Are there any restrictions on the type of businesses Australian immigrant investors can do?

That’s a great question! There can be limitations based on the investor visa you are considering and the state/territory that you are intending to migrate to and/or be nominated by.

There are a number of restrictions, mainly passive income producing, such as property.

The business options available to migrant investors for the purposes of business migration to Australia depend on the preferences of the nominating state and territory. Each state and territory have identified key areas where they would prefer to direct the overseas investment. These can include agriculture, tourism, mining, education, food and beverage production, technology, manufacturing and retail, hospitality. Some states exclude franchises, small retail, small restaurants and export businesses, and some allow them in regional areas only. Property Development as a vehicle for business migration is available in South Australia under the 188A and 132 visa categories (invest $1.5 million), in Tasmania under the 188A visa (invest $1.5 million) and the 132 visa (invest $2 million), Victoria under the 132 category (investment of $2 million excluding land costs), and Western Australia which requires $2.5 million investment but can include small property development projects and includes the land costs. The 188 is a provisional business visa and the 132 is a permanent business visa. Contact a registered migration agent for specific eligibility criteria in each visa category as business migration is very complex and differs from state to state.

No, there are no restrictions of type of businesses you want to invest in, as long as they are properly licensed and comply with local regulations. If you have come in on a 188B investor visa, you would have fulfilled your obligations by investing in 1.5k in state bonds and the amount and type of businesses you choose to invest in will be over and above your complying obligations. However do note some states like Western Australia do still require you to continue investing in the state even after post-grant visa. Ideally, your investments should be prioritizing the state that nominated you for 188 or 132, but there are no restrictions to invest further funds into other states post-grant.