188 – Entrepreneur stream
Queensland welcomes migrant who want to develop or commercialise their innovative ideas and who have a funding agreement with a specified third party.
This is a state-nominated 4-year provisional entrepreneur visa. It is a stream of the Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) and a pathway to permanent residency through the Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (subclass 888).
State nomination for this visa is managed by the Queensland Government, through Migration Queensland, in collaboration with the Australian Government’s Department of Home Affairs.
Eligibility criteria
To be considered for Queensland state nomination, you must first meet the Australian Government’s Home Affairs Immigration Eligibility Criteria.
You must also meet the Migration Queensland criteria below, which is different for each visa stream.
Entrepreneur stream
To seek Queensland state nomination, you must:
- have a funding agreement from a third party* of at least A$200,000 to undertake a complying entrepreneurial activity
- provide a comprehensive business plan, which demonstrates an entrepreneurial activity related to an innovative idea and that will lead to the commercialisation of a new or improved product or service, or to the development of a new enterprise of business
- provide proof of at least a 30% share in the ownership of the entrepreneurial entity at the time of entering into the agreement
- provide proof of sufficient settlement funds
- commit to living in Queensland.
Note: This entrepreneurial activity must not relate to any of the following excluded categories:
- Residential real estate
- Labour hire
- Purchase of an existing enterprise or a franchisee in Australia
Migration Queensland recommends that you arrange a pre-visit meeting to discuss the proposal and application.
At the end of this visa, you can apply for permanent residency (subclass 888).
*Valid third parties:
- Australian Government agency
- State or Territory Government
- Publicly Funded Research Organisation
- An investor registered as an Australian Venture Capital Limited Partnership or Early State Venture Capital Limited Partnership
- A specified higher education provider
Application process
Step 1
Review your eligibility criteria, visa conditions, and document checklist on the Department of Home Affairs website and the Migration Queensland website. Ensure that you meet both the Home Affairs and Migration Queensland criteria and that you have all your documentation ready before you apply.
Step 2
For Queensland state nomination, submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) with SkillSelect. Ensure that all information, such as work experience, is included in your EOI. Preference will be given to applicants who select “Queensland” as their nominating state of choice over applicants who select “Any” state.
Step 3
Migration Queensland assesses all EOIs that meet the above Home Affairs and Migration Queensland criteria. If you are successful, you will receive an email invitation to lodge an application and be requested to provide the following documents.
- Queensland State Nomination Application form
- Business proposal summary
- Comprehensive business plan for the entrepreneurial entity
- Home Affairs Form 1139A
- Legally enforceable agreements to receive funding with a total of least A$200,000 from one of the Home Affairs listed entities
Note: You must upload these documents digitally through the Document Portal link in your invitation email. Migration Queensland no longer accepts documents sent by email or post. You can only upload one document per file. If you have multiple documents, merge, and save them as one file.
Step 4
When you have received your invitation from Migration Queensland:
- upload the required documents, and
- pay the non-refundable application fee to finalise your application. Do not pay the fee until you have been invited to apply and all your documents have been uploaded.
Migration Queensland will then review your application and request any further information.
Note: You will be given 14 days to finalise your application from the date of invitation. If you are unable to provide the relevant information within this time frame, you must seek an extension from Migration Queensland. Applications not finalised within the time frame will be closed and you will need to submit a new EOI if you wish to seek Queensland nomination again.
Step 5
Once Migration Queensland has received and approved your completed application, you will receive an invitation from the Department of Home Affairs to lodge your visa application. You will be given 60 days to lodge your application with them.
Note: If you realise that you have made a mistake on your submitted EOI after receiving a nomination, or if you miss the lodgement date, you will have to wait 6 months before applying again.