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Government of South Australia - Department of Industry, Innovation and ScienceGovernment of South Australia - Department of Industry, Innovation and ScienceGovernment of South Australia - Move to South Australia

888 nomination requirements

Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa - Subclass 888 benefit to state requirements for clients nominated from 1 July 2021.

For clients nominated before 1 July 2021 – please refer to the following pdf.

Business Innovation and Investment 888 requirements until 30 June 2021

Business or investment activity

Under 55 years of age

55 years of age or older

Investment into a business & 2 FTE employees

AUD $300,000

AUD $600,000

Property development

AUD $1.5 million (Metropolitan Adelaide)

AUD $1.2 million (Regional South Australia)

AUD $2 million (Metropolitan Adelaide)

AUD $1.5 million (Regional South Australia)

Export (purchase value)

AUD $750,000 to AUD $1.25 million

AUD $1.5 million to AUD $2.5 million

For details of the evidence required for each option, see How to apply.

Additional requirements

Investment into a business & 2 FTE employees

  • Director’s loans are not accepted as constituting business investment.
  • In addition to the investment amount, the business must create (for a new business) or sustain (for an existing business) two full-time equivalent (FTE) employees for a minimum of 12 months prior to lodging your application.
  • FTE employees refer to employees under the direct employ of the business working a minimum of 30 hours per week paid at least the award wage.
  • FTE employees must be Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents New Zealand passport holders, or South Australian State nominated visa holders, for the full 12-month period. Family members are not eligible to be included in the FTE employee requirement.

Property development

  • Property development must be for sale to unrelated independent parties on commercial ‘arm’s length’ terms. The property being developed must not be for the provision of rental property or for speculative or passive investment.

Export

The purchase value of South Australian products for export varies depending on the composition and on your age at the time of first stage nomination (provisional visa):

Export composition

Under 55 years of age

55 years of age or older

Three different products (maximum of 60% in any one product)

AUD $750,000

AUD $1.5 million

Two different products (maximum of 80% in any one product)

AUD $1 million

AUD $2 million

One product

AUD $1.25 million

AUD $2.5 million


Export example:

The following composition of products would be acceptable for an applicant under 55 years of age:

Product A: $450,000 (60% - maximum)

Product B: $200,000 (27%)

Product C: $100,000 (13%)

Total: $750,000 (100%)

  • Export refers to the sale of South Australian made goods or provision of services. South Australian made goods means that the whole of production, or the final stage of production occurs in South Australia. For wine, the Geographical Indicator (GI) on the certificate of free sale must address South Australia, or a region of South Australia. For grape juice, the grapes must also be sourced from South Australia.
  • The South Australian producer of the goods must be made aware that their products are being export and to which specific overseas markets.
  • If South Australian made goods are purchased via a third-party distributor or wholesaler, this business must also be in South Australia.
  • Exports need to be part of a genuine business activity to make a profit. The frequency of exports will reflect the genuineness of the business activity.


Department of Home Affairs Waiver

If you are applying for the Business Innovation stream, you may be able to obtain a waiver from Skilled & Business Migration on the Department of Home Affairs minimum visa criteria in exceptional circumstances. 
Skilled & Business Migration may provide a waiver for proposals that bring an exceptional benefit to state and will be accessed on a case-by-case basis, for either the (A) turnover requirement or (B) the assets and employment requirements. 

A. $300,000 (AUD) turnover; OR

B. Waiver two out of the following three Department of Home Affairs requirements:

  • Waiver $200,000 (AUD) in net business assets
  • Waiver $600,000 (AUD) in net personal and/or business assets
  • Wavier two full time employee requirement.

If applying for a waiver from Skilled and Business Migration, you many only lodge the 888A nomination application within 3 months of the applicant’s 188A Visa expiry date. If an application is lodged greater than 3 months before the applicants 188A Visa expiry date, the application for State Nomination may be refused.