There are three main categories for businesspeople who wish to move to Australia by establishing a business in Australia, manage a new or existing business, or invest in Australia:

• Business Owner
• Senior Executive
• Investor

Each of these have subclasses and normally all business migrants must obtain one of these temporary visas, before later applying for a permanent visa.

Also – under each of the 3 categories – there is normally the choice between applying under for a State-Sponsored visa, or one without State Sponsorship. State-sponsored visa subclasses usually have lower eligibility criteria (especially regarding financial matters) than non-State-sponsored ones.

Business Owners

To qualify for a provisional visa, applicants must show that they have “a genuine and realistic commitment to be involved as an owner in a new or existing business in Australia”.

To do this, they must possess net business & personal assets worth AU$800,000 (non-State-sponsored), or AU$500,000 (State-sponsored) in a qualifying business with a turnover of at least AU$500 000 in at least two of the four fiscal years immediately before they apply.

Business Owner applicants must also own a substantial or controlling interest in a business, in other words the minimum business ownership percentage must be:

51% where business turnover is less than AU$400,000; 30% where business turnover is AU$400,000 or more; or 10 % where the business is a publicly-listed company.

Applicants must be under 45 years of age, prepare a viable Australian business plan, have relevant management experience and an overall successful career.

Senior Executives

Applicants must show that they “have significant net assets and a genuine and realistic commitment to participate in the management of a new or existing business in Australia”. Such a visa will allow business migrants to establish a new or existing business in Australia, travel in and out of Australia any number of times as long as the visa is valid, and have their family accompany them to Australia. They will have access to work and study rights.

Again, there is a choice between State-sponsorship, or not – and all migrants usually apply for a provisional visa, as the first stage towards a permanent visa. There are various eligibility criteria, the main financial ones being that applicants must have total assets of at least AU$800 000 (AU$500,000 for State-sponsored), which are legally acquired and capable of being transferred to Australia within two years of being granted this visa, and applicants must have sufficient assets (additional to those above) of at least AU$100 000 to settle in Australia.

Investors

This visa class is for investors from overseas who are willing to invest funds in a designated investment in Australia for 4 years and are less than 45 years of age. Applicants must possess personal assets with a net value of at least AU$2,250,000 for the 2 fiscal years immediately before applying. Applicants must also have made a government-approved Designated Investment of AUD1,500,000 in Australia.

All applicants are required to satisfy health, character, police and credibility checks, and a range of other criteria.