According to the latest statistics from the Australian Immigration Service, the number of applications for A $5 million investment immigrant SIV (Significant Investor Visa) major investor visas (188C) began to increase significantly in fiscal year 2017.
The following table provides immigration statistics for the period from 1 July 2016 to 31 March 2017:
| Item | total |
| EOI submission quantity | 351 |
| Number of invitations by State Government | 323 |
| Number of applications submitted | 281 |
| Approved (submitted after New deal on 1 July 2015) | 131 |
| Approved (submitted by 1 July 2015) | 213 |
As at 31 March 2017:
- Since the implementation of the SIV programme on November 24, 2012, a total of 1778 SIV visas have been granted: of these, 155 came from the New deal on July 1, 2015;
- 1623 from July 1, 2015 before the New deal.
The following table shows the distribution of major visa applications and visa issuance from the top five countries of origin for the period from the inception of the SIV visa to 31 March 2017:
| Top five applicants | Percentage% | Top five signatories | Percentage% |
| China | 89.3 | China | 88 |
| [法]Hong Kong China | 3.2 | [法]Hong Kong China | 2.9 |
| Malaysia （东南亚国名） | 1.2 | Malaysia （东南亚国名） | 1.3 |
| South Africa | 0.8 | South Africa | 1.2 |
| Vietnam | 0.7 | Vietnam | 1.0 |
Since SIV was launched in 2012, applicants from China and Hong Kong have continued to account for more than 90% of the program.
The following table shows the status of visa processing in the L ä nder since the introduction of the SIV visa until 31 March 2017:
| State government | EOI submission quantity | Number of invitations | Number of requests for Lodged | Approved (by 1 July 2015) | Approved (after New deal of 1 July 2015) |
| VIC | 179 | 178 | 156 | 146 | 84 |
| NSW | 121 | 115 | 100 | 50 | 43 |
| QLD | 19 | 18 | 15 | 5 | <5 |
| SA | 8 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 0 |
| WA | 5 | <5 | <5 | <5 | <5 |
| TAS | 0 | 0 | <5 | 0 | 0 |
| ACT | <5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| NT | <5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Melbourne and Sydney remain the main destinations for A $5 million investment migrants, according to the table.
So far, the Australian Productivity Council (Productivity Commission) has repeatedly proposed cancelling A $5 million in major investment immigration visas and A $15 million in top investment immigrants. These two categories of visas require very low levels of investment from investors and investors themselves, the committee said. Investors spend most of their money on low-risk project funds, while many Australian companies and projects that are in need of venture capital have little to gain.
Because the two types of visas do not require any English for investors themselves and have only 40 days of residence in Australia each year after holding visas, the committee believes that it is difficult for investors to integrate into Australian society and that Australian companies are unable to benefit from them.
In addition, they argue that 5 million major immigration visas are likely to be shelters and hotbeds for money laundering and other financial crimes. And such visa approvals tend to buy luxury homes in Australian cities, pushing home prices higher.
Given that the commission's recommendations on immigration policy have been adopted by the Australian government, the A $5 million investment immigration policy is highly likely to face changes in the near future. Metro calls on those who intend to apply for such visas to act as soon as possible so as not to miss the opportunity.
A detailed explanation of A $5 million Investment Migration (Major Investor Migration) Policy
Advantages of Australia's eminent Investor Visa:
- No age requirement;
- No English requirements;
- There is no need for a score test;
- The applicant is not required to have a successful business or investment background;
- No need to do business in Australia;
- (B) there are basically no immigration prison requirements;
- (a) the source of funding may be accepted as a grant;
- Applicants do not need to own a business in China, do not need to own shares, nor do they need to do business in Australia. Applicants can remain in China to continue to develop their business, no worries. In addition, one-person management, family permanent, children can go to Australia within a few months, enjoy free primary and secondary education.
Steps to obtain permanent residency through a major Australian investor visa
- Phase one: apply for state guarantee and EOI, then submit a 188 visa application. A four-year temporary residence visa was granted after receiving advice from the Immigration Department to complete the A $5 million investment. Applicants and family members will be allowed to live in Australia;
- Stage 2: after 4 years of A $5 million investment, applicants and family members are granted 888 permanent residence visas. During the four-year period of holding this temporary visa, the principal applicant requires only 40 days per year in Australia (or 160 days per year for the spouse).
Requirements for A $5 million investment
- At least A $500,000 invested in start-up or small private enterprises through qualified Australian venture capital funds or growth private equity funds;
- At least A $1.5 million invested in emerging companies listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) through a qualified management fund or listed investment company, (LIC),; and
- Up to A $3 million in "balance investments" can be invested in a qualified portfolio through a fund or a listed investment company, (LIC),. These portfolios could include: other Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) listed companies, eligible Australian corporate bonds and notes, Australian annuity insurance or property (residential property investments must be less than 10 percent).
Visa applicants can switch between eligible investments as long as they can still meet the above investment ratio and meet the reinvestment requirements.
Basic requirements for visa applicants
