There’s no question about it – Australia is a great place to do business.

If you want to move your business to Australia – or start a new one – you need to apply for a business visa.

Business visas allow you to conduct various activities in Australia, depending on which ‘stream’ you qualify under. They include:

• Owning and managing a business – the Business Innovation stream;
• Continuing your investment and business activities – the Investor;
• Significant Investor, and Premium Investor streams;
• Conducting entrepreneurial activity – the Entrepreneur stream.

First, you’ll need to apply for a Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188). Each stream has its own eligibility requirements, so depending on your situation and what you would like to do in Australia some streams may be more suitable for you than others. For instance, the Investor stream requires you to invest at least AUD$1.5 million in an Australian State or Territory and maintain business or investment activity in Australia. On the other hand, the Business Innovation stream requires proof of you previously running a successful business and owning personal and business assets of at least AUD$800,000.

After you have fulfilled the requirements of your Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa, you may apply for a Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (subclass 888). If successful, this will allow you to stay in Australia permanently.

To apply for a permanent business visa, you don’t need to submit another Expression of Interest or receive an invitation. However, the state or territory who originally nominated you must confirm that your nomination is still current.

If you hold a Special Category visa (subclass 444) or need a different government entity to nominate you than the one that nominated you for your provisional visa, you will need to get a state, territory, or Austrade nomination before you can apply for a permanent visa.