BUSINESS MIGRATION

Australia offers immense opportunity to foreign investors. Australia has a mature & stable economy with a highly trained workforce. Australia can provide a platform to the growing economies of China.

The Business Skills visa class of Australia's migration program encourages successful business people to settle permanently in Australia and develop new or existing businesses. Business owners, senior executives and investors can apply for a visa under the Business Skills category.

Under the two-stage arrangements introduced on 1 March 2003, business migrants are granted a Business Skills (Provisional) visa for four years and - after establishing the requisite level of business or maintaining their eligible investment - are eligible to make an application for a Business Skills (Residence) visa.
A direct permanent residence category will still be available for high caliber business migrants sponsored by State/Territory governments. This will be known as the Business Talent visa.

The Business Skills program is divided into four categories:

Business Owner
Senior Executive
Investors
Business talent

Business Owner

Business Owners can apply for a Business Owner (Provisional) visa. If you are successful, you will be granted a visa for a period of 4 years.

Providing you have successfully operated a business in Australia for at least two years and you continue to hold a valid Business Skills (Provisional) visa, you will be eligible to apply for a permanent Business Owner (Residence) visa (permanent residence). You must apply in Australia.

If an applicant has sponsorship from a State or Territory government and applies for the State/Territory Sponsored Business Owner (Provisional) or (Residence) visa, they are considered under ower threshold criteria.

To make an application for the Business Owner (Provisional) visa, business owners will need to show that they:

• Have an overall successful business career;
• Have an ownership interest of at least 10% in a business;
• Have significant net assets in business;
• Have significant business and personal assets;
• Have sufficient net assets to settle in Australia;
• Have achieved a significant annual turnover in your business;
• Have direct and continuous management role in overseas business;
• Have a commitment to maintain an ownership interest in a business in Australia and direct and continuous involvement in management of that business;
• Have no history of unacceptable business activities;
• Be less than 45 years old; and
• Have vocational English.

If the applicant can obtain sponsorship from Australian state government, then they only need to :

• Have an overall successful business career;
• Have significant business and personal assets;
• Have achieved a significant annual turnover in your business or have continuous employment record at senior level for at least 4 years;
• Have sufficient net assets to settle in Australia;
• Have direct and continuous management role in overseas business;
• Have a commitment to maintain an ownership interest in a business in Australia and direct and continuous involvement in management of that business;
• Have no history of unacceptable business activities; and
• Be less than 55 years old unless exceptional circumstances exist.
  

Senior Executive

Senior Executive can first apply for a Senior Executive (Provisional) visa. If you are successful, you will be granted a visa for a period of 4 years.

Providing you have successfully operated a business in Australia for at least two years and you continue to hold a valid Senior Executive (Provisional) visa, you will be eligible to apply for a permanent Business Owner (Residence) visa (permanent residence). You must apply in Australia.

If an applicant has sponsorship from a State or Territory government and applies under the State/Territory Sponsored Senior Executive (Provisional) or Business Owner (Residence) visa, they are considered against lower threshold criteria.

State and Territory governments have their own criteria for deciding whom they will sponsor. To find out about sponsorship requirements, see the State/Territory Sponsorship page.

To make an application for the Senior Executive (Provisional) visa, senior executives will need to show that they:

• Have an overall successful business career;
• Be employed in one of the top 3 levels of management of a major business;
• Have significant business and personal assets;
• Have sufficient net assets to settle in Australia;
• Have a commitment to maintain an ownership interest in a business in Australia and direct and continuous involvement in management of that business;
• Have no history of unacceptable business activities;
• Be less than 45 years old; and
• Have vocational English.

If the applicant can obtain sponsorship from Australian state government, then they only need to :

• Be sponsored by a state or territory government;
• Have an overall successful business career;
• Be employed in one of the top 3 levels of management of a major business;
• Have significant business and personal assets;
• Have sufficient net assets to settle in Australia;
• Have a commitment to maintain an ownership interest in a business in Australia and direct and continuous involvement in management of that business; and
• Be less than 55 years old unless exceptional circumstances exist

You must first apply for an Investment (Provisional) visa. If you are successful, you will be granted a visa for a period of 4 years.

Investors

Investors can first apply for a Designated Investment (Provisional) visa. If you are successful, you will be granted a visa for a period of 4 years.

Providing you have successfully maintained your designated investments for the minimum 4 years and you continue to hold a valid Investment (Provisional) visa, you will be eligible to apply for a permanent Investment (Residence) visa or a permanent Business Owner (Residence) visa. You must apply in Australia.

If an applicant has sponsorship from a State or Territory government and applies under the State/Territory Sponsored Investment (Provisional) or (Residence) or Business Owner (Residence) visa they are considered against lower threshold criteria.

State and Territory governments have their own criteria for deciding whom they will sponsor. To find out about sponsorship requirements, see the State/Territory sponsorship page.

To make an application for the Investment (Provisional) visa, investors will need to show that they:

• Have a successful record of business or investment management;
• Be willing to make a significant investment in a government approved Designated Investment for 4 years;
• Have significant business and personal assets;
• Have sufficient net assets to settle in Australia;
• Have no history of unacceptable business activities;
• Be less than 45 years old; and
• Have vocational English.

If the applicant can obtain sponsorship from Australian state government, then they only need to :

• Be sponsored by a State or Territory government and intend to live in that State or Territory for a minimum of 2 years;
• Have a successful record of business or investment management;
• Be willing to make a significant investment in a government approved Designated Investment for 4 years;
• Have significant business and personal assets;
• Have sufficient net assets to settle in Australia;
• Have no history of unacceptable business activities; and
• Be less than 55 years old, unless exceptional circumstances exist.

Business talent - for high-caliber business people who have sponsorship from a State/Territory government.(http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/business_regional.htm)

In addition, the Business Skills program also has two categories for persons who are in Australia on temporary visas other than the Business Skills (Provisional) visas:

• Established business in Australia (EBA) - for people temporarily in Australia who are owners or part-owners of a business; and
• Regional established business in Australia (REBA) - for people temporarily in Australia who are owners or part owners of a business in a designated area of Australia.

As business visa involves a few steps, we normally need to have more detailed information to commence working for you. Please send an email to indicate your interest, and we will correspond with phone calls to find out your specific need.