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Australia.

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

Residence ↓
4
residence programmes
6,017
numbers
178
prices and rules
26
events

38 documents and articles behind this page, listed at the bottom.

Residence

Sells the right to live in the country (a “golden visa”), sometimes leading to citizenship later. Australia: 4 residence programmes, 0 of them open today; 6,017 numbers, 178 prices and rules. Every country's residence programmes

All the numbers, sources and downloads for Australia in the data portal →

Business Innovation and Investment visaResidence

Can lead to citizenship under the usual residence rules for permanent residents.

Status
Lowest price when it closed
Applications received
Investors approved, not counting family members
Top nationalities
Last change
Older investor visas (pre-2012)Residence
Status
Closed · 2003 to 2012
Lowest price
No single price · No term rows: the programme notes say the investment thresholds over time have not been sourced.
Last change
Premium Investor visaResidence
Status
Lowest price when it closed
Applications received
Investors approved, not counting family members
Last change
Significant Investor visaResidence

Can lead to citizenship under the usual residence rules for permanent residents.

Status
Lowest price when it closed
Applications received
Investors approved, not counting family members
Investment by programme investors
Top nationalities
Last change
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.

Path to citizenship. Can lead to citizenship under the usual residence rules for permanent residents. (from the research notes below)

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, per budget year
05k10k15k20k20162018202020222024

The line follows the official figure for each period; faint dots are other sources and earlier versions; a ring marks a period where official sources disagree by more than 2%.

Investors approved, not counting family members, per budget year
01k2k3k4k20162018202020222024

The line follows the official figure for each period.

Golden visas issued, per budget year
05k10k15k20162018202020222024

The line follows the official figure for each period; faint dots are other sources and earlier versions.

Who buys

Investors approved, not counting family members, by nationality, per budget year
The 6 largest nationalities in recent years; 96 more are in the data but not drawn, so a bar is not a total. Each piece is one published number: click it for its source.
01k2k3k4k2015/162016/172017/182018/192019/202020/212021/222022/232023/242024/25
ChinaHong KongVietnamIranIndiaBangladesh Official total, all groups

How they invest

Investors approved, not counting family members, by way of investing, per budget year
The 5 largest routes in recent years; 8 more are in the data but not drawn, so a bar is not a total. Each piece is one published number: click it for its source.
01k2k3k4k2012/132013/142014/152015/162017/182018/192019/202020/212021/222022/232023/242024/25
Business innovationInvestorSignificant business historyEntrepreneurVenture capital entrepreneur Official total, all groups

Prices and rules

Rules while it was open

What is measured

  • Golden visas issued2,193
  • Investors approved, not counting family members1,092
  • 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
  • and 6 more; see Explore below.
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).

Applications received, per budget year
00.511.52016201720182019

The line follows the official figure for each period; faint dots are other sources and earlier versions. No figure for budget year 2016/17 and budget year 2017/18, so the line breaks there.

Investors approved, not counting family members, per budget year
00.511.52016201720182019

The line follows the official figure for each period; faint dots are other sources and earlier versions. No figure for budget year 2016/17 and budget year 2017/18, so the line breaks there.

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.

Path to citizenship. Can lead to citizenship under the usual residence rules for permanent residents. (from the research notes below)

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, per budget year
05001k1.5k2k20132014201520162017201820192020

The line follows the official figure for each period; faint dots are other sources and earlier versions. No figure for budget year 2016/17 and budget year 2017/18, so the line breaks there.

Investors approved, not counting family members, per budget year
0200400600800201420162018202020222024

The line follows the official figure for each period; faint dots are other sources and earlier versions; a ring marks a period where official sources disagree by more than 2%. No figure for budget year 2016/17, so the line breaks there.

Golden visas issued, per budget year
05001k1.5k20182019202020212022202320242025

The line follows the official figure for each period; faint dots are other sources and earlier versions.

Who buys

Applications received, by nationality, per budget year
The 6 largest nationalities in recent years; 51 more are in the data but not drawn, so a bar is not a total. Each piece is one published number: click it for its source.
05001k1.5k2k2012/132013/142014/152015/162016/172017/182018/192019/202020/21
ChinaHong KongVietnamSouth AfricaMalaysiaUnited Kingdom Official total, all groups

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
  • and 4 more; see Explore below.
Gaps

What we know is missing

  • Business Innovation and Investment visa: no yearly figures at all for money raised.
  • Older investor visas (pre-2012): no yearly figures at all for applications or people let in or money raised.
  • Premium Investor visa: no yearly figures at all for money raised.
  • Premium Investor visa, applications received: no figure for budget year 2016/17 and budget year 2017/18.
  • Premium Investor visa, investors approved, not counting family members: no figure for budget year 2016/17 and budget year 2017/18.
  • Significant Investor visa, applications received: no figure for budget year 2016/17 and budget year 2017/18.
  • Significant Investor visa, investors approved, not counting family members: no figure for budget year 2016/17.

A gap means no figure is in our data: either it was never published or we haven't found or read it yet. Charts leave gaps open rather than drawing across them.

Explore

All the numbers we have for Australia

6,017 numbers about Australia's residence programmes. Pick a programme and what you want to see. Each dot is one number from one document; click anything to open its source.

Timeline

What happened, and when

Sources

The 38 documents behind this page

The stories behind the numbers

Who buys passports and golden visas, what they cost, and what happens when governments change the rules. Written from this data, in the newsletter.

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