for this visa.

You must be nominated by a State or Territory government agency before being invited to apply for this visa. The State or Territory government agency that nominates you must not withdraw their nomination after you apply, or we will be unable to grant you a visa.

You will not receive an invitation if you are aged 55 or older, at the time of the invitation to apply for the visa, unless the State or Territory government agency has determined your proposed entrepreneur activity will be of exceptional economic benefit.

You must be undertaking, or proposing to undertake, a complying entrepreneur activity in Australia. You must have a genuine intention to continue this activity.

A complying entrepreneur activity must relate to an innovative idea that will lead to:

• the commercialisation of a product or service in Australia, or
• the development of an enterprise or business in Australia

This activity must not relate to any of the following categories:

• residential real estate
• labour hire
• purchase of an existing enterprise or a franchise in Australia

If you were invited to apply for this visa on or after 1 July 2021, you must be endorsed by your nominating State or Territory government agency to develop your entrepreneurial concepts.

To check your eligibility, contact:

• Australian Capital Territory
• New South Wales
• Northern Territory
• Queensland
• South Australia
• Tasmania
• Victoria
• Western Australia

If you were invited to apply for this visa before 1 July 2021, you must have one or more legally enforceable agreements to receive funding with a total of at least AUD200,000. The funding must be from one of the following entities:

• Commonwealth Government agency
• State or Territory government agency
• Publicly funded research or innovation organisation
• Higher education provider specified as a Table A or Table B provider under Part 2-1 of the Higher Education Support Act 2003
• Investor registered as an Australian Venture Capital Limited Partnership or Early Stage Venture Capital Limited Partnership

The entity that will conduct the activity (the entrepreneurial entity) must be either an individual (yourself), a company or a partnership.

At least 10% of the funding must be payable to the entrepreneurial entity within 12 months of the activity starting in Australia. This must be in the agreement.

If you are not the entrepreneurial entity you must have personally held at least 30% interest in your entrepreneurial entity when you entered into the agreement.

You must also have a business plan for the entrepreneurial entity. This business plan should note how your innovative idea will lead to:

• the commercialisation of a product or service in Australia, or
• the development of an enterprise or business in Australia

All of the funding provided or to be provided to the entrepreneurial entity under the agreement or agreements is unencumbered and lawfully acquired.

Not have a history of involvement in unacceptable activities

You and your partner must not have a history of involvement in business or investment activities that are of a nature that is not generally acceptable in Australia.

You must have at least competent English

You and any family members who apply for the visa with you must meet our health requirement.

Family members who are not coming to Australia may also have to meet our health requirement.

You and family members aged 16 years and over who apply for the visa with you must meet our character requirement.

We may also ask that other family members meet the requirement.

If you and your family members who have applied for the visa are 18 years of age or older at the time of application, you and your family members must:

• have read, or had explained to you, the Life in Australia information and
• sign the Australian Values Statement that confirm you will respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws when you

If you or any family members owe the Australian Government money, you or they must show that it has been paid back or there is an approved arrangement in place to pay it back.

We will consider your immigration history when we make a decision on your application, which means you might not be eligible for this visa if you have had a visa cancelled or refused.

In some circumstances you may still apply for a permanent visa if you have had a visa cancelled or an application refused see Limitations on applications in Australia.

If applying for a visa from outside Australia see Can I go to Australia.

If you want immigration assistance, see Who can help with your visa application.

Before you leave

Check your travel documents

You must have:

• a valid visa to enter Australia
• a valid passport or other travel document

At the border

Completing an Incoming Passenger Card

All people arriving Australia must complete the Incoming Passenger Card. You will be given this card onboard the aircraft.

Leaving the airport faster

We have an automated process that uses facial recognition technology and your ePassport. You might be able to leave the airport faster if you use SmartGate.

What you can do when you have this visa

This is not a permanent visa. With this visa you can:

• carry out business and investment activity in Australia
• travel to, enter and remain in Australia for up to 5 years
• bring eligible members of your family with you
• apply for a permanent Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (subclass 888)Entrepreneur stream if certain requirements are met.

To see your specific conditions, work and study entitlements use Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO).

What you must do on this visa

You and your family members must comply with all visa conditions and obey Australian laws. See your conditions in your visa grant letter or VEVO.

You also must meet certain business obligations and comply with Australian workplace laws

Meet your entrepreneurial obligations

You must successfully undertake activities in Australia that meet the requirements of a complying entrepreneurial activity for the duration of your subclass 188 visa. The factors that will be used to determine the success of the activities include:

• the number of Australian citizens and permanent residents employed
• the level and nature of ongoing funding and investment in the activities
• the annual turnover of the business activities
• any endorsement of your successful entrepreneurial activities by a start-up incubator, start-up accelerator or other body that assists start-up businesses, that is recognised by the nominating State or Territory government agency.

Follow Australian workplace laws

All workers in Australia (including visa holders) have rights and protections at work. Pay rates and workplace conditions are set by Australian law.

You must comply with workplace laws when operating your business in Australia. The Pay and Conditions Tool (PACT) can help you with pay rates, shift calculations, leave arrangements and notice and redundancy entitlements.

Tell us if things change

Things you need to let us know about include:

• changes to your phone number, email, address or passport
• changes to your relationship status
• the birth of a child

See what to do if your situation changes

See how long you can stay

You can stay up to 5 years

To see when you must leave, use VEVO.

Staying longer

This is a provisional visa. You must apply for a new visa if you want to stay longer. Once you have this visa, you can apply for permanent residence if certain requirements are met. Explore your visa options.

Apply for permanent residence

Once you have this visa, you can apply for permanent residence through the Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (subclass 888) Entrepreneur stream if certain conditions are met.

Travelling on your visa

This is a multiple entry visa. You can travel outside Australia and return as many times as you want while the visa is valid.

The time you spend outside Australia does not extend the visa.

See your conditions.

Proving you have a visa

To prove you have a visa and show your conditions to someone, use VEVO.

You can request your international movement records by completing the Request for international movement records form.

Bringing family

After you are granted this visa, if members of your family want to apply for the same visa, they must submit a separate online application. Any additional family members are called 'subsequent entrants'.

Newborn and dependent child or children can be added to your 188 visa application before we decide on your application. However, your spouse or de-facto partner, who did not make a combined application with you at the initial lodgement of your application, can apply for the 188 visa under subsequent entrant. A subclass 188 visa can only be granted to a subsequent entrant after the main applicant’s subclass 188 visa is granted.

Complete the online 'Application for a Business Innovation and Investment (Subsequent Entrant) Visa' application form in ImmiAccount. An application charge is applicable.

Before you leave

Check your travel documents

You must have a valid passport or another travel document to leave Australia and return.

At the Border

Leaving the airport faster

We have an automated process that uses facial recognition technology and your ePassport. You could leave the airport faster if you use SmartGate.

After you leave

Proving you have been to Australia

To prove you have been to Australia, request your international movement records by completing the Request for international movement records form.