Australia is not just a place to visit. It is also a great place to put up businesses and invest money in. The Australian Immigration department has set out requirements to be able to get to Australia for business purposes. They are providing business visas and have initiated a program called “Business Skills” program that would encourage businessmen from all over the world to permanently stay in Australia.

In this program; business owners, senior executives, and investors can apply for a visa under the Business Skills category. The Business Skills program has four (4) categories:

• Business Owner category – for owners or co-owners of a business
• Senior Executive category – for senior executive employees of major businesses
• Investor category – for investors/business people who want to invest in Australia
• Business Talent category – for business people who have sponsorship from a State/Territory government

Businessmen who want to enter Australia must:

• Apply for a provisional Business Owner visa and if approved, will be granted a four (4)-year visa
• Lodge their application in any of the three Business Skills processing centers located in HongKong, Taipei, and Perth

Once your business becomes successful in Australia for at least two years and you continue to hold a valid provisional Business Skills visa, you may apply for a permanent residence Business Owner visa in Australia.

The requirements for the application of the provisional Business Owner visa depend on the businessman’s being sponsored or not.  If unsponsored, the following should be proven:

• The business career is successful.
• The businessman has an ownership interest of at least 10%.
• The business has significant net assets.
• The businessman has significant business and personal assets.
• The business has enough net assets to settle in Australia.
• The businessman has achieved a significant annual turnover in the business.
• The businessman have direct and continuous management role in overseas business.
• The businessman have a commitment to maintain an ownership interest in a business in Australia and direct and continuous involvement in management of that business.
• The business and the businessman have no history of unacceptable business activities.
• The businessman is less than 45 years old and has vocational English.

If sponsored, the business or the businessman should:

• be sponsored by a State or Territory government;
• have an overall successful business career;
• have significant business and personal assets;
• have achieved a significant annual turnover in the business or have continuous employment record at senior level for at least 4 years;
• have sufficient net assets to settle in Australia;
• have direct and continuous management role in overseas business;
• have a commitment to maintain an ownership interest in a business in Australia and direct and continuous involvement in management of that business;
• have no history of unacceptable business activities; and
• be less than 55 years old unless exceptional circumstances exist.

Source:  Australian Immigration (http://www.immi.gov.au/)