188 Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) – Business Innovation Extension stream

At a Glance

Item	Details
Visa name	Subclass 188 Business Innovation Extension
Visa type	Provisional
Stay	Up to 6, 7 or 8 years
Cost	From AUD1,505
Eligibility timing	Hold Business Innovation visa three years
Nomination	Current State or Territory nomination
Work rights	Work in Australia
Business rights	Operate Australian business
Study	Study permitted
Medicare	Not stated in the source
Health insurance	Recommended; healthcare costs personally payable
Travel facility	Multiple entry while valid
Permanent residence	May apply for subclass 888
Citizenship	Not stated in the source
Family sponsorship	Eligible family members may apply
Visa record	Digital visa linked to passport
Apply from	Inside or outside Australia
Processing guide	50% processed in 5 months

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Purpose

The Business Innovation Extension stream lets eligible holders of a Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) in the Business Innovation stream extend their stay in Australia.

It allows you to operate a new or existing Australian business and, if eligible, later apply for the Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (subclass 888) Business Innovation stream.

Stay and Travel

The visa starts on the grant date and permits multiple entries.

Your permitted stay is measured from the grant date of the original subclass 188 Business Innovation stream visa:

• Up to 7 years if invited on or after 1 July 2021.
• Up to 6 years if invited before 1 July 2021.
• Up to 8 years if COVID-19 concessions apply.

Time spent outside Australia does not extend the visa.

This is not a permanent visa. Apply for a new visa if you want to remain longer.

Eligibility

You must meet all relevant requirements, including:

• Hold, or in certain cases have held, a subclass 188 Business Innovation stream visa for at least 3 years.
• If relying on an earlier Extension stream visa, have held no more than one Extension stream visa.
• Have a current nomination from a State or Territory government agency before invitation.
• Demonstrate that operating and managing the main business requires your substantial presence in Australia.
• Maintain ownership interest in your nominated main business.
• Have maintained direct involvement in day-to-day management and business decision-making.
• Have no history of unacceptable business or investment activities; this also applies to your partner.
• Meet health, character, Australian values and Australian Government debt requirements.
• Not be prevented by visa cancellation or refusal history.

Main Business Requirement

Unless COVID-19 concessions apply, your main business must have operated actively in Australia for at least 2 years immediately before application.

You must continue to have an ownership interest in that business.

English Requirement

Applicants aged 18 or over must have functional English or pay the second instalment, unless they already paid that charge for a previous subclass 188 application.

Rights and Obligations

What You Can Do

You can:

• Stay in Australia while the visa remains valid.
• Operate a new or existing Australian business.
• Work and study in Australia.
• Travel to and from Australia without limit while valid.
• Attend free Adult Migrant English Program classes, if eligible.
• Include eligible family members.
• Apply for subclass 888 permanent residence if eligible.

Business Obligations

You must maintain a substantial ownership stake in an Australian business and genuinely commit to senior-level, day-to-day management.

Your business must do at least one of the following:

• Add commercial activity and competitiveness to the Australian economy.
• Develop international market links.
• Employ people in Australia.
• Export Australian goods.
• Introduce new or improved technology.
• Produce goods or services otherwise imported into Australia.

The Department may survey you about your Australian business activities.

Workplace Laws

You must comply with Australian workplace laws when operating your business. Australian workers, including visa holders, have legal workplace rights and protections.

Health Insurance

Health insurance is recommended. You are personally responsible for healthcare costs in Australia. Reciprocal healthcare arrangements may be available for some countries.

General Obligations

You and included family members must comply with visa conditions and Australian laws.

Tell the Department about changes to your:

• Address, telephone number, email or passport.
• Marriage or de facto relationship status.
• Child's birth.

Check visa conditions and expiry through VEVO.

Costs

The visa application charge starts from AUD1,505 for the main applicant.

Additional charges apply for each family member included in the application.

Second Instalment

Applicants aged 18 or over with less than functional English may need to pay a second instalment:

Applicant	Second instalment
Main applicant	AUD9,795
Family member	AUD4,890

Pay the second instalment only when requested. It is refunded if the visa is not granted.

You may also need to pay for health examinations, police certificates and biometrics.

Pacific Island and Timor-Leste Concession

From 1 July 2026, a lower visa application charge applies to eligible applicants holding valid passports from:

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

Eligible family members may receive the concession based on the primary applicant's passport.

Processing

Published processing guide:

Applications finalised	Indicative time
25%	4 months
50%	5 months
75%	7 months
90%	9 months

These are guides only. Processing may take longer if forms are incomplete, documents are missing, further verification is needed, or the correct charge is not paid.

Family Provisions

You can include eligible members of your family unit when applying. You may add a dependent child before a decision is made.

Family members applying must meet health and character requirements. Non-migrating family members must meet character requirements and may need to meet health requirements.

Dependent Children

A child over 18 must be:

• Under 23 and dependent on you or your partner; or
• Over 23, dependent due to physical or cognitive limitations.

Evidence of financial dependency is required. A child turning 18 during processing must be dependent to remain eligible.

After grant, family members seeking the same visa must lodge a separate subsequent entrant application through ImmiAccount.

Required Documents

Provide clear colour scans or photographs. Translate all non-English documents into English and provide both originals and translations. Documents do not need certification.

Key evidence includes:

• Current passport biographical pages.
• National identity card, if held.
• Name-change evidence, if applicable.
• State or Territory nomination.
• Business ownership evidence for the required operating period.
• Evidence of continuing ownership in the main business.
• Evidence showing your need to reside in Australia to operate the business.
• Evidence of day-to-day management and decision-making.
• One-page organisational chart.
• Up to six photographs of business premises and activities.
• Functional English evidence, or a statement agreeing to pay the second instalment.
• Form 80 and police certificates.
• Military records, if applicable.
• Partner and dependent-child identity and relationship evidence.
• Parental consent or court evidence for children under 18, where required.

Business ownership evidence may include company extracts, incorporation certificates, shareholder records, business registrations, licences, partnership or franchise agreements, trust deeds, share registers and transfer documents.

If a publicly listed company operates a qualifying business, provide evidence that you, your partner, or both combined own at least 10% of its issued shares.

Health and Character

Do not undertake health examinations until requested. Health results are generally valid for 12 months.

Applicants aged 16 or over must meet the character requirement. Provide police certificates for every country where you spent a total of 12 months or more during the past 10 years since turning 16.

Applicants aged 18 or over must read, or have explained to them, the Life in Australia book and sign an Australian Values Statement.

How to Apply

1. Obtain a current State or Territory nomination.
2. Ensure passports are current.
3. Gather identity, business, English, character and family documents.
4. Create or sign in to ImmiAccount.
5. Lodge the online application.
6. Upload supporting documents when lodging.
7. Pay the correct visa application charge.
8. Record the transaction reference number (TRN).
9. Provide any requested biometrics, health examinations or further information.
10. Pay the second instalment if invoiced.

The Department may decide the application without requesting missing documents.

Important Warnings

• Do not provide false or inaccurate information.
• The application will not be processed until the correct charge is paid.
• If in Australia, remain lawful and hold a valid visa while awaiting a decision.
• Do not cancel your current visa if relying on a Bridging visa A; cancellation can make you unlawful and ineligible for that bridging visa.
• If travelling while the application is pending, ensure you hold a valid visa to return to Australia.
• The visa application charge is not refunded if the visa is refused.
• Keep the written visa decision, including the grant number, start date and conditions.