Business Visa Australia
The Australian business skills migration program is made up of three types of business visa, the business owner visa, the senior executive visa and the business investor visa. Australian provisional business visas are generally issued for a four year period beyond which the candidate may apply for permanent residency if the appropriate requirements are met. In all cases, business visas may be sponsored by a territory or state which reduces some of the requirements of the Australia visa, however, candidates will be obliged to live and work in their sponsoring state or territory.
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Australian Business Owner Visa
Australian business owner visas are designed for skilled individuals with the necessary qualifications and experience to begin or assume control of a business venture in Australia. The main requirement is that the candidate must have had “an overall successful business career” may seem loosely defined; however, the following Australian immigration requirements must be met.
- Candidates must have owned or part owned one or more businesses which, for two of the last four years had an annual turnover of at least AUS $500,000.
- A candidate must have business assets of at least AUS $200,000 which they must have held for the same period. (NB where a candidate and his of her spouse are applying this figure can be reached from combined assets).
- A candidate must have overall assets, including business and personal assets of at least $500,000 which can be transferred to Australia within two years of obtaining their visa.
- Candidates must not have participated in an enterprise in which more than 50% of their time was devoted to providing professional, technical or trade services.
- Candidates must be no more than 45 years of age and must have a high level of proficiency in the English language.
State Sponsored Australian Business Owner Visa
Like all the business visas discussed in this section, the business owner visa may also be state sponsored. The qualifying criteria assess candidates in the same key areas; however in some areas the requirements are reduced. It is essential to note that where a business visa of any kind under the Australian business skills migration program is state or territory sponsored, candidates must reside in the sponsoring province for at least two of the four years of their initial visa. Their business must also be based and conducted within the state or territory.
- The business ownership requirement remains, however the value of the turnover is reduced to AUS $300,000. As an alternative, the candidate may qualify for this route based on four years experience at a senior management level in a company with a turnover in the region of AUS $1 million.
- The total assets of the applicant should be worth a minimum of AUS $250,000, rather than the AUS $500,000 where state or territory sponsorship is not obtained.
- The English language requirement remains, but the age limit is raised to 55 and in some circumstances applications from older candidates may be considered.
Australian Business Senior Executive Visa
Like the business owner visa, the senior executive visa is aimed at candidates who are under the age of 45 with a high level of proficiency in the English language. The personal and business asset requirements are the same, however, in place of the business ownership requirement, a senior executive applicant must have held a role within the top three levels of management in a major company. Where applicants wish to apply for the State Sponsored Australian Business Senior Executive Visa, the same reductions employed in the state sponsored business owner visa are employed. The total assets of the candidate (and, if applicable their partner) must be worth at least AUS $250,000 and the age limit is raised to 55 with the potential for exceptional applicants beyond this age to apply.
Australian Business Investor Visa
The Australian Business Investor Visa employs the same basic requirements as the other Australian business visas, however, this immigration service is based upon investment, and as such the following specific requirements apply.
- Applicants must have been involved in a ‘qualifying business’ in a direct managerial capacity, or they must have managed ‘eligible investments’ for at least three years. Your Global Visas immigration consultant will be able to discuss the definitions of qualifying businesses and eligible investments with you.
- Within the five years directly preceding the application, the applicant must have either managed a qualifying business with a 10% ownership stake (owned by the applicant or their partner) or managed investments worth at least AUS $1 million. In either case the candidate must have fulfilled this requirement for at least 12 months.
- The candidate’s net assets must be worth at least AUS $2.5 million and they must make a Designated Investment of AUS $1.5 million.
Where candidates apply for the state sponsored Australian business investor visa, the following requirements are amended.
- Where candidates are basing their application on having managed eligible investments, the total value of eligible investments is reduced to AUS $750,000.
- The requirement for the net assets of the candidate is reduced to a minimum of AUS $1.125 million, while the designated investment is lowered to AUS $750,000.
Once again, like the other business visas the English language requirement is imperative but the age limit is raised to 55 except in exceptional circumstances.
Applying for a Permanent Residence Business Visa
In Australia, business visas are issued as a provisional immigration service and applicants are granted an initial period of four years. Beyond, this a candidate may apply for a permanent business visa i.e. permanent residency if the requirements of their category are met. The specific requirements of each Australian business visa stream differ, for example the business owner visa is chiefly concerned with the creation of job opportunities for Australian citizens and Australian permanent residents. If you are ready to apply for a permanent business visa, your Global Visas consultant will be able to discuss the requirements of your specific visa stream with you.
Australian Retirement Visa
The Australian Retirement visa is a separate Australian immigration service which does not form part of the Australian business skills migration program. However, this visa service allows people to relocate to Australia through investment and a guaranteed personal income. Although this visa for Australia is not a permanent residency category, it is issued for four years and may be renewed indefinitely.
Retirement visa applicants must be sponsored by a state or territory and their choice of settling in a regional (low growth) area, or a non regional area will influence the financial requirements. Applicants settling in a low growth area must have assets of at least AUD $500,000 and a personal income of 50,000 p.a. Applicants settling in a non-regional area will need assets of at least AUS $750,000 and an income of AUS $65,000 p.a.
Health and Character Requirements
All the long term Australian immigration visas outlined above require candidates to undergo Australia’s health and character requirements. Candidates must undergo a chest x-ray by an approved Australian doctor as part of the health criteria and must provide police checks for all countries in which they have lived more than 1 year during the decade prior to their application.
At Global Visa our qualified Australian immigration lawyers are committed to ensuring that you obtain the right business visa for your needs. Take a moment to complete one of our online assessment forms today and a specialist Australian immigration consultant will contact you do discuss your requirements. Find out further information on our Australian Tourist Visa page.
