u/Joe0Bloggs

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/hiby-r1-85-cs43131-dap-released.974698/page-66#post-19192808

People need to realize that we are REALLY PICKY about the people we let in. The majority of applicants pretty much have to be literal scam victims (the Australian immigration department being the scammer) willing to part with huge amounts of money or even bigger value in terms of work to be done, in order to be let in. Sure we let in a few refugees and family members, but by and large, immigration is a huge for-profit business.

I was going to share the stories of the immigrants I've actually met, buying into and propping up unprofitable local businesses left and right to earn the dubious benefit of staying in Australia, then found out that the investment immigration program has been deprecated because it was considered NOT PROFITABLE ENOUGH compared to other major programs.

Imagine that, people trying to get in by literally throwing money (over $5 million each to be qualified), and they're considered not good enough a scam for the immigration department compared to the other marks on the radar. And everyone and their mom are screaming to curb immigration as a way to enrich Australia. Seriously? Which hole did our brains drain out of?

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(I try to spell out significant reference links to look at in full instead of having just the numbers. I got tired near the end, though)

immigrants by type to Australia

Immigration to Australia comprises three main pathways: permanent residency (skilled and family), temporary visas (students and working holidaymakers), and humanitarian entrants. Temporary visa holders represent the largest volume of arrivals, with international students and skilled workers driving the majority of annual migrant traffic. [1, 2, 3]

1. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/overseas-migration/latest-release
2. https://www.refugeecouncil.org.au/how-many-refugees-have-come/
3. https://www.id.com.au/insights/articles/where-do-overseas-migrants-go-in-australia/

The Australian immigration system categorizes arrivals into distinct streams:

1. Temporary Migrants (Largest Volume)

Temporary residents account for the highest intake of new arrivals each year. [1]

• International Students: The largest temporary migrant group, bringing in hundreds of thousands of arrivals annually.
• Working Holiday Makers: Young adults on temporary visas allowed to work and travel.
• Temporary Skilled Workers: Individuals sponsored by employers to work in specific industries where domestic skills are in shortage. [1, 2, 3]

1. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/exZTG3dVu0U "Are immigrants really taking jobs from Australians?"

   2. Permanent Migration Program

The permanent program is capped annually and is split into two primary streams: [1, 2]

1. https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/research-and-statistics/statistics/country-profiles/permanent-migration

• Skill Stream: Designed to boost the economy by attracting highly skilled workers, business people, and investors. Major source countries include India, China, the Philippines, and the UK.
• Family Stream: Focuses on reuniting Australian citizens and permanent residents with their partners, children, and dependent relatives. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

1. https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/research-and-statistics/statistics/country-profiles/profiles

2. https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/research-and-stats/files/migration-trends-compendium-2017-18.PDF

3. https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/3416.0Main+Features22009 (PERMANENT MIGRATION TO AUSTRALIA - AN OVERVIEW BY ELIGIBILITY CATEGORY)

   3. Refugee and Humanitarian Program

This program offers permanent protection for individuals facing persecution, conflict, or severe human rights abuses in their home countries. [1, 2, 3]

1. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/what-we-do/refugee-and-humanitarian-program/refugee-visas

2. https://ghothane.com.au/refugee-visa-australia/

3. New Zealand Citizens

Under the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement, New Zealand citizens can live, work, and study in Australia on a Special Category Visa, representing a steady, independent flow of migrants. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

1. https://newzealand.embassy.gov.au/wltn/visafaq.html
2. https://www.graceremovals.co.nz/visas-residency-citizenship-australia/

For the latest caps and requirements per visa type, you can check the Australian Department of Home Affairs or review detailed migration figures on the Australian Bureau of Statistics. [1]

If you tell me what specific type of immigration you are interested in (e.g., student visas, skilled work visas, or permanent residency), I can provide tailored requirements and application steps.

14 sites

• Overseas Migration, 2024-25 financial year This equates to an annual decrease of 14%, and is the second consecutive annual decrease in migrant arrivals since the borders reo... Australian Bureau of Statistics
• Country profiles list - Department of Home Affairs ​The countries with the most permanent migrants to Australia (excluding those with a humanitarian profile) for 2024–25 are: * Indi... Department of Home Affairs Website
• How many refugees have come to Australia? Australia's refugee and migration programs. People come permanently to Australia in one of two ways: through the Migration Program... Refugee Council of Australia

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The number of investment immigrants entering Australia has sharply declined to zero new applicants, following the Australian Government's permanent closure of the Business Innovation and Investment Program (BIIP / Subclass 188). [1, 2]

1. https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/news-media/archive/article?itemId=1209 (Business Innovation and Investment Program (BIIP) (closed)
2. https://www.widen.com.au/business-migration-australia-2026/ (Business Visa Australia 2026: Your Options After the BIIP Closure)

Historically, this program allocated thousands of visas annually, but it was officially axed after government reviews determined it delivered poor economic returns relative to other skilled migration streams. [1, 2, 3]
2. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-30/significant-investor-visa-review/11450694 (rich immigrants paying $5m in investments each regarded "not good enough deal")
3. https://www.transparency.org.nz/blog/golden-visas---who-is-looking-at-risk

Historical Intake Data

Prior to the program's closure, the annual intake of investment immigrants was capped and distributed across several streams (such as the Significant Investor visa requiring a $5 million investment): [1, 2, 3, 4]

3. https://citizenx.com/insights/australia-citizenship-investment
4. https://www.pathmigration.com/visas/business-investor-visas/business-innovation-and-investment-residence/

• 2021–22: 10,496 visas delivered
• 2022–23: 5,000 visas delivered (a 52.4% drop)
• 2023–24: Reduced further to a nominal planning level of 1,000 places before being abolished mid-year. [1]

Current Status of Backlogged Applications

While the visa is closed to new applications, the Australian Department of Home Affairs continues to process the backlog of existing applications lodged before the closure. These are subject to strict processing caps and tighter policy guidance. Furthermore, provisional visa holders who arrived under the old rules can still transition to the permanent Subclass 888 visa if they meet their investment milestones. [1, 2, 3, 4]

The Replacement

High-net-worth individuals and exceptional entrepreneurs looking to move to Australia are now directed toward the National Innovation Visa, which targets exceptionally talented individuals, start-up founders, and global researchers rather than passive investors. You can monitor updated program allocations and skilled migration caps via the official Permanent Migration Program Planning Levels page. [1, 2, 3, 5]

1. https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/research-and-stats/files/migration-trends-2024-25.pdf
2. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/what-we-do/migration-program-planning-levels

12 sites

• Australia's Migration Trends 2024–25 The Migration Program outcome. In 2024–25, there were 185,001 places delivered under the Migration Program—down 2.6 per cent on th... Department of Home Affairs Website
• Permanent Migration Program planning levels 15 May 2026 — Table_title: Migration Program planning levels by financial year Table_content: | Visa Category | | 2026–27 Planning level | | --- Immigration and citizenship Website
• Rich migrants pay $5 million to move to Australia. But how fair is that ... 29 Aug 2019 — Key points: * The significant investor visa makes to easier for migrants to get residency if they invest $5 million. * Some are ca... Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Q: Why the heck? Investment immigrants were the biggest suckers on offer. They were propping up hundreds of unprofitable local businesses with their buy-ins!

The perception that investment immigrants provided a massive economic boost by propping up local businesses was a major selling point of the original program. However, comprehensive, independent data reviews by the Australian Treasury and economic think tanks like the Grattan Institute revealed that the Business Innovation and Investment Program (BIIP) actually created a net-negative financial drain on the country. [1, 2, 3, 4]

1. https://grattan.edu.au/news/the-119-billion-free-lunch/

The program was permanently axed because the math behind it did not add up for the Australian taxpayer, collapsing under four main realities: [1]

1. Massive Lifetime Fiscal Drain

The primary reason for the closure was a stark contrast in lifetime economic contributions: [1, 2, 3]

• Investment Migrant Contribution: A 2023 review calculated that a BIIP visa holder contributes a lifetime average of $600,000 to the economy. [1]
• Average Skilled Migrant Contribution**:** A standard skilled migrant (such as a doctor, engineer, or tech specialist) contributes $1.6 million over their lifetime. [1]

Because investment migrants were typically older when they arrived, they paid far less income tax over their lifetimes while drawing heavily on Australia's subsidised healthcare, aged care, and pension networks as they aged. The Grattan Institute estimated that abolishing the program and shifting those visa places to young skilled workers would save Australian taxpayers $119 billion over 30 years. [1, 2, 3]
2. https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/we-need-more-young-skilled-migrants-and-less-old-money-grattan-20210707-p587ie

2. Propping Up Low-Value Businesses

While investment visa holders did buy into or start small local businesses (like retail shops, cafes, or small import-export firms) to satisfy visa requirements, they rarely generated high-value economic growth. The vast majority of these businesses employed few to no staff outside of the investor's immediate family. Rather than driving innovation or creating dynamic industries, the program incentivised capital to flow into low-risk, low-productivity areas just to tick a migration box. [1, 2]

3. Australia Does Not Lack Capital [1]

The core premise of an investment visa is that a country needs foreign cash. However, Australia is already highly attractive to international markets and has easy access to global capital. What the nation lacks is human labor—specifically highly specialized skills, technological talent, and medical workers. It became more economically sound to import a worker who actively fills a critical labor gap than a passive investor whose funds could easily be acquired through regular financial markets. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

4. Integrity and Security Risks

Independent government inquiries also flagged massive issues with the tracking of funds. The program faced criticism for becoming a backdoor for wealthy individuals—particularly foreign officials and individuals with unverified wealth networks—to buy residency without meeting standard English language requirements or integration benchmarks. [1, 2]

The government realized that the visa was acting as a "golden ticket" for old money to retire in Australia, rather than a vehicle to drive true economic innovation. To see how Australia's current border policy is shifting away from passive cash toward active talent, you can read the comprehensive structural breakdown in the official Australian Migration Strategy. [1, 2, 3]