Australia scraps investor visa program, future of pending applications uncertain

By Moustafa Daly

The Australian government announced that it has scrapped its residency by investment (RBI) program.

The Business Innovation and Investment Program (BIIP) was a popular route for foreigners to obtain residency in Australia in exchange for investments ranging from AUD 2.5 to 5 million. (approx. $1.6 to $3.2 million).

The decision was taken after a government review in 2023 found the economic rewards of the program unsatisfactory.

"It has been obvious for years that this visa is not delivering what our country and economy needs," said the Australian Minister for Home Affairs Clare O'Neil in a statement.

The program was also criticized and seen by some as corrupt. "For far too long, corrupt officials and kleptocrats have used golden visas as a vehicle to park their illicit funds in Australia and arguably hide their proceeds of crime,” said Clancy Moore, the chief executive of Transparency International Australia, to the BBC.

BIPP backlog remains, uncertainty over future of pending applications

The Australian program has a major backlog that has kept foreign investors waiting for their residences for long periods of time; years in many cases.

“The program has been closed to new applicants since July 2023, when the new program year commenced, and no new places were available,” says James Hall, director at ANZ Migrate. “We knew it was coming since the outcome of the review published in April 2023.”

However, the government has yet to address the backlog.

“We know there's also a major unaddressed issue of the 20k+ applications in the queue for processing,” says Hall. “The current annual quota (which caps the maximum number of grants each year) indicates a processing time of up to 12 years. The government is yet to decide what they want to do about these.”

Yet, Hall expects Australia to offer another investment migration program in the future. “There's a new visa coming, but they're not going to provide new places under the current,” he says.


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About the Author

Uglobal Staff
Uglobal Staff
Uglobal.com, along with its peer-reviewed magazines and conferences series, focuses on the global investment immigration market, offering the latest trends and analyses. Uglobal.com is a media platform built to provide professionals involved with global programs with the most comprehensive and credible sources of information in digital, print and seminar mediums. The platform was created out of the need for marketplace transparency and to more efficiently connect individuals interested in learning about the global programs - either as a potential capital source or as a solution for their immigration needs. The Uglobal publication collaborates with a network of leading experts and an authoritative board of advisors to uphold a high standard in all content delivered and events hosted by the organization.

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