Business Skills Entry

The Business Skills Entry program facilitates the migration of successful overseas business people, senior managers, executives and investors to settle in Australia.

Business skills entrants generally enter Australia on a 4 year provisional visa and, after demonstrating a specified level of business or investment activity, apply for a residence visa.

Eligibility

To determine your eligibility, your business background will be assessed. You will need to:

show documentary evidence of your overall successful business background or career, or successful qualifying business activity, or eligible investment
demonstrate that you meet other Business Skills eligibility criteria for the visa subclass for which you apply.

Contact the Department of Business and Employment (DBE) to do a preliminary assessment of your eligibility.

Business Skills visa holders usually apply for permanent residence under one of the Business Owner (Residence) visas. To apply for permanent residence as a provisional Business Owner/Senior Executive provisional visa holder you must:

have an ownership interest and continuous direct involvement in one or more Australian businesses for at least 2 years immediately before the application is made
have lodged all necessary government business returns for the 12 months immediately before you apply
have maintained net personal and business assets of the specified amount relevant to that visa subclass
in the 12 months immediately before your application, show that your business/es have achieved the annual turnover required by that visa subclass
while on your provisional visa, reside in Australia for at least 1 out of the 2 years before applying
show that your business/es have employed the number of Australian citizens or permanent residents relevant to the visa subclass.

Provisional Investor visa holders are required to retain their Australian designated investment for 4 years before they qualify for permanent residence. To be eligible for one of the Investor (Residence) categories you must not have been involved in unacceptable business activities and you must:

show a realistic commitment to maintaining business activity or investment in Australia
have held your designated investment continuously for 4 years
while a holder of your provisional visa, have resided in Australia or the sponsoring state/territory for at least 2 of the 4 years.

Northern Territory sponsorship

Sponsorship by the Northern Territory enables you to benefit from the lower eligibility criteria available under all State/Territory Sponsored visa subclasses. Although the Northern Territory Government assesses your eligibility for sponsorship, it is not liable for any decisions or actions that you may take to migrate and establish business or investment activity in the Northern Territory.

To be eligible for Northern Territory sponsorship you will need to demonstrate that you:

are able to add value to the Northern Territory economy through your proposed business development and not disadvantage existing Northern Territory business
have a genuine commitment to live in the Northern Territory, and to establish and actively engage in business or investment in the Northern Territory.

You must visit the Northern Territory in the 6 months before you lodge your sponsorship application. This familiarisation visit enables you to meet with relevant government departments and private sector groups, and to conduct your own research and assessment of business and investment opportunities.

You will need to submit a business proposal for the intended business activity to support your application for sponsorship. This should include:

information about your business background and experience
your financial capacity
the intended business activity and how it will benefit the Northern Territory.

You will also need to provide a statement of assets and liabilities, including an indication of the net worth of assets in Australian dollars. This will need to show that, in addition to the investment required to establish your business, you and your spouse have sufficient net assets to settle and not experience financial hardship.

It is important for you to keep your contact details current and notify us of any changes throughout the process. You should note that Northern Territory sponsorship is not transferable to other Australian States or Territories.

Further information

It is recommended that you read the Department of Immigration and Citizenship’s (DIAC) Business Skills Entry booklet (Booklet 7) as it provides comprehensive information on eligibility and the visa application process. Download the booklet at www.immi.gov.au/allforms/booklets/booklets.htm

Department of Business and Employment
Postal Address: GPO Box 9988, Darwin NT 0801 Australia
Email: migration.dbe@nt.gov.au
Web: www.migration.nt.gov.au

Download the Business Skills Entry factsheet

DISCLAIMER:The Northern Territory of Australia and the Department of Business and Employment disclaim any liability or responsibility or duty of care towards any person for loss or damage (including special, indirect or consequential loss or damage such as loss of revenue) suffered or caused by any use or reliance on this information. While care has been taken in the production of this Fact Sheet, it is provided as general information only. The Northern Territory of Australia and the Department of Business and Employment accept no responsibility (including for negligence) for errors or omissions and do not assert or imply that it is complete, accurate or current. No person should rely upon the information in this Fact Sheet for the purpose of making any serious, business or investment decisions without obtaining independent and/or professional advice in relation to their particular situation.

Business Skills Entry

Categories

Eligibility

Northern Territory sponsorship

Further information

Visa Options