The business skills visa category is part of the 'Skill Stream' of the migration program.
The business skills visa category are appropriate for business people who:
- Are owners (or part-owners) of a business (or businesses), senior executives employed by major businesses or business employees with a high level of management skills 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, except people in Australia on provisional/temporary visas who establish a business and subclass 132 visa applicants, must first apply for a provisional business visa.
As the holder of a provisional vis and after having successfully operated a business, or maintained their investment in Australia for between 2 and 4 years, such people are eligible to apply for a permanent business skills visa.
Within each category of visa (Business Owner, Senior Executive and Investor) there are visas for people who apply independently and visas for people who are sponsored by Australian State or Territory government regional authorities.
High calibre business people sponsored by a State or Territory government can apply for the permanent subclass 132 visa without having to first apply for a provisional visa.
There are following Business Skills Visas available:
Business Skills (Provisional):
- Business Owner (Provisional) subclass 160
- State/Territory Sponsored Business Owner (Provisional) subclass 163
- Senior Executive (Provisional) subclass 161
- State/Territory Sponsored Senior Executive (Provisional) subclass 164
- Investor (Provisional) subclass 162
- State/Territory Sponsored Investor (Provisional) subclass 165
Business Skills - Business Talent (Migrant):
- Business Talent subclass 132
Business Skills (Residence):
- Business Owner (Residence) subclass 890
- State/Territory Sponsored Business Owner (Residence) subclass 892
- Investor (Residence) subclass 891
- State/Territory Sponsored Investor (Residence) subclass 893
Business Skills - Established Business (Residence):
- Established Business in Australia (Residence) subclass 845
- State/Territory Sponsored Regional Established Business in Australia (Residence) subclass 846
Table of pathways to permanent residence under the business skills program:
| Type of Applicant: | Potential provisional visa eligibility: | Potential permanent visa eligibility: |
| Business Owners |
Business Owner (Provisional) subclass 160 or State/Territory Sponsored Business Owner (Provisional) subclass 163 |
a) Business Owner subclass 890 or b) State/Territory Sponsored Business Owner subclass 892 or c) Established Business in Australia subclass 845 |
| Senior Managers | State/Territory Sponsored Business Owner (Provisional) subclass 163 |
a) State/Territory Sponsored Business Owner subclass 892 or b) Business Owner subclass 890 or c) Established Business in Australia subclass 845 |
| Senior Executives |
Senior Executive (Provisional) subclass 161 or State/Territory Sponsored Senior Executive (Provisional) subclass 164 |
a) Business Owner subclass 890 or b) State/Territory Sponsored Business Owner subclass 892 or c) Established Business in Australia subclass 845 |
| Investors |
Investor (Provisional) subclass 162 or State/Territory Sponsored Investor (Provisional) subclass 165 |
a) Investor subclass 891 or b) State/Territory Sponsored Investor subclass 893 or c) Business Owner subclass 890 or d) State/Territory Sponsored Business Owner subclass 892 or e) Established Business in Australia subclass 845 |
| High calibre business owners sponsored by a State/Territory government | a) Business Talent subclass 132 | |
| Holders of a Temporary Business (Long Stay) (Independent Executive) Visa (Subclass 457) |
a) Established Business in Australia subclass 845 or b) State/Territory Sponsored Regional Established Business in Australia subclass 846 or c) State/Territory Sponsored Business Owner subclass 892 |
|
| Holders of a Skilled-Independent Regional (Provisional) Visa |
a) State/Territory Sponsored Business Owner subclass 892 or b) Established Business in Australia subclass 845 |
