What are the new FIRB 30-day turnaround targets announced by Treasurer Jim Chalmers?

Treasurer Jim Chalmers announced that the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) must process 100% of low-risk foreign investment applications within 30 days, starting from the beginning of 2027.

How will the new FIRB rules affect foreign retail investors and fund managers?

For international fund managers and frequent investors, the changes will significantly speed up the approval process for low-risk transactions in Australia. The introduction of expanded exemption certificates means trusted, frequent investors will face fewer regulatory hurdles.

Which business sectors will face stricter FIRB screening under the new policy?

While low-risk deals will be fast-tracked, the government is introducing narrower, heightened screening requirements specifically for Australia's most sensitive economic sectors and businesses.

What are the key compliance risks for foreign investors under these updated laws?

The government is introducing more agile compliance and enforcement powers to better detect and penalise non-compliance and tax or regulatory avoidance. Even as low-risk approvals speed up, the regulatory safety net is being tightened.

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Chalmers enforces 30-day FIRB investment mandate

Q: Why is the Australian Government changing its foreign investment laws?

The federal government is introducing these legislative amendments to boost national productivity and secure global capital by making the system "stronger where risks are high and faster where risks are low."

Written by Mahathir BayenaPublished May. 19 2026Last Updated May. 19 2026

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has issued a strict mandate to the Foreign Investment Review Board, enforcing a 30-day performance target to resolve all low-risk investment applications from the start of 2027.

Addressing the Bloomberg Forum for Investment Managers in Sydney, Chalmers unveiled the "second tranche" of the federal government’s foreign investment overhaul.

The new directive tightens current expectations, transitioning from the existing target of clearing just half of low-risk applications within a month to a comprehensive 100% turnaround goal.

The administration will introduce targeted legislative amendments to ensure Australia's foreign investment regime remains "stronger where risks are high and faster where risks are low".

Designed to boost national productivity and secure global capital, the package will streamline the register of foreign ownership and eliminate ineffective conditions on standing approvals.

Key regulatory overhauls include cutting red tape via expanded exemption certificates for frequent, trusted investors and eliminating approval mandates entirely for select low-risk transactions.

The government will implement narrower, heightened screening for sensitive economic sectors alongside agile enforcement mechanisms to combat non-compliance and avoidance.

"We know that there’s more work to do," Chalmers said, noting that while initial 2024 reforms meaningfully enhanced application processing, these budget measures are critical to accelerating economic growth.