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BLOG SERIES – WORKING IN THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (UAE) – PART 5

How to get an Emirates ID & Sponsorship?

This is necessary to complete your visa application process. It is basically a digital national identification system that is required for most transactions in the UAE. It is linked to your passport and visa – it is part of a national centralized system.

Once this done, you just have to wait till your employer completes the process, has the residence visa affixed on your original passport. This can take anywhere from five days to a month, depends on your employer.  Once you have a visa, you can bring in your family dependent upon the required criteria being met.

Once you are done with your visa process, how can you get your family to the UAE?

Expatriate residents, can sponsor their families in the UAE provided they have a valid residency permit.  Male residents who are employed in the UAE can sponsor their immediate family members, such as wife and children, subject to conditions, which include minimum salary of AED 4,000 or AED 3,000 plus accommodation.  Since March 2019, the type of profession is no longer a condition for an expatriate worker to be able to sponsor his family visas.

Male residents who are employed in the UAE can sponsor their immediate family members, such as wife and children, subject to conditions, which include minimum salary of AED 4,000 or AED 3,000 plus accommodation. Now, an expatriate can bring over his family members to the UAE and sponsor their residence visas regardless of his profession, as long as he maintains the ‘income criteria’ or the minimum wage requirement, which is a minimum salary of AED 4,000 or AED 3,000 plus accommodation

Male residents who are employed in the UAE can sponsor their immediate family members, such as wife and children, subject to conditions, which include minimum salary of AED 4,000 or AED 3,000 plus accommodation. Now, an expatriate can bring over his family members to the UAE and sponsor their residence visas regardless of his profession, as long as he maintains the ‘income criteria’ or the minimum wage requirement, which is a minimum salary of AED 4,000 or AED 3,000 plus accommodation.

Further, if the father of the family is residing in the UAE and meets the conditions for sponsoring his children, the mother is not allowed to sponsor them.  A resident sponsor has 60 days to apply for his dependents’ residence visa after they enter the UAE and modify their status from an entry permit holder to a resident visa holder.  Family members are issued visas for one or two years depending on the nature of the work and employment contract of the sponsoring member.

Sponsored residents except adult males who are continuing their education and sponsored parents can enjoy the same visa duration as their sponsors. For adult males and parents, the residence visa is granted on a yearly basis regardless of the sponsor’s visa duration.

An expatriate resident may sponsor the residence visa for his wife and children if he fulfils the sponsorship requirements set by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA).  To sponsor his wife, the expatriate resident must prove an existing marital relationship by submitting an authenticated marriage certificate in Arabic or duly translated into Arabic by a certified translator.

In strict cases, a Muslim resident may be allowed to sponsor his two wives, if he meets certain terms and conditions set by the respective GDRFA.

An expatriate resident can sponsor his daughter/s only if she/they is/are unmarried, till the age of 18 years in case of a male child. Since October 21, 2018, students who graduate from their universities or secondary schools or complete 18 years of age will be granted a one-year residence visa, renewable for another year from the graduation date or on completing 18 years.  For this type of visa, parents are not required to place bank deposits. The visa will cost AED100 for first time issuing and renewal.  To avail of this service, parents must present duly attested graduation certificates from universities or schools, whether inside the country or abroad.

Important note: An expatriate resident can also sponsor his stepchildren, subject to GDRFA’s conditions, which include a deposit for each child and a written no-objection certificate from the biological parent. Their residence visas are valid for one year; renewable annually.

Required documents to sponsor your wife and children include:

  • Online application or through a registered typing office
  • Passport copies of the wife and children
  • Photos of the wife and children
  • Medical clearance certificate for the wife and children above 18
  • Copy of the husband’s employment contract or company contract
  • Salary certificate from the employer stating the employee’s monthly salary
  • Attested marriage certificate
  • Registered tenancy contract
  • Latest utility bill

How can you sponsor your parents?

An expatriate employee can sponsor his parents, which is for a year, by paying a deposit as a guarantee for each parent as stipulated by the respective immigration department. This is refundable.  An expatriate employee cannot sponsor only one of his parents. He needs to sponsor both parents together. He also needs to provide proof that he is their sole support and that there is no one to take care of them back home.  If one of the parents has passed away or if the parents are divorced, he has to show the related official documents as justification to sponsor only one of his parents

To sponsor parents, the employed expatriate resident must earn the minimum salary stipulated and obtain a medical insurance policy for parents with the minimum coverage stipulated for each, to be renewed each year. For example: GDFRA in Dubai stipulates a minimum salary of AED 20,000 or a monthly pay of AED 19,000 plus a two-bedroom accommodation to sponsor parents’ visa.

How can a woman sponsor her family?

In Abu Dhabi, a woman can sponsor her husband and children if she holds a residence permit stating that she is an engineer, teacher, doctor, nurse or any other profession related to the medical sector and if her monthly salary is not less than AED 10,000 or AED 8,000 plus accommodation. She needs to provide additional documents as stipulated by the respective authority.

In Dubai, if a woman is not employed in one of these categories, she may still get approval to sponsor her family if her monthly salary is more than AED 10,000 and with a special permission from the GDFRA.  A single mother can sponsor her child. The authorities might ask for documents similar to those required to sponsor stepchildren.

What happens to your family’s visa/s if you quit or lose your job?

The family’s residence permits are linked to the residence permit of the sponsoring expatriate employee. If the sponsoring family member’s visa is cancelled, it requires cancellation of the visas of the dependents.  Dependents are granted a 30-day grace period from the date of expiry or cancellation of their visa to obtain a new residence permit.  If the employee fails to renew or cancel the visa of his dependents, the dependents would be deemed illegal residents and could be liable to pay a fine.

A great toll free number for MoHRE to have: 800-60

Issuing of ID Card for the First Time

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Why Australia Is The Next Place To Expand Your Business

Australia's Dynamic Industries

The Australian Government welcomes foreign investment. As the Australian Government’s investment promotion agency, Austrade works to inform investors about growth opportunities in five areas which play to our strengths, jointly agreed by Australian and State and Territory Governments:

  • Agribusiness and food
  • Major infrastructure
  • Tourism infrastructure
  • Resources and energy
  • Advanced manufacturing, services and technology

Within advanced manufacturing, services and technology, Austrade focuses on highlighting growth opportunities for investment in Australian medical and materials sciences and technologies, and digital technologies.

Australia has achieved significant global success in the energy and resources, agribusiness, education, tourism and financial services industries.

The country is also developing and commercialising new disruptive technologies in a range of sectors, including agriculture, education, financial services and healthcare.

Australia is renowned for its resources sector, upon which Asia continues to rely to help fuel its industrialisation. Australian agricultural commodities and premium food are in high demand worldwide, as are its tourism, education, wealth management, healthcare and professional services.

Australia is:

  • the world’s largest producer of gold, iron ore and uranium
  • a major global producer of agricultural commodities
  • a leader in investment management, with the sixth largest pool of funds under management in the world
  • the world’s third most popular destination for students
  • the seventh largest international tourism market.

GLOBALLY SUCCESSFUL IN FIVE KEY INDUSTRIES

Australia is a major producer of in-demand agricultural commodities, premium food and natural resources. The nation is a leading destination for international tourists and students in tertiary education. It also has large, expanding, sophisticated financial markets, including the world’s sixth largest pool of managed fund assets.

A LEADER IN NEW TECHNOLOGIES

Australia’s transition to a services-based economy is driving the development of new technologies in agriculture, education, financial services and health, among other sectors. This includes the use of blockchain in finance, immersive simulation technologies in education, robotics in medical procedures and the Internet of Things in agriculture.

ABUNDANT RESERVES OF MINERAL AND ENERGY RESOURCES

Australia’s natural resources continue to be a vital contributor to the nation’s wealth. It has the world’s largest resources of iron ore, gold, lead, zinc, nickel, rutile and zircon, as well as the second largest bauxite, cobalt, silver and copper reserves. Australia also has the world’s largest uranium reserves and the second largest brown coal deposits, enabling it to play an important role in supplying the world’s energy needs.

Why Australia is the next place to expand your business

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Australia Holds World Record For Longest Period Of Growth Among Developed Economies

Austrade estimates that Australia holds the record for the longest period of recession-free growth for a developed economy

According to the latest National Accounts figures recently released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australia holds the record for the longest period of recession-free growth for a developed economy.

The latest outcome is a positive sign that Australia’s economy is maintaining the solid momentum and has entered its 28th year of uninterrupted annual economic growth.

Australia is the only country in the developed world with a period of uninterrupted economic growth of this length, based on the typically recognised definition of an economic recession being a decline in GDP for two or more consecutive quarters.

All 34 member countries in the Organisation for Economic Co operation and Development (OECD) have experienced at least one period of two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth since 1991. Many of these economies experienced two episodes of negative growth during that period – one in 2001 following the collapse of the ‘dot.com bubble’, and one during the 2008 global financial crisis (GFC).

The period since 1991 is the longest growth phase Australia has recorded for at least the past 50 years. It has seen the economy register an average growth rate of 3.2% per annum.

The next longest period, during which Australia’s economic year-ended growth remained positive was between 1961 and 1971. In the 1970s and 1980s, Australia’s growth phases lasted only seven or eight years before another recession hit.

On a quarter-to-quarter basis national accounts figures represented the 104th positive growth rate since the economy started to recover in Q3 1991, following the two consecutive negative growth rates in Q1 and Q2 1991.

By Austrade’s count, Australia’s consecutive quarters of positive growth have now exceeded all OECD member countries including the Netherlands (96 quarters between Q1 1982 to Q2 2008), Ireland (78 between Q3 1986 and Q1 2007), South Korea (77 since the Asian Financial Crisis in 1998) and Canada (68 between Q2 1991 and Q3 2008).

Australia’s economic resilience over the past two decades has been the envy of many countries. Australia sailed through the Asian economic crisis of 1997–98, prospered through the US stock market bust and recession of 2001 and continued to grow through the GFC of 2008–09.

Australia has managed to deliver a solid economic performance relative to other developed economies, while adjusting to the end of its mining boom of the 2000s.

The nation is expected to realise an average annual real GDP growth of 2.7% between 2019 and 2023, according to the IMF’s World Economic Outlook October 2018. The latest average growth rate over the next five years is the highest among major advanced economies and up from an average growth rate of 2.6% between 2014 and 2018.

Contact us for a confidential discussion and refer family, friends and colleagues and be rewarded.

Australia's GDP growth is 'unmatched by any other developed nation'

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The World Health Organisation Has Designated 2020 As The “Year of the Nurse”

The “Year of the Nurse” will highlight the potential—and the problems—awaiting future Nightingales

THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION has designated 2020 as the “Year of the Nurse”, marking 200 years since the birth of Florence Nightingale, who established the principles of modern nursing and hospital sanitation. If she were to drop in on a hospital today, Nightingale would be pleased to see the progress in nursing since her day—and how it is poised to change in the years to come.

Nightingale founded the first nursing school, at a hospital in London in 1860, and wrote some 200 books and papers. She was the first woman admitted to the Royal Statistical Society, for her pioneering work in statistical infographics. While tending to British soldiers in the Crimean war, she made the case for hospital sanitation using a variation of the pie chart, entitled “Diagram of the Causes of Mortality in the Army in the East”, to show that more soldiers died from infections than from injuries. She drew up the chart to “affect through the Eyes what we may fail to convey to the brains of the public through their word-proof ears”. In what became known as a Coxcomb diagram, each slice of the pie has the same angular width and an area representing the amount in a given category (such as number of dead men).

Many, if not most, people today think of nursing as a narrow set of skills learned on the ward, much like it was back in Nightingale’s time. In fact, nurses have university degrees and there are doctorate-level studies in nursing. Like doctors, nurses specialise in myriad clinical disciplines, such as neonatology, cardiology and Accident & Emergency. There are even forensic nurses. Such is the pace of innovation in nursing that some issues of American Nurse Today, a monthly journal, run north of 70 pages.

In 2020 and beyond nurses will be doing a growing number of tasks conventionally reserved for doctors, both in acute and chronic care. Already, nearly two-thirds of anaesthetics given to patients in America are administered by certified nurse anaesthetists. In Britain specialised nurses now perform some types of abdominal, orthopaedic and cardiac surgery. In parts of sub-Saharan Africa nurses are being trained to do emergency caesarean sections, with results comparable to those achieved by doctors.

The changing face of nursing

Nurses will be increasingly tapped to replace general practitioners in treating patients with diabetes and other chronic conditions that require lifestyle changes. Nurses are particularly well placed to provide this kind of holistic care, which takes into account each person’s life circumstances, because they have long been patients’ confidants. In the words of Brian Dolan, an academic, “people look up to a doctor, but they look a nurse in the eye.” In surveys about trust in people from various professions, nurses invariably come top.

What would disappoint Nightingale in her time-travel to the present is that the transformation of nursing has been uneven. In countries as varied as India, Germany and Portugal nurses are still largely treated as doctors’ minions and may not even diagnose common ailments or prescribe medication. And although nurses make up nearly half of the world’s health-care workforce—and 90% of patients’ contacts with health workers—they are often not at the table when health-policy decisions are made. Even the World Health Organisation did not have a chief nursing officer until 2018.

The other trend that would make Nightingale furrow her brow is that nursing has lost its lustre, so most posts are hard to fill. In many countries no profession has a higher number of vacancies. In the next decade the shortage of nurses will remain the biggest problem that national health systems all over the world will face. By 2030 the world will be short of 7.6m nurses, which is a third of their number today.

To turn this tide, efforts to draw more people into nursing and keep trained nurses from leaving the profession will accelerate. Countries will focus more on recruiting nurses locally, rather than luring them from abroad—often from poor places where health care is already crippled by nurse shortages. National media campaigns will aim to raise the profile of nursing by dispelling outdated views about what the job entails. Some may borrow ideas from Singapore’s highly effective campaign, which has commissioned nursing dramas, documentaries and even a “nursing anthem” (in the form of a catchy pop-music video). The campaign’s Instagram account has something for everyone, including love stories of couples who met in nursing school.

Prodded by a global campaign which began in 2018, more hospitals and other employers will set up professional-development and leadership programmes for nurses. There will be more talk—and, it is hoped, action too—about how to enable nurses to work at the top of their licence and abilities. Technology will be roped in to make their work more manageable and reduce burnout. Algorithms, for example, will be used to map the optimal routes for ward shifts.

At the same time, as diagnostic systems and surgical robots advance, nursing may be the only aspect of the health-care profession in which machines will not replace human beings. Even though nursing is shaped by medical science and technology, as it has been since Nightingale’s time, its healing powers remain rooted in empathy and a human touch.

Contact us for a confidential discussion and refer family, friends and colleagues and be rewarded.

Let's celebrate 2020 Year of the Nurse & Midwife – together

HOW TO CELEBRATE YEAR OF 2020 AS -“YEAR OF THE NURSES AND MIDWIFE” ? World Health Organization (WHO)

2020 Year Of The Nurses And Midwife-World Health Organization#200 Birth Anniversary of Nightingale

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Australia Relaxes English Requirement For Migrant Farm Workers & Offers Pathway To Permanent Residency

Great Opportunities For Migrant Farm Workers In Australia

Australian horticulture farmers will be able to sponsor overseas workers to work in their farms from next year with the Australian government relaxing English language requirements and offering a pathway to permanent residency to skilled and semi-skilled foreign workers.

Around Australia farmers grappling with difficulties in hiring and retaining farm workers, have been demanding a standalone Agriculture visa. While the Federal Government isn’t amenable to the idea, it has introduced a few measures, including allowing farmers to sponsor overseas workers.

The government has announced special labour agreements with the horticulture industry that will allow farmers to hire skilled and low-skilled migrant workers where Australian workers aren’t available.

The arrangement commencing on January 1, 2020 offers the workers concessions in the English language requirements and minimum salary that a sponsoring employer is required to pay them.

“Our first priority is always to fill jobs with Australians, but the immigration system can play an important role in helping to address regional skills gaps and grow local economies,” Acting Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs Alan Tudge said.

Horticulture employers will be able to apply to the Department of Home Affairs to sponsor migrant workers to come to Australia to work in one of the 31 approved occupations under the new arrangement.

Agriculture Minister Senator McKenzie said the arrangement will address the desperate need for workers in rural and regional Australia.

“This is about recognising that horticulture is a developed industry and requires a skilled workforce to continue to grow,” Ms McKenzie said.

We are working with a number of regional areas to assist in filling their skills gaps so Contact us for a confidential discussion and refer family, friends and colleagues and be rewarded.

Come Live Our Philausophy

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Australian Visas: What’s Changed From 1st July 2019

Level of immigration to Australia had the centre stage

The level of immigration to Australia had the centre stage for the better part of this last year with the Government announcing some of the most significant changes seen in the recent years.

Some of the most significant changes to Australia’s immigration system in recent years took effect this year.

Immigration cap lowered:

Following months of posturing on the issue of growing congestion in Sydney and Melbourne, the Federal Government announced in March this year that it will cut back Australia’s annual permanent immigration intake to 160,000. The intake has been capped at 190,000 since 2011 but the actual intake fell to just over 162,000 in 2017-18 for the first time in over a decade.

The impact of the overall cut will be absorbed by Skilled Independent visas that allowed people to live and work anywhere in Australia.

The government said the cap will be maintained for the next four years.

New regional visas:

The government also announced an increase in the number of visa places for regional Australia with 23,000 skilled visas being reserved for those willing to live and work in the regions.

The two new provisional regional visas were introduced in November this year – Skilled Employer Sponsored Visa and Skilled Work Regional Visa will have 9,000 and 14,000 places respectively within the annual immigration cap of 160,000.

Visa holders of these subclasses will be required to spend at least three years in regional areas in order to become eligible to apply for permanent residency, instead of two years. A new regional permanent visa will be introduced in 2022.

International students will be able to access an additional year of post-study visa if they study in an educational institute in the regions, outside of Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and southeast Queensland.

Extra points for skilled migration:

Visa applicants sponsored or nominated for these regional visas will have the benefit of five extra points towards their points test.

The government has also announced an additional 10 points for applicants with a skilled spouse and for those without a spouse. There are extra points for qualifications in STEM subjects as well. 

New parent visa:

The new Temporary Sponsored Parent visa applications are being accepted from 1 July 2019. The visa – first promised ahead of the 2016 federal election – is being made available this year after the legislation it was tied to passed through the federal parliament in October last year.

The new visa is linked to a sponsorship framework under which Australian citizen or permanent residents have to first apply to become approved sponsors. Once they are approved as sponsors, their parents will be able to apply for the visa that will allow them to stay in Australia for a continuous period of up to five years with a single opportunity for renewal. The total number of visas issued is capped at 15,000 per year.

Citizenship changes abandoned:

According to media reports, the Federal Government has abandoned the legislation that would have made migrants to wait longer and prove they have competent English proficiency before they could apply for Australian citizenship.

After the Bill passed through the House of Representatives, it was struck off the Senate notice paper in October 2017 due to a joint opposition by the Greens, Labor and some cross bench senators.

Since then, the government had softened its stand on English requirements, scaling it down to ‘moderate’, but couldn’t get the required support to pass it in the Senate.

There are currently significant opportunities throughout Australia across a broad range of occupations.

Australia is the most successful multi cultural country in the world so Contact us for a confidential discussion and refer family, friends and colleagues and be rewarded.

Australian Immigration News Video December 2019 - Changes 491 visa & 494 visa Regional Rush & more!

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Australia Means Business And Is Open For Business

Business and Investor Visas For Business And Investment Migration

Australia means business and is open for business, and at The Aristos Group, so are we.  Australia is putting the call out for forward thinking professionals, business owners, entrepreneurs and investors globally, to bring your skills, talent, ability and business acumen to Australia.

In response to the call we have been working tirelessly to bring together a range of professionals to provide you with a turn key solution for all your requirements, to achieve what in the past could only have possibly been a dream.

Australia is highly sought as a destination globally due to its standard of living, buoyant economy, high standards of education as well as clean and safe environment.

Australia’s economy is maintaining the solid momentum that has delivered Australia 27 years of uninterrupted annual economic growth.  More dramatically, Australia is the only country in the developed world with a period of uninterrupted economic growth of this length.  Austrade estimates that Australia now holds the record for the longest period of recession-free growth for a developed economy.

We have everything you require to navigate you, your family and business through the minefield and complexities of domiciling yourself in Australia.  There are a myriad of elements in the process and we provide a turn key solution to take care of it all for you.

As an introduction we have compiled the following information to avail you of the opportunities currently available through our visa system.  Once you have reviewed the information we would welcome the opportunity to speak with you in more detail, to better understand your unique requirements and tailor a solution for you.  Please do not hesitate in contacting us for a confidential discussion.  

We are at your service and are well placed to assist you with representation on the ground in Australia, South Africa and the United Kingdom, as well as our network of professional service providers throughout Australia.

Read and watch on and feel free to contact us for a confidential discussion.

What You Need To Know About Business and Investor Migration For Australia – Visa 132, 188 & 888

Migration Options For Business Owners And Investors Include The Following Visas

Business Talent (Permanent) visa (subclass 132), which consists of:

  • Significant Business History stream
  • Venture Capital Entrepreneur stream
  • Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188), which consists of:
  • Business Innovation stream
  • Investor stream
  • Significant Investor stream
  • Premium Investor stream
  • Entrepreneur stream

The subclass 188 Business and Investment (Temporary) visa (subclass 188) are:

  • Temporary residence visas
  • You will need to meet specified requirements according to your stream and apply for the Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (subclass 888) to obtain permanent residence

Business Skills (provisional) visas (subclasses 160-165), which include:

  • the Business Owner (Provisional) visa (subclass 160)
  • the Senior Executive (Provisional) visa (subclass 161)
  • the Investor (Provisional) visa (subclass 162)
  • the State/Territory Sponsored Business Owner (Provisional) visa (subclass 163)
  • the State/Territory Sponsored Senior Executive (Provisional) visa (subclass 164)
  • the State/Territory Sponsored Investor (Provisional) visa (subclass 165)

Holders of the visa listed above usually apply for the State or Territory Sponsored Business Owner visa (subclass 892) or the State or Territory Sponsored Investor visa (subclass 893)

Your Guide to the Australian Business Talent 132 Permanent Visa

Visa Subclass 132 Business Talent (Permanent) Visa

With the aim of enhancing the Australian economy, the Department of Home Affairs has implemented the Australian Business Visa Program.

Within the Australian Business Visa Program, the Business Talent 132 Visa encourages successful business owners and investors to settle in Australia while developing a new or existing Australian business.

There are currently two streams in the Business Talent 132 Visa; the Significant Business History Stream and the Venture Capital Entrepreneur Stream. Both of these visas will allow you to stay in Australia permanently.

The Significant Business History Visa (subclass 132) is for business owners or part owners who want to operate a new or existing business in Australia. This person must have a major management role in a new or existing business within Australia.

The Venture Capital Entrepreneur stream (subclass 132) and have sourced venture capital funding to invest in Australia from a member of the Australian Venture Capital Association Limited (AVCAL).

To apply for these visas and complete the application process, you must provide all your personal information. During the application process, you may also be asked to prove your business skills, net assets, and provide your proposed business activity. Home Affairs may also conduct an interview process.

Who Needs This Visa?

Unlike the Business Innovation and Investment 188 visa, the subclass 132 Business Talent visa is the only business/investment visa which grants permanent residency upon approval.

The Business Talent visa will suit business owners who are highly successful by terms of business revenue (Significant Business History stream) and entrepreneurs who have secured venture capital funding (Venture Capital Entrepreneur stream) from a member of the Australian Venture Capital Association Limited (AVCAL).

What Are The General Criteria For This Visa?

  1. Significant Business History stream

You will need to meet the following criteria:

  • age younger than 55 years, unless waived by a state/territory
  • have net business and personal assets of AUD 1.5 million or more
  • an annual turnover of AUD 3 million or more for one or more of your main businesses for at least 2 years out of the last 4 years
  • your ownership interest in the business must be at least AUD 400,000 or 10% of total issued capital if the business is a publicly listed company
  • a successful business career
  1. Venture Capital Entrepreneur stream

You will need to meet the following criteria:

  • you have received at least AUD 1 million in funding from an Australia venture capital fund
  • the fund must be sourced from a member of AVCAL
  • a formal agreement must have been entered into to develop an innovative or high-value business idea
  • Applicants for the subclass 132 Business Talent visa are not subject to the points test.

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Visa Subclass 188 Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) Visa

The Australian Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) is a temporary business visa with seven streams.

This temporary visa is an attractive business visa as it allows business migrants to conduct business and investment activity in Australia or undertake entrepreneurial activity in Australia. Moreover, if you have ownership interests, the subclass 188 business visa will allow you to own and manage a qualifying business in Australia.

While the 188 Business Innovation and Investment visa is a temporary visa, subclass 188 visa holders can apply for permanent residency through the subclass 888 Business Innovation and Investment visa.

Who Needs This Visa?

The subclass 188 Business Innovation and Investment visa is a temporary residence visa that allows overseas business migrants to stay in Australia for up to four years. Once you have been granted your visa you will be allowed to conduct business and investment activity in Australia.
Due to having seven streams and the option to apply for permanent residency, the Business Innovation and Investment subclass 188 is an attractive visa for many entrepreneurs and investors.

General Requirements – 188 Checklist

There are three basic requirements that all 188 Business Innovation and Investment applicants must meet include:

  • Being nominated by an eligible government organization
  • Being invited to apply for the visa
  • Meeting  stream requirements

Whether you have a product or service, an innovative idea, a qualifying business or an eligible investment, the Australian government will request supporting documents about your personal and business history. Additionally, The Department of Home Affairs requires Business Innovation and Investor stream applicants to meet a points test requirement of 65 points before completing the application.

The Seven Available Streams:

There are SEVEN streams within the subclass 188 Business Innovation and Investment visa. Your proposed business activity in Australia will depend on which visa you should apply for.

Click on the relevant streams below to learn more about the visa criteria and application process.

Business Innovation stream:

This temporary visa is for people with business skills. It lets you operate a new or existing business in Australia.

Business Innovation Extension stream:

This temporary visa lets holders of the Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) Innovation stream extend their stay for 2 more years.

Investor stream:

This temporary visa requires you to invest AUD 1.5 million in an Australian state or territory and maintain business and investment activity in Australia.

Significant Investor stream:

This visa is for people who invest AUD 5 million in Australian investments that meet specific requirements and maintain business and investment activity in Australia.

Significant Investor Extension stream:

This visa lets Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) Significant Investor stream holders extend their stay for 2 more years.

Premium Investor stream:

This visa is for people who are nominated by Austrade and who invest AUD15 million in Australia.

Entrepreneur stream:

This visa lets you carry out entrepreneurial activities in Australia. You can stay for up to 4 years and 3 months.

While holding the subclass 188, visa holders in any stream can apply to the Department of Home Affairs for the permanent Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (subclass 888).

Processing Times:

The Department of Home Affairs has listed each stream as having different processing times.

Processing times for each stream are as follows:

Subclass 188 Streams

Processing Times

Business Innovation stream

75% of applications: 18 months
90% of applications: 20 months

Business Innovation Extension stream

There are no standard processing times available for this stream.

Investor stream

75% of applications: 19 months
90% of applications: 23 months

Significant Investor stream

Unavailable due to a low volume of applications.

Significant Investor extension stream

There are no standard processing times available for this stream.

Premium Investor stream

Unavailable due to a low volume of applications.

Entrepreneur stream

Unavailable due to a low volume of applications.

Visa Subclass 888 Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) Visa

The permanent Australian Business Innovation and Investment visa (subclass 888) is the second stage of the temporary Australian Business Innovation and Investment visa (subclass 188).

The Business Innovation and Investment 888 Visa is for entrepreneurs and business owners to continue their activity as an Australian permanent resident.

To apply for the business visa subclass 888 you must already be holding a business visa subclass 188.

The 5 Streams:

The current streams available for the subclass 188 and 888 visas include:

Business Innovation – 188A/888A

This visa lets holders of the Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) continue business activities in Australia indefinitely.

Investor – 188B/888B

This visa lets holders of the Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) in the (subclass 188) in the Investor stream stay indefinitely. It lets you continue your investment activities in Australia.

Significant Investor (SIV) – 188/888C

This visa lets holders of the Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) in the Significant Investor stream stay indefinitely. It lets you continue your investment activities in Australia.

Premium Investor (PIV)

This visa lets holders of the Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) in the Premium Investor stream stay indefinitely. It lets you continue your investment activities in Australia.

Entrepreneur

This visa lets you stay in Australia indefinitely. You can apply if you hold a Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) in the Entrepreneur stream. It lets you continue your entrepreneur activities in Australia.

Who Needs This Visa?
Holders of the provisional Business Innovation and Investment visa (subclass 188) will need to apply for the permanent business visa (subclass 888) upon fulfilling the required conditions for their respective streams.

The Business Innovation and Investment visa (subclass 888) grants permanent residency status. Once the subclass 888 is granted the applicant is allowed to live and work in Australia indefinitely.

What Are The Criteria for The Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) Visa (subclass 888)?

Due to there being 5 streams within the Business Innovation and Investment visa (subclass 888) it is essential that you review the criteria and requirements for your specific stream. For example, the Australian Investor stream requirements will differ from the Australian Significant Investor visa stream.

Processing Times:

 The Department of Home Affairs has listed each stream as having different processing times.

 Processing times for each stream are as follows:

Subclass 888 Streams

Processing Times

Business Innovation stream

75% of applications in 10 months
90% of applications in 11 months

Investor Stream

Unavailable due to a low volume of applications.

Significant Investor stream

75% of applications in 7 months
90% of applications in 9 months

Entrepreneur stream

Unavailable due to a low volume of applications.

Entrepreneur stream

Unavailable due to low volume of applications.

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Blog Series – Working In The United Arab Emirates (UAE) – Part 4

Part 4 - Medical Fitness Requirements For Expatriates

In order for the UAE to grant or renew a residence visa for all expatriates, males and females, have to undergo and pass medical fitness tests at government approved health centres in the UAE.

All applicants of a UAE Residency Visa, whether for first time or for renewal, will be tested for two communicable diseases:

  • HIV (by testing their blood) and;
  • Pulmonary tuberculosis (by taking an x-ray of their chest).

Those found to be HIV positive or having tuberculosis will be considered medically unfit and therefore will not be granted a residence visa. They will be deported immediately by the UAE’s authorities.

Residents who are detected with dormant or inactive pulmonary tuberculosis are also considered medically fit:

In this case, they are granted a one-year ‘Health Fitness Certificate for Residence’ subject to treatment and follow-up by the Department of Preventive Medicine or equivalent government health authority.

Hence, if you suspect to be suffering from a communicable disease it is advisable to get yourself tested in your home country first.

You need to know:

  • In order to be able to obtain a clear work/residence permit, expatriates need to be free of all forms of communicable diseases such as HIV and TB.
  • In order to be able to obtain a clear work/residence permit, expatriates need to be free of all forms of communicable diseases such as HIV and TB. Hence, if you suspect to be suffering from a communicable disease it is advisable to get yourself tested in your home country first

Work visa requirements:

In order to be able to obtain a clear work/residence permit, expatriates need to be free of all forms of communicable diseases such as HIV and TB. Hence, if you suspect to be suffering from a communicable disease it is advisable to get yourself tested in your home country first.

In addition, the following categories of workers should test negative for syphilis and Hepatitis B:

  • Workers in nurseries
  • Domestic workers including housemaids, nannies and drivers
  • Food handlers and workers in restaurants and cafes
  • Workers in saloons and beauty centres
  • Workers in health clubs
  • Female domestic workers must test negative for pregnancy

Important note:

  • A new Cabinet Resolution was passed in 2016. As per this resolution, all resident expatriates while renewing their residence visas have to undergo TB screening, too.
  • Those found with scars or active TB or found having drug-resistant TB will be issued a conditional fitness certificate and be issued residence visa for one year. They will then have to undergo treatment in the UAE.

Where are government medical fitness centres located?

Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Shariah have several medical fitness centres. Check also medical examinations centres for residency offered by the Ministry of Health and Prevention – Preventive Medicine Department.

Medical examination for Residency:

You can complete your medical examinations regarding the issuance of a residence visa at a medical examination centre near you.

Services offered at the centres:

  • Printing of Residence visa forms.
  • Conducting of medical examination.
  • Issuance of Emirates ID (Preventive Medicine Departments only)
  • Documents Required
  • Valid passport copy
  • Valid Residence Permit/Visa copy.
  • Two passport size photographs with a white background.
  • Valid Emirates ID copy (only in case of renewal of residence visa).

 

Service Locations:

Medical examination centres for UAE Residency Visa process in shopping malls

  • Ibn Battuta Mall Dubai – Jebel Ali, China Court, Besides DEWA Customer Happiness center, 04-8804762, MEC.IBN@moh.gov.ae, 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM, Sunday – Thursday, Saturday – 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Applications accepted only till one hour before closing
  • Dragon Mart 2 Dubai – International City, First floor, Near Novo Cinemas, 04-2326615, MEC.DG2@moh.gov.ae, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Sunday – Thursday, Applications accepted only till one hour before closing, Saturday – 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Applications accepted only till one hour before closing
  • Spring Souk Mall Dubai – Jebel Ali, Springs Shopping Center, 1st floor – near Reel cinema, 04-4274431, Spring.DXB@moh.gov.ae, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Saturday – Thursday
  • Salah Al Deen Street (19/b), Al Muraqqabat, Opposite to Al Reef Mall and Salah El Deen Metro Station, 04-4274431, MEC.SalahElDeen.DXB@moh.gov.ae, 7:30 AM- 7:30 PM, Sunday-Thursday
  • Al Khobaisi Dubai – Deira, Al Ittihad Street (22), Behind Hyundai Agency, 04-2355524, MEC.AlKhobaisi.DXB@moh.gov.ae, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Sunday – Thursday
  • Al Nahda Center Dubai-Deira, Al Nahda Area 1, Al Ittihad Street (4), Near Tadbeer Center, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Sunday-Thursday, 04-2638833, MEC.AlNahda.DXB@moh.gov.ae
  • Al Khibrah Center Sharjah-Industrial Area (10) near the industrial police station (10), 06-7489547, MEC.AlKhibrah.SHJ@moh.gov.ae, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Saturday – Thursday
  • Mushrif Health Centre Ajman, Al Ittihad Street near Emirates Telecommunication Corporation Company, 06-7455900, MEC.Mushairif.AJM@moh.gov.ae, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Sunday-Thursday
  • Sahara Center Sharjah – Al Nahda Area Sahara Center – basement, 06-5313666, MEC.Sahara.SHJ@moh.gov.ae, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Sunday – Thursday
  • Al Ibdaa Center Sharjah Industrial area 18 Al Maliha street Showroom 3, 4, 06-7429800, MEC.AlIbdaa.SHJ@moh.gov.ae, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Sunday-Thursday
  • Al Dahan center Ras al Khaimah, Sheikh Mohammed bin Salem Street near the red Twilight car upholstery shop, 07-2224900, MEC.Dahan.RAK@moh.gov.ae, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Sunday – Thursday

Service Charges: 48 hours (AED 110 including VAT)

The Ministry of Health and Prevention Preventive Medicine Departments:

  • Preventive Medicine Center – Dubai (Al Baraha), 04-2731161, dxb.pmd@moh.gov.ae, Sunday to Thursday 7:30 AM to 2:30 PM
  • Preventive medicine Center – Al Ghubaiba, 06-5662111, shj.pmd@moh.gov.ae, Sunday to Thursday 7:30 AM to 9:00 PM
  • Examination Center of Expatriate Labour in the Industrial Area, 06-5421442, shj.pmd@moh.gov.ae Sunday to Thursday 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM
  • Preventive Medicine Center – Kalba, 09-2031256, kal.pmd@moh.gov.ae, Sunday to Wednesday 7:30 AM to 2:30 PM
  • Preventive Medicine Centre – Dibba Al Hisn, 09-2444455, shj.pmd@moh.gov.ae, Sunday to Thursday 7:30 AM – 2:30 PM
  • Preventive Medicine Center – Khorfakkan, 09-2384664, khor.pmd@moh.gov.ae, Sunday to Thursday 7:30 AM – 2:30 PM
  • Preventive medicine Center – Al Dhaid, 06-8822221, dhd.pmd@moh.gov.ae, Sunday to Thursday 7:30 AM – 3:00 PM
  • Preventive Medicine Center – Fujairah, 09-2227114, fuj.pmd@moh.gov.ae, Sunday to Thursday 7:30 AM – 3:00 PM
  • Preventive Medicine Centre – Ras Al Khaimah, 07-2223111, rak.pmd@moh.gov.ae
  • Preventive Medicine Center – Ajman, 06-7031700, ajm.pmd@moh.gov.ae, Sunday to Thursday 7:30 AM to 2:30 PM Sunday and Tuesday 5:00 PM to 10 PM
  • Preventive Medicine Center – Umm Al Quwain, 06-7649393, uaq.pmd@moh.gov.ae, Sunday to Thursday 7:30 AM to 2:30 PM Tuesday 7:30 AM to 2:30 PM 5:00PM to 10:00 PM Service Charges: 48hrs.
  • (Subject to 105 AED Service charge)
  • Medical Examination Packages
  • All Categories (excluding vaccination and female household domestic service) – AED 260
  • All Categories (including vaccination) – AED 310
  • Female House Hold Domestic Service – AED 360

Contact us for a confidential discussion and refer family, friends and colleagues and be rewarded.

UAE Resident visa: Medical Test

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