business visas - visa requirements - business owner

The Business Owner Visas is designed for successful business owners with a legitimate interest in establishing and managing a business in Australia. The requirements of the Business Owner Visa are:

• For two of the past four fiscal years, you must have an actively operating business(es) (ie, not for passive or speculative purposes) in an overseas country

• You must have actively participated in the management of that business.

• For two of the past four fiscal years, your main business/s must have had an annual turnover of at least AU$500,000.

• You (and your partner combined) must have owned at least:
  • 51 per cent of the business where the turnover is less than AU$400,000 per annum.
  • 30 per cent of the business where the turnover is AU$400,000 or more per annum.
  • 10 per cent where the business is a publicly listed company.
    
    
• You have net business and personal assets of at least AU$800,000; which must be lawfully acquired and available for transfer to Australia within 2 years after the grant of the visa.

• You must be less than 45 years of age (less than 55 years of age for state sponsorship).

• You must have vocational (IELTS 5) English (not required for state sponsorship).

Sponsorship – under the Business Owner Visa it is possible to obtain sponsorship from a State or Territory Government to encourage successful business people to settle in Australia and set up a business. If you are successful in securing sponsorship, your visa application will be considered against a lower assets and turnover thresholds. Each State and Territory Government has different criteria for deciding whom they will sponsor.
 

If you need to visit Australia for business purposes for a period of less than 3 months the Business Visitor Visa is what you require. For more information on how to apply for this visa online please click here.