过去12个月，澳洲联邦政府发放的重大投资者签证（Significant Investor Visa）数量已经翻了五倍。

最新数据显示，自“重大投资者签证”计划2012年生效以来，澳洲政府批准的签证数已经到达了651，同比多出120个。澳大利亚移民和边境保护部副部长Michaelia Cash称，到本财年末，签证发放数量预计将增加800份左右。Michaelia Cash还表示，本财政年的月度平均申请人数已经比上年增加了15%。值得一提的是，重大投资者签证申请者中，有89.1%都来自中国内陆，3.5%来自中国香港。

重大投资者签证被喻为“金票”签证，可以帮助那些来澳洲投资500万澳元以上的富豪获得永久居留权。持有该签证满4年之后，他们便可以申请永居。通常来说，一般的海外投资者只能在澳洲购买新房，而持有重大投资者签证的外国人则可以购买澳洲现房。但是，“金票” 投资者的购房行为不算在“重大投资者签证”计划的基本投资内。

在该计划下， 维多利亚省吸引的投资最多，迄今为止政府已经发放了371份签证；其次是新南威尔士州，签证数为213。一般来说，那些成功获得签证的投资者，往往会在最负盛名的郊区，比如悉尼的莫斯曼（Mosman）和墨尔本的图拉克（Toorak），购买高端物业。 

去年，一位重要投资签证持有者就在莫斯曼区的贵格会路（Quakers Road）斥资710万澳元，通过中介公司金斯利耶茨（Kingsley Yates），以710亿元的价格购置了美丽角（Beauty Point）豪宅。据悉，此栋豪宅内共设有5间卧室、5间浴室和2间车库以及大型恒温游泳池等，占地面积共1033平方米。

目前，重大投资项目包括：

• 投资英联邦、州政府或领地政府发行的债券；
• 投资澳大利亚证券投资委员会（SIC）授权的澳洲投资管理基金 ；
• 投资非澳交所上市的澳洲私人公司；
• 投资房地产信托基金 （EITs） 。

澳大利亚移民和边境保护部发言人表示，联邦政府提议放宽投资标准、允许资金进入风险投资项目和初创企业。去年9月，为了吸引更多的国外资金，新南威尔士政府放宽了条件，允许移民申请者选择适合自己的投资种类，而不是硬性规定至少需投入30%的投资金额购买新南威尔士政府债券。据悉，“重大投资者签证”计划已为澳洲经济注入32亿澳元资金。

澳洲政府正在考虑去年国会委员会提出的12项建议，包括加强管制外国人在澳洲购房、实行外国人买房登记。去年10月，澳洲移民局顺应建议推出一项新的投资签证计划 ——“高端投资者签证”，即Premium Investor Visa （PIV）。根据该计划，申请者在澳洲投资1500万澳元或以上，满一年即可申请永久居住权。该签证将从2015年7月1日起实施。

“澳洲政府致力于促进海外投资发展，”Michaelia Cash指出，“鉴于SIV投资签证对经济的巨大提振，我期待PIV计划将发挥其更大潜力。”

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The number of Significant Investor Visas granted by the Federal Government has surged five-fold in the past 12 months.

The latest figures reveal 651 visas have been granted since the scheme started in late 2012, up from 120 approved as of 12 months earlier.

Often referred to as the "golden ticket" visa, the scheme gives Australian residency to foreign applicants willing to spend at least $5 million on complying investments. After four years visa holders are eligible for permanent residency.

While overseas buyers are typically only allowed to buy new properties in Australia, those who hold this visa are permitted to buy existing stock.

Any property purchase by the visa holder is not included in the $5 million investment.

The number of visas granted is expected to grow to about 800 by the end of this financial year, says the assistant minister for Immigration and Border Protection Senator Michaelia Cash.

The average number of monthly applications lodged this financial year is already 15 per cent higher than that of the previous 12 month period, says  Senator Cash.

The bulk of visa applications - 89.1 per cent - are from China. Hong Kong is the second most popular source country, with 3.5 per cent of visas granted.

Victoria has attracted the most investment under the scheme, with 371 visas granted to date, followed by 213 in NSW.

Those who successfully apply for the visa typically purchase high-end properties in the most prestigious suburbs like Sydney's Mosman and Melbourne's Toorak.

Last year a visa holder bought a five-bedroom home at 13 Quakers Road, Mosman, for $7.1 million through Kingsley Yates of Ray White.

Complying investments include Commonwealth, state or territory government bonds. A spokesman for Senator Cash's office said the Federal Government proposes to expand the criteria for complying investments to funnel more of that investment into venture capital projects and start-up businesses.

The $5 million investment visa equates to $3.2 billion worth of complying investments in the Australian economy to date.

In a bid to attract more foreign capital last September the NSW state government loosened the rules to allow migrants to invest in the complying investment of their choice, rather than tying at least 30 per cent of that investment to NSW Waratah Bonds.

The Coalition is considering 12 recommendations made late last year in a parliamentary inquiry into foreign ownership into tighter controls and reporting of property purchases by foreigners. 

Recommendations of that report were preceded last October by the launch of a Premium Investor Visa offering a faster 12-month path to permanent residency for people investing $15 million or more into Australia.

"The government is committed to further success of Australia's investor visa program," said Senator Cash.

"Due to the massive economic boost from the program, I am looking forward to a bigger potential boost to the Australian economy from the Premium Investor Visa, which will come into effect on July 1, 2015."