Business & Investment Visa

VISA SERVICES

Customized Visa Solutions

This visa is for people with business skills who want to own and manage a new or existing business in Australia, or to invest in an Australian state or territory.

Starting with a 30-minute Free Initial Assessment via telephone or in person; we will prepare a Letter of Advice if the client wishes to proceed with us. The Letter of Advice will contain:

  • The most suitable visa subclass and its requirements
  • Fee estimate including our professional fees and the Department’s fee (visa application charge)
  • Average processing time
  • Visa checklist
  • Other relevant information such as skills assessment, EOI, and the visa conditions that may be imposed on the visa

Before signing an agreement on services and their fees, you can contact us for more details. We will respond to you as quickly as possible within 24 hours.

 

 

 

BUSINESS & INVESTMENT

Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188)

This visa allows you to own and manage a business in Australia, conduct business and investment activity in Australia or undertake an entrepreneurial activity in Australia

Basic Eligibility

  • Submit expression of interest (EOI) in SkillSelect
  • Nominated by a State or Territory government agency or Austrade
  • Invited to apply for the visa

A. Business Innovation stream

This provisional visa is for people with business skills. It lets you operate a new or existing business in Australia.

With this visa, you can

  • stay up to 4 years and 3 months
  • operate a new or existing business in Australia
  • bring eligible members of your family with you
  • apply for a permanent Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (subclass 888) Business Innovation stream

You must

  • Be under 55
  • Score at least 65 on the points test
  • Have business ownership for 2 out of 4 fiscal years immediately before you receive an invitation to apply, you must have had an ownership stake in 1 or 2 businesses that had at least AUD500,000 turnover in each of those 2 years.
    • 51%, of the total value of the business if the business has a turnover of less than AUD400,000 per year
    • 30%, of the total value of the business if the business has a turnover of AUD400,000 or more per year, or
    • 10%, of the total value of the business if the business is operated by a publicly listed company
  • Provide proof of your business success (annual turnover, ownership stake)
  • Own personal and business assets of at least AUD800,000 by you and your partner combined with. Your funds must be available to transfer to Australia within 2 years of us granting the visa.
  • Be nominated by an Australian State or Territory government agency, before being invited to apply for this visa.

B. Investor stream

This provisional visa requires you to invest at least AUD1.5 million in an Australian State or Territory and maintain business or investment activity in Australia.

With this visa, you can

  • stay up to 4 years and 3 months
  • carry out business and investment activity in Australia
  • bring eligible members of your family with you
  • apply for a permanent Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (subclass 888) Business Innovation stream

You must

  • Be under 55
  • Score at least 65 on the points test
  • Be nominated by an Australian State or Territory government agency, before being invited to apply for this visa.
  • Have a genuine intention to live for at least 2 years in the State or Territory in which you have made the investment application.
  • Own and manage business and personal assets and investments
    • Have managed a qualifying business or investments to the value of at least AUD1.5million. For at least 1 of the 5 fiscal years immediately before we invite you to apply, have directly managed one of the following:
      • a qualifying business in which you, your partner or you and your partner combined had at least 10% ownership interest, or
      • an eligible investment of at least AUD1.5 million owned by you, your partner or you and your partner combined.
    • Have assets of AUD2.25 million. For the 2 fiscal years immediately before we invite you to apply, you, your partner, or you and your partner together, have business and personal assets with a net value of at least AUD2.25 million. These assets must have been lawfully acquired and be available for transfer to Australia within 2 years of the visa being granted.
    • Make an investment of AUD1.5 million in your nominating State or Territory. After you lodge your application, you must make a designated investment of at least AUD1.5 million in the State or Territory in which the nominating State or Territory government agency is located. This investment must be in your name or in your name and your partner’s name. The investment must be made from unencumbered funds generated from qualifying businesses or eligible investments. To be eligible for the Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (subclass 888) Investor stream, you must hold the designated investment for at least 4 years from the date the investment certificate is issued by your nominating State or Territory.
  • Have the right experience
    • At least 3 years’ experience managing one or more qualifying businesses or eligible investments
    • A successful record of eligible investment or qualifying business activity
    • Demonstrated a high level of management skill in relation to the eligible investment or qualifying business activity

C. Significant Investor stream

This provisional visa is for people who invest at least AUD5 million in Australian investments that meet certain requirements and maintain investment activity in Australia.

With this visa, you can

  • carry out investment activity in Australia
  • apply for a permanent Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (subclass 888) Significant Investor stream if certain requirements are met.

You must

  • Be nominated by an Australian State or Territory government agency, before being invited to apply for this visa.
  • Be able to invest at least AUD5 million. To be granted this visa, you must make (on or after the time of application for this visa), a complying significant investment of at least AUD5 million when we invite you to, and have a genuine intention to hold that investment for at least 4 years. It must be invested in the following proportions:
    • At least AUD500,000 in venture capital and growth private equity funds which invest in start-ups and small private companies
    • At least AUD1.5 million in approved managed funds. The managed funds must invest in emerging companies listed on the Australian Stock Exchange
    • A ‘balancing investment’ of at least AUD3 million in managed funds

The managed funds can invest in a range of assets, including companies listed on the Australian stock exchange, Australian corporate bonds or notes, annuities and commercial real estate. We prohibit direct investment in residential real estate. We strictly limit indirect investment in residential property through managed funds. You must not use investments as security or collateral for a loan.

D. Premium Investor stream

This provisional visa is for people who are nominated by Austrade and who invest at least AUD15 million in Australian investments and/or philanthropic contributions.

You must

  • Be nominated by an Australian State or Territory government agency, before being invited to apply for this visa.
  • Have net assets of at least AUD15 million. These assets could belong to you, your partner, or you and your partner combined. They must be legally acquired, unencumbered, and available to make the complying premium investment in Australia.
  • Make a complying premium investment of at least AUD15 million.

After you lodge your application, you must make a complying premium investment of at least AUD15 million in any of the following options

  • Australian securities exchange listed assets
  • Australian government or semi-government bonds or notes
  • corporate bonds or notes issued by an Australian exchange listed entity (or wholly owned subsidiary of the Australian listed entity), investment grade rated Australian corporate bonds or notes rated by an AFS licenced debt rating agency
  • Australian proprietary limited companies that operate qualifying businesses (providing goods or services to the public with a profit-making intention, and not passive or speculative in nature)
  • real property in Australia excluding residential property
  • deferred annuities issued by Australian registered life companies
  • state or territory government approved philanthropic contribution

To be an eligible fund, a further requirement is that cash is to be no more than 20% of a fund’s net assets and derivatives are to be used for risk management purposes only. Premium investors may elect to make a portion or the entirety of their investment by way of a philanthropic donation (endorsed by a state or territory government).

E. Entrepreneur stream

This provisional visa lets you carry out entrepreneurial activities in Australia.

You must

  • Be under 55
  • Be nominated by an Australian State or Territory government agency, before being invited to apply for this visa.
  • Have competent English
  • Have a complying entrepreneur activity. You must be undertaking, or proposing to undertake, a complying entrepreneur activity in Australia. You must have a genuine intention to continue this activity. A complying entrepreneur activity must relate to an innovative idea that will lead to:
    • the commercialisation of a product or service in Australia, or
    • the development of an enterprise or business in Australia
    • residential real estate
    • labour hire
    • purchase of an existing enterprise or a franchise in Australia
  • Receive funding from an approved entity. You must have one or more legally enforceable agreements to receive funding with a total of at least AUD200,000. The funding must be from one of the following entities:
    • Commonwealth Government agency
    • State or Territory government agency
    • Publicly funded research or innovation organisation
    • Higher education provider is specified as a Table A or Table B provider under Part 2-1 of the Higher Education Support Act 2003
    • Investor registered as an Australian Venture Capital Limited Partnership or Early Stage Venture Capital Limited Partnership

At least 10% of the funding must be payable to the entrepreneurial entity within 12 months of the activity starting in Australia. This must be in the agreement. The entity that will conduct the activity (the entrepreneurial entity) must be either an individual (yourself), a company, or a partnership. You must have held at least 30% interest in your entrepreneurial entity when you entered into the agreement. You must also have a business plan for the entrepreneurial entity. This business plan should note how your innovative idea will lead to:

  • the commercialisation of a product or service in Australia, or
  • the development of an enterprise or business in Australia

Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (subclass 888)

This visa is the second stage of the Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188). This is a permanent stage for the initial 188 visa, allowing you to manage your business and investments in Australia for an indefinite period.

Just like the 188 visa, the 888 visa has five streams depending on your business level of contribution to the Australian economy. Depending on which stream your 188 visa was granted under will determine which stream of the 888 visa you qualify for.

In order to apply for the 888 visa, you will not be required to meet a Points Test, also you do not have to submit a new EOI or be invited to apply by the Department. However, you will still need to be nominated by an Australian State or Territory, or by Austrade. You will also meet the additional requirements, depending on the stream you held in your 188 provisional visa.

Business Talent (Permanent) visa (subclass 132)

This visa allows you to establish a new or develop an existing business in Australia permanently.

Significant Business History stream

This visa is for experienced business owners, to operate a new or existing business in Australia.

You must

  • Be nominated by an Australian State or Territory government agency, before being invited to apply for this visa.
  • Have a net value of at least AUD1.5 million (lawfully acquired)
  • Have an annual business turnover of at least AUD3 million for at least 2 of the 4 fiscal years immediately before you are invited to apply
  • Have total net assets of at least AUD400,000 as the ownership interest in one or more qualifying businesses for least 2 of the 4 fiscal years immediately before you are invited to apply

Venture Capital Entrepreneur stream

This visa is for people who have sourced venture capital funding from a member of the Australian Investment Council (AIC) (formerly known as the Australian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association Limited (AVCAL)).

You must:

  • Be nominated by an Australian State or Territory government agency, before being invited to apply for this visa.
  • Have funding of at least AUD1 million from an Australian venture capital firm