A child born in Australia is a citizen when a parent is a citizen or permanent resident, or when the child is ordinarily resident in Australia for the first ten years of life.
Sources: Australian Citizenship Act 2007
The general residence requirement is four years on a valid visa, including the final 12 months as a permanent resident or eligible Special Category Visa holder.
Sources: Australian Home Affairs — Citizenship residence calculator · Australian Citizenship Act 2007
A person born outside Australia may apply by descent when a parent was an Australian citizen at the time of birth.
Sources: Australian Home Affairs — Citizenship by descent · Australian Citizenship Act 2007
The umbrella business/investor migration program (Business Innovation, Investor, Significant Investor and Entrepreneur streams) closed permanently to new applications on 31 July 2024 per the Migration Strategy. No replacement investor-specific visa was created; the Government redirected places to skilled and talent routes (National Innovation visa). Business Innovation Extension and Significant Investor Extension applications by existing subclass 188 holders remain open, as do subclass 888 permanent-stage applications.
Sources: BIIP closure and refunds — Department of Home Affairs
Australia's 'golden visa': AUD 5 million in complying significant investments (venture capital, emerging companies, balancing investments) for a provisional visa with a pathway to permanent residence via subclass 888. Permanently closed to new applications on 31 July 2024, implementing the December 2023 Migration Strategy which found investor visas delivered poor economic value. Pipeline applications lodged before 31 July 2024 continue to be processed; Significant Investor Extension applications by existing holders are still accepted.
Sources: BIIP closure and refunds — Department of Home Affairs
The permanent second stage of the closed BIIP. Still granted (page live and updated 1 July 2026), but only to existing subclass 188 provisional visa holders who complete their stream requirements (e.g. Significant Investor stream holders who maintained the AUD 5m complying investment, typically ~4 years, with 40 days/year presence). Not open to any new entrant who does not already hold a subclass 188 visa, so it is not an available residence-by-investment entry route.
Sources: Subclass 888 Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa — Department of Home Affairs
Australia's current top-tier talent route and the closest successor to the investor program: a direct permanent visa, by invitation only, for people with an internationally recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievement. Home Affairs explicitly names 'innovative investors' and 'entrepreneurs' among target cohorts alongside global researchers, athletes and creatives — but it is merit-based with no passive-investment threshold. Requires an Expression of Interest, ministerial invitation (apply within 60 days), and a nominator of national reputation. Commenced 6 December 2024, replacing the Global Talent (subclass 858) visa; processed under Ministerial Direction 112.
Sources: Subclass 858 National Innovation visa — Department of Home Affairs