Yesterday (May 15), the Australian authorities announced the permanent closure of 188 visa applications (business innovation and investment visas), and the refund fee for visa withdrawal will start in September.
Federal budget for the new fiscal year (Photo source: official government website)
Today, just one day later, the 188 categories of business immigration quotas announced by the authorities for the new fiscal year have been halved to 1,000 from 1,900 in the previous fiscal year. Many applicants are anxious and angry, "There is no way but to accept." ”
Eighty-five per cent of applicants for this type of visa are from China, and the investment amount required ranges from $600,000 to $5 million, and was once loosely referred to as the "golden visa".
* "Big ups and downs, it's like gambling!" ”*
In Shanghai, Mr. Lin (pseudonym) and his family have been waiting for a 188A visa for nearly 35 months. He said that since the news broke in January that investment immigrants would be shut down, "the family has not been stable." ”
He said that despite the bad expectations in his heart, "I couldn't sit still" last night when he found out that the government was encouraging the withdrawal of visas. He worried, "Is it useless to get the state guarantee?" ”
Mr. Lin called his immigration agent as soon as possible, but the other party was not sure, and did not rule out the possibility of a blanket refusal. "I blew it up all at once, because just in January, he said it was okay to get a state guarantee."
188A processing time (Image source: official website of the Immigration Bureau)
More than three years of preparation, more than 300,000 yuan of immigration expenses, and the expectation of children going to school were all in vain. Mr. Lin was angry and helpless, "There is no way but to accept." ”
This morning, however, things have taken a turn for the worse. He was told by the agent that although the quota was greatly reduced, it was still "again".
"Overnight, there were big ups and downs, it was like gambling!" He sighed. Even though the tightening of the policy will lead to a significant increase in the refusal rate, Mr. Lin is still reluctant to withdraw his visa, but chooses to stay the course. But he also said that he was "ready to go out."
*"There is a high probability that Australia will be out of play"*
Ms. Zhang, who lives in Beijing, is preparing documents to apply for a subclass 188B investment visa. I wanted to submit it early in July, when the quota was full at the beginning of the new fiscal year, but I waited in advance for the news of the complete closure of visas.
She said that investment immigration has been talking about the news since the beginning of the year, but there is always hope. Now that the dust has settled, "I'm still quite disappointed." ”
For middle-aged people, she said, language and age restrictions are almost the only option to immigrate.
Description of Business Investment Immigration (Image source: official website of the Immigration Bureau)
She said that although the Australian government is about to launch a new visa, the agent said that there is still a chance, but she does not dare to hold out hope.
"It will definitely be more difficult, and it is estimated that the innovative industry will be limited, and there is a high probability that (immigration) Australia will be out of play." Compared with the applicants who have already submitted the visa, she is glad that the loss is not large, "I can't imagine how anxious they must become." At present, she is already planning to apply to other countries to "try her luck".
*"I'm glad I caught the last train"*
Nina, who runs a business in Melbourne and has already obtained a 188A visa, told reporters, "After a night of news flying. When I heard the news of the visa refund fee, "I panicked, there is no problem with PR (permanent residence), right?" She felt anxious because of this, "You can't just tell me to leave after more than a year of business and invest so much money?" ”
Netizen comments (Image source: Internet)
Nina urgently called the agent and was told that the 188 class that had been signed should not be affected, but her tone was not sure. The WeChat groups are also constantly arguing, which makes her feel confused.
Processing time for category 888A (Image source: official website of the Immigration Bureau)
Fortunately, the latest news released this morning confirmed that this batch of applicants would not be affected, and she was relieved. "I was a little lucky to catch the last train."
She said that the approval of the subsequent 888 permanent residence visa is also time-consuming, "but there is always hope, just wait." ”
*"Golden Visa" permanently shut down, new visa to be launched at the end of the year*
According to the latest news, the subclass 188 visa will be permanently shut down in July 2024, and although the quota for the new fiscal year is still 1,000, no new visa applications will be accepted. For subclass 188 visa applications that have been submitted, the vetting process will be more stringent to ensure that the applicant has a successful business history and can bring financial benefits to Australia.
Applicants who already hold a subclass 188 visa can continue to apply for a subsequent subclass 888 permanent residence visa after meeting the conditions.
2024年底，新签证National Innovation Visa将会推出。