Business Skills Migration
The Business skills visa category caters for business people who :
- Are owner (or Part-owners) of a business (or businesses), senior executive employed by major business or business employees with a high level of management skill who intend to use their business skills to obtain a substantial ownership interest in a new or existing business in Australia and actively participate in that business at a senior management level; or
- Have a substantial business or investment background and are willing to make a substantial investment in State or Territory securities;
- Hold certain provisional/temporary visas and who have established businesses in Australia
All applicants for business skills visas must first apply for a provisional business visa.
As the holder of a provisional visa and after having successfully operated a business, or maintained their investment in Australia for between two and four years, such people are eligible to apply for a permanent business skills visa.
The Business skills visa Classes and subclasses are:
Business Talent (Permanent) (subclass 132) visa
Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) (subclass 188) visa
Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) (subclass 888) visa
You must be less than 55 years of age, although a state or territory can waive this requirement if your proposed business will be of exceptional economic benefit to the relevant region.
You must score at least 65 on the Innovation Points test. Points are awarded for:
- age
- English language ability
- qualifications
- experience in business or investments
- net personal and business assets
- business turnover
- innovation.
Other requirements depend on whether you apply for the Business Innovation stream or the Investor stream.
Business Innovation stream
If you apply for the Business Innovation stream, you (or your partner, or you and your partner combined) must have:
- total assets of at least AUD800 000 that have been legally acquired and can be legally transferred to Australia within two years of the visa being granted
- a total annual turnover of at least AUD500 000 (in one of more of your businesses) in at least two of the four fiscal years immediately before you are invited to apply
- owned at least:
* 51 per cent of a business with turnover of less than AUD400 000 per annum, or
* 30 per cent of a business with turnover of more than AUD400 000 per annum, or
* 10 per cent of a publicly-listed company
- an overall successful business career with no involvement in unacceptable business activities
- managed a business, in which you spent less than half your time on professional, technical or trade services
- a genuine desire to own and maintain a management role in a business in Australia.
Investor stream
If you apply for the Investor stream, you (or your partner, or you and your partner combined) must:
- have a net value of at least AUD2.25 million for the two fiscal years immediately before you are invited to apply
- have an overall successful record of eligible investment or qualifying business activity with no involvement in unacceptable activities
- have a high level of management skill in relation to eligible investments and/or qualifying business activity
- have at least three years' experience of direct involvement in managing one or more qualifying businesses or eligible investments
- make your government-approved designated investment of AUD1.5 million before a visa can be granted
- have a genuine and realistic commitment to continuing your business and investment activity in Australia after the original investment has matured.
You (or your partner, or you and your partner combined) must also have had one of the following:
- direct involvement, for at least one of the five fiscal years you are invited to apply, in managing your eligible investments that total at least AUD1.5 million, or
- direct involvement, for at least one of the five fiscal years before you are invited to apply, in managing a qualifying business in which you owned at least 10 per cent of the total value of the business.
- Are owner (or Part-owners) of a business (or businesses), senior executive employed by major business or business employees with a high level of management skill who intend to use their business skills to obtain a substantial ownership interest in a new or existing business in Australia and actively participate in that business at a senior management level; or
- Have a substantial business or investment background and are willing to make a substantial investment in State or Territory securities;
- Hold certain provisional/temporary visas and who have established businesses in Australia
All applicants for business skills visas must first apply for a provisional business visa.
As the holder of a provisional visa and after having successfully operated a business, or maintained their investment in Australia for between two and four years, such people are eligible to apply for a permanent business skills visa.
The Business skills visa Classes and subclasses are:
You must be less than 55 years of age, although a state or territory can waive this requirement if your proposed business will be of exceptional economic benefit to the relevant region.
You must score at least 65 on the Innovation Points test. Points are awarded for:
- age
- English language ability
- qualifications
- experience in business or investments
- net personal and business assets
- business turnover
- innovation.
Other requirements depend on whether you apply for the Business Innovation stream or the Investor stream.
If you apply for the Business Innovation stream, you (or your partner, or you and your partner combined) must have:
- total assets of at least AUD800 000 that have been legally acquired and can be legally transferred to Australia within two years of the visa being granted
- a total annual turnover of at least AUD500 000 (in one of more of your businesses) in at least two of the four fiscal years immediately before you are invited to apply
- owned at least:
* 51 per cent of a business with turnover of less than AUD400 000 per annum, or
* 30 per cent of a business with turnover of more than AUD400 000 per annum, or
* 10 per cent of a publicly-listed company
- an overall successful business career with no involvement in unacceptable business activities
- managed a business, in which you spent less than half your time on professional, technical or trade services
- a genuine desire to own and maintain a management role in a business in Australia.
If you apply for the Investor stream, you (or your partner, or you and your partner combined) must:
- have a net value of at least AUD2.25 million for the two fiscal years immediately before you are invited to apply
- have an overall successful record of eligible investment or qualifying business activity with no involvement in unacceptable activities
- have a high level of management skill in relation to eligible investments and/or qualifying business activity
- have at least three years' experience of direct involvement in managing one or more qualifying businesses or eligible investments
- make your government-approved designated investment of AUD1.5 million before a visa can be granted
- have a genuine and realistic commitment to continuing your business and investment activity in Australia after the original investment has matured.
You (or your partner, or you and your partner combined) must also have had one of the following:
- direct involvement, for at least one of the five fiscal years you are invited to apply, in managing your eligible investments that total at least AUD1.5 million, or
- direct involvement, for at least one of the five fiscal years before you are invited to apply, in managing a qualifying business in which you owned at least 10 per cent of the total value of the business.
Consultation Request
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