For applicants whose focus on life and career remains in their home country for the foreseeable future, the residency requirement is undoubtedly one of their primary concerns when choosing an immigration pathway. As the term suggests, applicants must reside in the country they are immigrating to for an extended period to meet the residency conditions required for immigration; otherwise, they risk losing their status. Additionally, applicants must meet certain residency requirements to obtain permanent residency or citizenship.
Australia 188A Business Innovation Visa Residency Requirement
For 188A applicants, as long as either spouse meets the residency (business) requirement, they can become the primary applicant for the 888 permanent residency visa. The primary applicant for the 888 permanent residency visa must meet the business requirements for 2 years while holding the 188A visa, and during this 2-year period, they must reside for at least 1 year.
Analysis: Applicants can interchange roles; that is, when applying for the 188A immigration, one can be the primary applicant, and after obtaining the 188A visa, they can switch roles with the secondary applicant to fulfill the business (residency) requirement. As long as the 188A visa meets the business and residency requirements, they can apply for Australian permanent residency as soon as 2 years later. (Note: The residency time of the primary and secondary applicants cannot be combined.)
Australia 188B Investor Visa Residency Requirement
The residency requirement for 188B is that either the primary or secondary applicant must accumulate 2 years of residence during the 4-year period of their residency status. (The residency time of the primary and secondary applicants cannot be combined.)
Analysis: The 188B visa eliminates the business requirement; as long as the government requirement to purchase state bonds for 4 years is met, either applicant must accumulate 2 years of residence. Therefore, they can apply for Australian permanent residency as soon as 4 years later. The conditions for transitioning to permanent residency for the 188B visa are much simpler compared to the 188A visa.
Australia 188C Significant Investor Visa Residency Requirement
The residency requirement for 188C is that the primary applicant must accumulate 160 days of residence during the 4-year residency period, or the spouse must accumulate 720 days.
Analysis: Among the 188 categories, the residency requirement for the 188C visa is the most lenient! With 40 days of vacation each year, they can transition to a green card after 4 years.
It is worth noting that the residency requirements for 188C differ from those of 188B, with different requirements for the primary and secondary applicants; the residency time for the primary and secondary applicants is calculated separately and cannot be combined.