Main Applicant Eligibility
On this page
You must meet the following requirements to be eligible for this visa. You must provide evidence of each of the requirements with your application.
Age
You must be less than 55 years old (except where the regional authority considers that the proposed business will be of exceptional economic benefit to the region.)
Sponsorship
You must be sponsored by an appropriate regional authority of a State or Territory Government.
Business Success
You must have an overall successful business career.
Suitable position
You have occupied a position in the three highest levels of the management structure of a major business in which you were responsible for the strategic policy development affecting a major component or a wide range of operations of that major business for at least two of the four fiscal years immediately before you apply.
Significant assets
Your (or your and your spouses) total assets have a net value of at least A$250,000, and were legally acquired and are capable of being transferred to Australia within two years of being granted this visa.
Assets to settle
You have sufficient assets (additional to those above) to settle in Australia.
Business record
You or your spouse (if any) have never been involved in unacceptable business or investment activities.
Continued business involvement
You must have a commitment to maintain an ownership interest in a business in Australia and you must maintain direct and continuous involvement in the management of that business.
Need to live in Australia
You demonstrate there is a need to live in Australia on a temporary basis for business reasons.
Health requirement
You must meet health requirements to enter Australia.
See: Health Requirements
Character requirement
You must be of good character for you to enter Australia.
See: Character and Penal Clearance Requirements
Australian Values Statement
If you are aged 18 years or over, you are required to sign an Australian values statement. The statement is included in your visa application form and all applicants aged 18 years and over will need to sign it to confirm that they will respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws. Before signing this statement you are required to have read, or had explained to you, material made available by the government on life in Australia which is contained in the Life in Australia book.
The Life in Australia book provides more information on the values that Australians share and their way of life.
See:
Australian Values - Overview
Life in Australia Book
Application document checklist
The checklist provides all the information and supporting documents that you may be asked to provide with your application.
See: Application document checklist (73KB PDF file)
Before lodging an application, please read all related eligibility requirements.
See: Other eligibility