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Special visas for business

THE majority of all Business Skills migrants enter Australia initially on a provisional (temporary) visa for four years and, after satisfactory evidence of a specified level of business or investment activity, may apply for permanent residence.

These arrangements continue to provide for the entry of business owners, senior executives and investors.

High calibre business migrants may apply for a Business Talent visa to obtain direct permanent residence if they have high level business attributes and are sponsored by a state or territory government agency.

Australia is actively encouraging Business Skills entrants to set up businesses in regional, rural or low growth areas of Australia.

Applicants may seek sponsorship from a state or territory government. Sponsorship provides access to concessional criteria, as well as enabling sponsors to attract the kinds of business people they are seeking to assist in the economic development of their specific areas.

Business Skills

* Business Talent (Migrant)(subclass 132) is for high calibre business people who are owners or part owners of an overseas business and have an overall successful business career, significant business assets and have a genuine and realistic commitment to participate as a principal in the management of a new or existing business.

This category must be sponsored by a state/territory government.

* Business Skills (Provisional) visas A Business Skills (Provisional) visa is valid for four years.

* Business Owner (Provisional)(subclass 160/163) is for people with a successful business career, including senior management or ownership, who have significant business assets and have a genuine and realistic commitment to participate as a principal in the management of a new or existing business.

Applicants in this category may be sponsored by a state/territory government.

* Senior Executive (Provisional)(subclass 161/164) is for senior executive employees of major overseas businesses who have been responsible for strategic policy development affecting a major component or a wide range of operations of that business, who have significant net assets and a genuine and realistic commitment to participate as a principal in the management of a new or existing business.

Applicants in this category may be sponsored by a state/territory government.

* Investor (Provisional) (subclass 162/165) is for investors/business people who have an overall successful record of business or investment activities, have significant net assets, are willing to invest funds in a designated investment in Australia for four years and have a genuine commitment to maintain business and investment activity in Australia.

Applicants in this category may be sponsored by a state/territory government.

Business Skills

(Residence) Visas

The Business Skills (Residence) category of visa is the second stage of Business Skills entry providing for permanent stay in Australia with a resident return facility valid for five years from the date of grant.

* Business Owner (Residence) (subclass 890/892) is for people who hold a Business Skills (Provisional) visa and have had an ownership interest in a business in Australia for at least 2 years with significant personal and business assets, turnover as well as a minimum number of employees.

Applicants must have been in Australia for at least one year in the two years immediately before applying.

Applicants in this category may be sponsored by a state/territory government.

Investor (Residence) (subclass 891/893) is for people who have held a Investor (Provisional) visa and a Designated Investment for the minimum 4 years and who have lived in Australia for at least 2 years in the four years immediately before the application is made.

Applicants in this category may be sponsored by a state/territory government.

* Temporary Business (Long Stay)(Independent Executive)(457IE) visa holders are able to apply for permanent residence in the:

Established Business in Australia (EBA) category or

* Regional Established Business in Australia (REBA) category if sponsored by a state/territory government or

* Business Owner (Residence) category, if sponsored by a state/territory government.

In cases where Independent Executive visa holders are not yet able to meet visa criteria for permanent residence, they are still eligible to apply for an extension of their 457IE visa. If granted, this allows a two year visa extension.