State/Territory Sponsored Business Visa for Australia

Duration

The initial four year provisional state/territory business owner visas subclass can lead to Australian permanent residence. Like many categories of Australia working visas, this often requires the assistance of Australian immigration law experts.

Eligibility Criteria

Age

The applicant must be under the age of 55 at the time of lodging an Australian visa application.

An exception occurs when the business is endorsed as being of exceptional economic benefit to the state/territory by the sponsoring government.

Business Experience

To qualify for the Australian state/territory sponsored business owner visa the following requirements must be satisfied. An applicant:

• Must have had a successful business career,
• Must have personal and business net assets of at least AUS$250,000, which can be transferred to Australia within 2 years;
• For at least 2 out of the last 4 fiscal years before applying, the applicant must have had an ownership interest of at least 10% in a main business or businesses outside Australia with an annual turnover of at least AUS$300,000;
• OR The applicant must have a sound employment record as a senior manager.

Another similar visa is the State Sponsored Executive visa which is an alternative to this route into Australia.

A Senior Manager is defined as a person who:

• Has appropriate formal qualifications, acquired after at least 3 years full time study (or part time equivalent) or;
• Has a least 5 years appropriate experience and has been employed for at least 3 years in the kind of employment to which the qualifications or experience mentioned above relate to and;
• Has a sound and continuous employment record for at least 3 of the 5 years immediately before the application is made. Make decisions about how the whole or a substantial part of the activities of the business is to be managed, such as:

1. Take responsibility for the day to day running of the business or part of the business;
2. If appropriate to the structure of the business, have management responsibilities over other functional managers.

• Is registered or licensed if this is required by Australian law;
• Must have maintained direct and continuous involvement in the management of the business on a daily basis, and in making decisions affecting the overall direction and performance of the business;
• Must have sufficient net assets to settle in Australia;
• Must be sponsored by an Australian State or Territory Government
• Must be aged under 55, unless the business is endorsed by the sponsoring government as being of exceptional economic benefit;
• Must demonstrate the need to be in Australia to conduct or establish the business
• Must establish or participate in the active management of a qualifying business in Australia, and maintain a substantial ownership interest.

Additional Information

It is necessary to get approval from the state in which the Australian business visa applicant intends to settle before an application for permanent residence can be submitted. This may require the business owner visa applicant to submit a business plan document and evidence of research and supporting documentation to the relevant State Business Unit.

The business plan will need to contain relevant local business market knowledge and accurate financial forecasts. Therefore Global Visas does not recommend submitting any application until a visit to Australia has been made to undertake the relevant research.

Global Visas has a dedicated relocation coordinator to assist in planning preliminary visits for prospective Australian business owner visa applicants. A Global Visas consultant will be able to advise further on this service.

The requirements for this visa are open to change and are dependent on decisions made by the DIMIA. A Global Visas consultant will give advice on any changes to this upon initial consultation.

Health & Character

Australia has strict health and character requirements that must be met before any permanent visa of more than 12 months will be granted. People attempting to migrate to Australia on an Australian business visa will be required to:

• Undergo a medical examination and chest x-ray undertaken by one of a panel of doctors selected by the Australian authorities, and;
• Obtain police certificates for all countries in which they have lived for more than 12 months in the 10 years leading up to the application.

Find out further information on our State/Territory Sponsored Investor page.