Master prompt
Family inclusion + Subclass 888 PR + regional 491 alternative (Australia)
Map dependant inclusion on 188 / 858 / 491 applications, the 888 PR transition from 188 streams, spouse work rights, child education access, and Subclass 491 regional fallback.
AustraliaInvestor visaSubclass 888Subclass 491Family inclusionSpouse work rightsRegional
You are advising [CLIENT_NAME] on family composition strategy across [PRIMARY_STREAM], the 888 PR transition (if 188 stream), and the Subclass 491 regional alternative.
FAMILY SNAPSHOT
- Primary applicant: [CLIENT_NAME]
- Spouse: N/A — N/A
- Children: No children
- Current 188 stage: No 188 lodged
- Primary stream: [PRIMARY_STREAM]
- Open to regional: Yes
- Elderly parents in scope: No
§1 — WHO COUNTS AS A "MEMBER OF THE FAMILY UNIT"
Under Migration Regulations 1994 reg 1.05A and reg 1.12 (member of the family unit):
(a) Spouse or de facto partner (recognised under reg 1.15A — typically 12 months cohabitation OR registered relationship OR with sufficient evidence for compelling exception)
(b) Dependent child (biological, adopted, stepchild) — typically under 18, OR 18-22 if dependent (full-time student or special-need), OR 23+ in narrow dependency cases
(c) Other dependants (rarely included; very narrow definition for elderly parents — usually requires Parent visa stream, NOT bundled with investor application)
For [CLIENT_NAME]:
- N/A: includable if N/A is not "N/A"; evidence required (marriage certificate apostilled under Hague Convention OR registered AU relationship)
- No children: each child under 18 includable; assess dependency for any 18+
- No: NOT includable on 188 / 858 / 491; flag the Parent visa stream as a separate, slow pathway (Subclass 103 / 143 / 173 / 864 / 884 — Contributory Parent visa AUD $50,000+ second-instalment VAC, 6+ year waits)
§2 — DEPENDANTS ON SUBCLASS 188 / 888 / 858 / 491
Subclass 188 (provisional, where stream still open / dependant addition):
- Secondary applicants included at lodgement OR can be added by Form 1436 (Application to add a family member to a visa application)
- VAC: secondary applicant 18+: AUD $4,995 (// 2026-05 — verify); under 18: AUD $2,500 (// 2026-05 — verify)
- Each secondary applicant must independently satisfy PIC 4001 (character), PIC 4007 (health, waivable in some configurations), PIC 4020 (genuine)
Subclass 888 (PR transition):
- Existing 188 secondary applicants who were granted the 188 with the primary roll over to 888 with the primary
- New family members (born or married after 188 grant) added by Form 1436
Subclass 858 (Global Talent — PR):
- Secondary applicants included at lodgement
- VAC: secondary applicant 18+: AUD $2,420 (// 2026-05 — verify); under 18: AUD $1,210 (// 2026-05 — verify)
Subclass 491 (Skilled Work Regional — provisional, 5 years):
- Secondary applicants on 491 visa with the primary
- All 491 holders (primary + secondary) must live, work or study in a designated regional area (the whole of Australia EXCEPT Sydney / Melbourne / Brisbane metropolitan areas — verify Migration Regulations reg 1.15 and current Designated Regional Area instrument)
§3 — SPOUSE WORK RIGHTS ACROSS PROVISIONAL VISAS
188 secondary holder:
- Full work rights in Australia (no employer restriction)
- Can run a business, take employment, contract
- Cannot claim social security in most categories (Newly Arrived Resident's Waiting Period)
858 secondary holder (PR):
- Full work rights as PR
- Full Medicare access
491 secondary holder:
- Full work rights restricted to designated regional areas only
- Cannot work in metropolitan Sydney / Melbourne / Brisbane
For N/A given N/A:
- Assess transferability of Indian credentials (CA / CS / engineer / doctor / nurse)
- Identify Australian credential-recognition body (eg CA ANZ for chartered accountants, AHPRA for medical / nursing, Engineers Australia for engineers)
- Plan English-language test if regulator requires (IELTS / OET / Cambridge)
§4 — CHILDREN: EDUCATION ACCESS
Public school enrolment:
- 188 / 491 holders' children: tuition is at international-student rates in most States (AUD $9,000-$18,000 / year primary; AUD $13,000-$24,000 / year secondary) — verify current State schedule
- 858 holders' children (PR): tuition-free in public schools
- Some State concessions exist for 188 (eg historically VIC and QLD have offered exemptions for certain provisional-visa families)
Private / Catholic school enrolment:
- No visa restriction; fees set by school
- Children of provisional-visa holders pay same fees as Australian families in most schools
Tertiary education:
- PR (858 / 888 holder children): domestic tuition + HELP / FEE-HELP eligibility (subject to citizenship rule for HELP — verify; PR generally not eligible for HECS-HELP loans)
- Provisional visa holders (188 / 491): international tuition rates
For No children:
- Year-by-year plan from arrival
- Specific school targets (named) by intended city
- Year 12 / OP / ATAR pathway considerations
- University entry pathway (domestic vs international)
§5 — 888 PR TRANSITION (FOR EXISTING 188 STREAMS)
If [PRIMARY_STREAM] includes an 888 transition:
188A → 888A (Schedule 2 cl.888):
- Continuously hold 188A for at least 2 years
- Operate main business in Australia for at least 2 years prior to 888 lodgement
- In the 12 months preceding 888 lodgement: AUD $300,000 turnover, OR
- Employment of 2 full-time equivalents who are AU citizens / PRs / eligible NZ citizens (NOT including family members)
- Net business + personal assets AUD $250,000+
- State / Territory nomination required
188B → 888B:
- Hold the designated investment of AUD $2.5M for the full 4-year period
- Maintain ownership without dilution
- State / Territory nomination required
188C → 888C:
- Maintain the AUD $5M complying investment for 4 years
- Maintain a residence in Australia averaging at least 40 days per year of the 4-year holding period — verify current residence rule
- Or spouse residence equivalent in some configurations
- State / Territory nomination required
188E → 888E:
- Operate the funded entrepreneurial enterprise in Australia for at least 2 years
- Positive endorsement from State / Territory
- Material economic contribution evidence (revenue, jobs, IP)
888 VAC: AUD $2,790 primary // 2026-05 — verify current Home Affairs schedule
Secondary applicant: AUD $1,395 18+ // 2026-05; AUD $700 under 18 // 2026-05
§6 — SUBCLASS 491 REGIONAL ALTERNATIVE
If Yes is "Yes", Subclass 491 (Skilled Work Regional) is a viable parallel pathway:
- 5-year provisional visa
- Lead applicant must be points-tested skilled migrant (NOT a pure investor pathway)
- Requires State / Territory nomination OR eligible family-relative sponsorship in regional area
- After 3 years in regional area with minimum income, can apply for Subclass 191 (Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional)) — PR
- Family included as secondary applicants; secondary spouse can work in regional area
491 is NOT a direct investor route, but if [CLIENT_NAME]'s spouse or [CLIENT_NAME] independently has an eligible skilled occupation, 491 can run in parallel with a Subclass 858 strategy. Worth assessing.
§7 — ELDERLY PARENTS PATHWAY (IF No INDICATES YES)
Parent visa pathways are independent of investor stream:
- Subclass 103 (Parent visa, non-contributory): cheaper but 30+ year wait — usually impractical
- Subclass 143 (Contributory Parent, offshore): VAC AUD $50,000+ second instalment per parent (verify current schedule); 4-7 year wait
- Subclass 173 (Contributory Parent Temporary): bridges to 143
- Subclass 864 / 884 (onshore variants if parent already in Australia)
- Balance-of-family test under Migration Regulations reg 1.05 — assess
For Indian-context clients with parents in Mumbai / Bengaluru / Hyderabad: typically apply for Subclass 143 once primary is on a settled pathway in AU; budget for AUD $100k-$150k per parent across VACs, AHC, insurance, and Assurance of Support bond.
§8 — RELATIONSHIP-EVIDENCE PACK FOR SPOUSE INCLUSION
If N/A is included, build the relationship-evidence pack:
- Marriage certificate (apostilled under Hague Convention 1961 + notarised English translation)
- Joint bank account statements (24+ months)
- Joint property / lease documents
- Joint utility bills
- Joint tax filings (Indian ITRs)
- Family photos with dates spanning 3+ years
- Statutory declarations from family / friends
- Travel itineraries showing joint travel
- Joint social media presence (Facebook / Instagram with dates)
- Wedding photos + invitation cards + religious ceremony certificates (Indian context)
For de facto / unmarried partners: 12 months cohabitation evidence under reg 1.15A.
§9 — TIMELINE INTEGRATION
Phase 1 (pre-grant): family inclusion in primary visa application
Phase 2 (post-grant 188 / 491): family arrives; children school enrolment; spouse work search; tax-residency transition
Phase 3 (888 PR for 188 streams): family transitions to PR; Medicare; HELP eligibility for tertiary
Phase 4 (citizenship eligibility): 4-year residence requirement begins clock from PR grant; see prompt au-citizenship-eligibility-audit
§10 — RED-FLAG CHECKLIST
[ ] Marriage / de facto evidence airtight (especially for arranged-marriage Indian contexts where photographic timeline may be sparse)
[ ] All dependent children's birth certificates apostilled + translated
[ ] Adopted children — Indian Hague Convention adoption order included
[ ] Step-children — biological parent's consent OR custody order
[ ] Spouse credential recognition pathway identified
[ ] Children's school year-loss minimisation in calendar planning (Indian academic year vs Australian)
[ ] Elderly parents — separate Subclass 143 budget; not bundled
[ ] Health waiver assessment for any family member with chronic condition (PIC 4007)
End with: "DRAFT family + 888 PR strategy — for MARA-registered migration agent review. Verify current 888 transition rules and current designated regional area schedule (for 491 considerations) against Home Affairs. Family-composition decisions ripple across 5-10 years; conservative sequencing avoids dependency surprises at the 888 / citizenship gates. Not legal advice."Unlock the vault to see the full prompt