Business Innovation Visa

This visa category is for people with business skills who want to establish, develop and manage a new or existing business in Australia. Applicants must be nominated by a state or territory government.

You might be able to get this visa if:

• you are nominated by a state or territory government or Austrade on behalf of the Australian government
• you are invited to apply
• you (and all members of your family unit) meet certain health and character requirements
• you meet the additional requirements for the stream in which you apply.

You must:

• be under 55 years of age, although a state or territory can waive this requirement if your proposed business will be of exceptional economic benefit to the nominating state or territory.
• score at least 65 on the points test. Please see the Points test tab on this webpage for further information.
• for two out of the four fiscal years immediately before you are invited to apply, have had an ownership interest in an established business or businesses that had at least AUD500 000 turnover in each of those years
• own at least one of the following percentage of your nominated main business:
  • 51 per cent, if the business has a turnover of less than AUD400 000 per year
  • 30 per cent, if the business has a turnover of AUD400 000 or more per year
  • 10 per cent, if the business is a publicly listed company
• have an overall successful business career
• have a genuine desire to continuously own and maintain a management role in a business in Australia.

If your nominated main business provides professional, technical or trade services, you must have spent no more than half your time providing those services, as opposed to general management of the business.

At the time of invitation, you, your partner, or you and your partner combined must have total net business and personal assets of at least AUD800 000 that are lawfully acquired and available for legal transfer to Australia within two years of the visa being granted.

You and your partner must have had no involvement in unacceptable business or investment activities.

Consult with us

Business Talent Visa

The Business Talent visa (subclass 132) is a permanent residence visa for business people who are nominated by an Australian state or territory government agency.

WHAT DOES THIS VISA LET YOU DO

The Business Talent (Permanent) visa (subclass 132) allows you to establish a new or develop an existing business in Australia. This is a permanent residence visa. It lets you and any member of your family unit who has also been granted this visa:

• stay in Australia indefinitely
• work and study in Australia
• enrol in Medicare, Australia's scheme for health-related care and expenses
• apply for Australian citizenship (if you are eligible)
• sponsor eligible relatives for permanent residence
• travel to and from Australia for five years from the date the visa is granted (after that time, you will need a resident return visa or another visa to return to Australia).
• You might be able to get this visa if:
  • you are nominated by a state or territory government
  • you are invited to apply
  • you and your family members (whether or not they are included in your application) meet health and character requirements
  • you meet the additional requirements for the stream in which you apply.
  • Significant Business History stream You, your partner, or you and your partner combined must have all of the following:
  • total net assets of at least AUD400 000 as the ownership interest in one or more qualifying businesses for least two of the four fiscal years immediately before you are invited to apply and if the qualifying business(es) was a publicly listed company, a shareholding of at least 10 per cent of the total issued capital
  • net business and personal assets of at least AUD1.5 million that are legally acquired and can be transferred to Australia within two years after the visa is granted
  • a total annual turnover of at least AUD3 million in one or more of your main businesses in at least two of the four fiscal years immediately before you are invited to apply
  • ownership of at least:
  • 51 per cent of a business with turnover of less than AUD400 000 per year
  • 30 per cent of a business with turnover of more than AUD400 000 per year, or
  • 10 per cent of a publicly listed company
  • an overall successful business career
  • no involvement in unacceptable business activities
  • a genuine desire to own and maintain a management role in a business in Australia. You must also be younger than 55 years of age, although a state or territory can waive this requirement if your proposed business will be of exceptional economic benefit to the region where it will operate.

Venture Capital Entrepreneur stream

You must have received at least AUD1 million in funding from an Australian venture capital firm.
The funding must be for the start-up, product commercialisation or business development of a promising high-value business idea.
The venture capital firm must be a member of the Australian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association Limited (AVCAL). AVCAL has information about the venture capital category of membership in its Venture Capital entrepreneur visa factsheet.
You must have entered into a formal agreement with the venture capital firm for the funding.