As Australia’s capital of innovation, NSW is committed to make it simple and easy for talented migrant entrepreneurs to settle in Sydney and NSW.
To be eligible to be nominated by the NSW Department of Industry for the Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) – Entrepreneur stream, applicants must:
• meet Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) eligibility criteria
• submit a business plan for complying entrepreneurial activity
• demonstrate sufficient funds to settle in NSW.
For full details of the criteria, download NSW nomination criteria – Entrepreneur visa.
Attracting more entrepreneur migrants
By aligning the NSW criteria with DIBP’s key eligibility requirements, we aim to attract more talented entrepreneurs to NSW.
The new NSW-nominated Entrepreneur criteria are very competitive and support the aim of the NSW migration program to create jobs, boost productivity and generate genuine economic activity.
How to apply and application forms
To apply for NSW nomination for the Entrepreneur visa, you should follow the process below:
• submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect
• complete the relevant NSW nomination application form
• pay the application fee
• submit your complete application to NSW Department of Industry.
• if you are nominated by NSW, apply for the visa to DIBP.
For all NSW nomination application forms, visit the Application forms page.
The Entrepreneur stream is part of the Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) and was launched by the Australian Government on 10 September 2016. This visa is for individuals who have secured funding of at least A$200,000 from an eligible third party funding body or bodies to undertake, or propose to undertake, an entrepreneurial venture in Australia.
Visa nomination by a state or territory government is required before interested applicants can lodge a valid application for this visa with DIBP. An Entrepreneur visa holder can progress to permanent residency after four years if they can meet a measure of success, which includes factors such as business turnover, employment of Australians and ability to obtain ongoing financial backing.
Visit the Visa categories and nomination criteria page for more information about NSW visa nomination.
More information
For more information or to set up a meeting with one of our multilingual Business Migration Relationship Officers, contact us:
• business.migration@industry.nsw.gov.au
• +61 (2) 9934 0704