Business Visa
However, it is crucial to get the right immigration advice. At Aus Visa Centre, we can create a sound immigration strategy for you to streamline your matters and prepare a strong business visa application. There are a variety of Australian Business visas that you can obtain as a businessman for yourself or your employees.
Temporary Business Visas
The Business Innovation & Investment Provisional Visa (SUBCLASS 188) allows successful business owners and investors to buy into or make an investment in an Australian state or territory government bond. It is a provisional visa that allows you to operate in Australia for four years and provides a pathway to permanent residency through Business Innovation and Investment subclass 888 Visa.
Eligibility Streams
● Business Innovation – for business owners nominated by a state or territory and willing to establish their enterprise in Australia. As an applicant, you are required to pass the points test with at least 65 points.
● Investor – for investors willing to invest $1.5 million in an Australian State or Territory bond and not involved in any unacceptable business activities. As an applicant, you are required to pass the points test with at least 65 points.
● Significant Investor – for business professionals willing to spend an amount of $5 million on the respected investments in Australia.
● Premium Investor – for businessmen willing to invest at least $15 million into complying premium investments in Australia
● Entrepreneur – for business professional entering into a funding agreement of at least AUD 200000, to shoulder an entrepreneurial activity.
Application Process
Explaining the 5 Eligibility Streams
by 2 years but the opportunity is available only if you have held the subclass 188 visa for 3 years in a row
The main criteria that you have to follow is:
● Have an overall successful career in business or an enterprise
● Ownership of a business incurring a revenue of at least AUD 500,000 for the last 2 of the total 4 fiscal years.
● Net personal or business worth of at least AUD 800,000.
● Invitation to apply through Skill select
● Under 55 years of age
● Meet the passing requirements in the Business Innovation and Investment Points testb (currently 65 points)
You can include the application of your family members while lodging your own visa application:
1.your partner
2.your child/step-child or your partner’s child/step-child.
The application must include documentary evidence of their relationship to you. You and your spouse or immediate family must have had no involvement in any punishable offense or impermissible business activities.
This visa demands a state nomination from the Immigration SA. You must meet Immigration SA’s nomination criteria as well as the Department of Home Affairs eligibility criteria.
1. You should have previously managed investments or owned a business, and be willing to invest AUD 1.5 million in Australian Government bonds.
2. Your business or personal assets of last 2 financial years must amount to at least AUD 2.25 million.
3. While lodging your application, you can either be in Australia or overseas, but if you are in Australia, you must hold a substantive visa or a Bridging A, B or C visa.
4. You should be under 55 years of age. The nominating state or territory can approve your application in some exceptional cases where you can prove that you will give the state an exceptional economic benefit.
5. You must pass the Business Innovation and Investment Points test with at least 65 points. Types of Eligible Investments:
● Ownership interests in a business
● Cash on deposit
● Stocks or bonds
● Real estate
● Gold or bullion
● Loan to a business
managed or owned investments in Australia for continual 4 years.
As an applicant, you can lodge your application either in Australia or overseas. If you are in Australia, you must hold a Substantive Visa or a Bridging A, B or C visa to come across as an eligible candidate.
Benefits of having this visa:
1. There is no Age or English Requirements.
2. There is no requirement to meet the Business Innovation and Investment points test.
3. There is no upper age limit
4. You must spend only 160 days in Australia out of four years to get the Permanent visa
5. You can obtain a two years extension if above-mentioned requirement (160 days) is not met
The Investor Subclass C is the correct visa type for you if you are sincerely committed to
● residing in the state that nominated you
● proliferating your business activity in Australia after your provisional visa expires
● residing in Australia for at least 40 days every year
● making your partner stay in Australia for at least 180 days per year, for the duration of your provisional visa.
● Providing a net worth of at least AUD5 million; legally acquired, unhampered and available to support your investments in Australia.
● Proving that you have never been involved in any impermissible business activities.
Nomination:
The Investor Subclass C is only available to applicants nominated by the government of an Australian State or Territory. To earn a nomination, you must lodge an Expression of Interest (EOI) through the SkillSelect system.
You can either be in Australia or overseas when you lodge your application, but if you are in Australia, you must hold a substantive visa or a Bridging A, B or C visa.
As an applicant, you must make an investment of at least AUD 15 million in a “premium investment” prior to grant of the visa, which includes:
● Australian securities exchange listed assets
● Australian government or semi-government bonds
● Corporate bonds or notes issued by an Australian exchange listed entity imp
● or investment grade rated Australian corporate bonds or notes rated by an AFS licence debt rating agency
● Australian proprietary limited companies
● Real property in Australia; excluding the residential property
● Deferred regular payments issued by Australian registered life companies
● State or territory government approved philanthropic contribution
Nomination by AusTrade
This visa is only available to applicants who are nominated by AusTrade. In addition to that, applications can only be lodged online via the Skill Select system.
1. To be an eligible candidate for the Business Innovation Stream, there is an age bar of 55 years.
2. You must have competent English-speaking skills and be able to provide an evidence for that when you are invited to apply for the visa.
3. You should be able to show that you have an ownership interest of at least 30% in the proposed entrepreneurial activity you are willing to invest in. Most importantly, you should have a genuine intention to continue this activity.
4. You must complete the points test to be able to qualify for this stream; which is currently 65 points.
Nomination:
Before you qualify to apply for the 188E, you will need to be nominated by the government of an Australian State or Territory, which involves lodging an expression of interest (EOI) through the skillselect system.
The following entities qualify for being acceptable sources of funding:
1. An investor registered as an Australian venture capital limited partnership or an early stage venture capital limited partnership.
2. Publicly funded research organization
3. Any Commonwealth government agency.
4. Recognised higher education provider.
What business activities qualify?
If you are interested in applying for this visa, you will need to show how your proposed enterprise will real economic benefits for the country.
Your entrepreneur activity should be an innovative and unique idea that will bring a new service or product to the market or lead to economic development in Australia excluding any activities related to real estate or labor hire.
Business Visitor Visa
With the Business Visitor Visa Subclass 600, you can make general business or employment enquiries negotiate contracts or take part business conferences and trade fairs.
To obtain this visa, you need to meet the following eligibility requirements:
1. You must be a genuine visitor travelling to Australia for business visitor activities
2. You must be outside Australia when you file your visa application
3. You must not work whilst in Australia. However, limited volunteer work may be acceptable.
4. You must not engage in any studies or training for more than three months
5. You must be free from tuberculosis at the time of travel to, and entry into, Australia
6. You must not have a history involving criminal convictions, or be involved in any punishable offences
7. You must depart within the validity of the Visitor Visa (ETA)
CTA – Confused about which travel visa you require for your trip to Australia? Contact Aus Visa Centre today and let a friendly visa advisor find out exactly which visas you are eligible for when travelling to Australia.
Permanent Business Visa
Business Talent (Permanent) visa (Subclass 132)
Significant Business History Stream: for people with ownership interests in large businesses
Venture Capital Entrepreneur Stream: for people who have access to venture capital funding of at least AUD 1 million
You need to meet the eligibility requirements to obtain this visa
● You must be sponsored by a State/Territory government
● You must have an overall successful business career
● You should be able to prove that you have an ownership interest in the business with an annual turnover of at least AU$3million (each year)
● Your business and personal assets (including your spouse) must have a net value of at least AUD $1.5million available to support your business in Australia and are lawfully acquired and available for transfer to Australia within 2 years of the grant of your visa
● You are aged less than 55 at time of application, or you are proposing to establish or participate in a business that your sponsoring State/Territory has determined is of exceptional economic benefit to the State/Territory
● You should not be involved in any impermissible business or investment activities
● You have a genuine and realistic commitment to establish or participate actively in a qualifying business in Australia
State/Territory Nomination
This visa is only available to applicants who are nominated by an Australian State or Territory government.
Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) Visa (Subclass 888)
provisional visa stage:
Business Innovation Stream: requires you to have established a business in Australia which meets certain asset and turnover requirements
Investor Stream: you must have held an investment in Australia for 4 years
Business Innovation Stream Eligibility Requirements
You will need to meet the following if you are applying through the Business Innovation Stream:
● Residence Requirement: you must have been in Australia for at least 1 complete year out of the 2 years prior to filing your application.
● You have had an ownership interest in an Australian business for the last 2 years
● Your business has an ABN and has lodged the necessary Business Activity Statements (BAS) for the last 2 years
● The business has had turnover of at least AUD 300,000 for the last 12 months. Exception: if you reside in a regional area, operate a business there and the State or Territory Government has indicated there are exceptional circumstances
Investor Stream Requirements
For this option, you must have held an Investment Stream Subclass 188 provisional visa, and meet the following criteria:
● Residence Requirement: you must have been in Australia for at least 2 of the last 4 years
● You must have maintained the AUD 1.5 million investment in Australian Bonds for the continual 4 years that you have been in Australia.
State/Territory Nomination
This visa is only available to applicants who are nominated by an Australian State or Territory
government.