This visa is designed for self-funded retirees
who have no dependants and who want to reside in Australia during
their retirement years. The visa is temporary and will not lead
to Australian permanent residence or citizenship.
People from overseas who are 55 years or older, have no dependants
(other than a spouse who can be any age), are self supported,
and are able to make a significant long term financial investment
in Australia.
If you are granted this visa you can:
work in Australia for up to 20 hours per
week
travel in and out of Australia any number
of times as long as your visa is valid
live in Australia for four (4) years
have your spouse accompany you to Australia
You must be 55 years of age or older. Your
spouse (if any) can be any age.
You must be sponsored by an Australian State or Territory government
agency (other than New South Wales or Australian Capital Territory).
You must have no dependent children or other dependent family
members other than a spouse.
If you are married or in a de facto relationship, your partner
must have no dependent children or other dependent family members.
You must have assets valued at least A$750,000. These assets will
enable you (or you and your spouse) to meet initial settlement
and ongoing costs of living in Australia.
The assets must be:
legally owned and lawfully acquired by
you (or you and your spouse)
capable of and available for, transfer
to Australia.
Exception: If you intend
to live in regional Australia you must have assets valued at least
A$500,000.
The majority of all Business Skills
migrants enter Australia initially on a provisional (temporary)
visa for four years and, after satisfactory evidence of a specified
level of business or investment activity, may apply for permanent
residence. These arrangements continue to provide for the entry
of business owners, senior executives and investors.
The pathway to permanent residence is designed to give clarity
and certainty to provisional business migrants and relies upon
the establishment and management of genuine business activity
in Australia.
High calibre business migrants may apply for a Business Talent
visa to obtain direct permanent residence if they have high level
business attributes and are sponsored by a state or territory
government agency.
State Specific Initiatives
Australia is actively encouraging Business Skills entrants to
set up businesses in regional, rural or low growth areas of Australia.
To assist this objective, the shared interests of State and Territory
governments have been given greater priority in ongoing development
of the two-stage processing arrangements.
Applicants may seek sponsorship from a state or territory government.
Sponsorship provides access to concessional criteria, as well
as enabling sponsors to attract the kinds of business people they
are seeking to assist in the economic development of their specific
areas. This linkage also encourages applicants who are more committed
to succeeding in business in Australia.
In 2003-04, state/territory agencies approved more than 1490 sponsorship
applications, and around 85 per cent of all business skills provisional
visa applications were state/territory sponsored.
The Business Skills Visa categories
(i) Business Talent is for
high calibre business people who are owners or part owners of
an overseas business and have an overall successful business career,
significant business assets and have a genuine and realistic commitment
to participate as a principal in the management of a new or existing
business. This category must be sponsored by a state/territory
government.
(ii) Business Skills (Provisional)
visas A Business Skills (Provisional) visa is valid for four years.
• Business Owner is
for people with a successful business career, including senior
management or ownership, who have significant business assets
and have a genuine and realistic commitment to participate as
a principal in the management of a new or existing business.
Applicants in this category may be sponsored by a state/territory
government.
• Senior Executive
is for senior executive employees of major overseas businesses
who have been responsible for strategic policy development affecting
a major component or a wide range of operations of that business,
who have significant net assets and a genuine and realistic
commitment to participate as a principal in the management of
a new or existing business. Applicants in this category may
be sponsored by a state/territory government.
• Investor (Provisional)
is for investors/business people who have an overall successful
record of business or investment activities, have significant
net assets, are willing to invest funds in a designated investment
in Australia for four years and have a genuine commitment to
maintain business and investment activity in Australia. Applicants
in this category may be sponsored by a state/territory government.
(iii) Business Skills Visas
The Business Skills (Residence) category of visa is the second
stage of Business Skills entry providing for permanent stay in
Australia with a resident return facility valid for five years
from the date of grant.
• Business Owner
is for people who hold a Business Skills (Provisional) visa
and have had an ownership interest in a business in Australia
for at least 2 years with significant personal and business
assets, turnover as well as a minimum number of employees. Applicants
must have been in Australia for at least one year in the two
years immediately before applying. Applicants in this category
may be sponsored by a state/territory government.
• Investor (Residence)
is for people who have held a Investor (Provisional) visa and
a Designated Investment for the minimum 4 years and who have
lived in Australia for at least 2 years in the four years immediately
before the application is made. Applicants in this category
may be sponsored by a state/territory government.
The purpose of the Skilled Migration Program
is to help overcome skill shortages within the Australian workforce
and to identify individuals who can bring valuable economic benefits
to the Australian economy.
If you are a skilled professional, trades
person or student graduating from an Australian university, you
may qualify for a skilled visa.
Skilled Independent (Subclass
136) Visa - is for people who do not have a sponsor,
or who choose not to be sponsored. They wish to rely on their
own skill, education and employability to satisfy the visa criteria.
Skilled Australian Sponsored (Subclass
138) Visa – is for people who have a parent, non-dependent
child, brother, sister, aunt or uncle who is willing to sponsor
you. The sponsor can be living anywhere in Australia.
Skilled Designed Area Sponsored (Subclass
496) Visa - is for people who have a parent, non-dependent
child, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, first cousin or grandparent
who is willing to sponsor you. The sponsor must be living in a
regional, rural or low population growth area of Australia.
Skilled Independent Regional
(Subclasses 495) Visa – is for people who want
to live in a regional area of Australia and do not score enough
points to qualify for a Permanent Skilled Visa.
Skilled Overseas Student (Subclasses
880, 881 and 882) Visa – is for overseas students
currently studying (or just completed studying) in Australia that
want to remain in Australia.
There are other skilled visas, both permanent
and temporary, requiring sponsorship by an Australian employer.
Also, the states can sponsor applicants for permanent visas in
occupations that are in demand.
Spouse, or de facto Spouse, Partner Migration
Visa
Fiancé Visa (Prospective Marriage Partner) - intending
to get married, a fiancé.
Interdependent Partner Migration Visa - for people of the same
sex who live together interdependently.
Child
Children's (Child) Migration Visa
Adoption Migration Visa
Orphan Child Migration
Parent
New Visa regulations came into effect on
1st July, 2003 to cater for a larger entry of parents. 1,000
places will be available each year for the parent visa classes,
and 3,500 for the contributory parent visa classes. It is hoped
that this extra provision for parent migrants will clear the
waiting list, and allow families to be reunited. Parent visas
in the contributory classes will be processed faster.
Parent Visas that are capped - only a few
granted per year:
Parent Visa - Class AX (Subclass 103) –
Aged Parent Visa - Class BP (Subclass 804)
Parent Visas that are not capped - but there
is a high charge to cover medical expenses for older people.
Contributory Parent - Class CA (Subclass
143) - Parents are not limited on age if they apply outside
Australia.
Contributory Parent - Class DG (Subclass 864) - This visa
is available only to retirement-aged parents - Aged Parents.
Other Family
Aged Dependent Relative, Family Migration
- this is for elderly people who are now single, without a partner.
Remaining Relative Visa - for a relative who is the last family
member to remain overseas.
Carer Migration Visa - this visa is for someone travelling to
Australia to look after a relative.
There are seven different types of student
visa which may have differing conditions attached and these are:
Independent ELICOS - for those
undertaking an English Language Intensive Course either not leading
to an Australian award or to a variety of certificates.
Schools - primary or secondary
education.
Vocational Educational and Training
- covers a number of vocational certificates and diplomas.
Higher Education - covering
degrees and graduate qualifications.
Postgraduate Research - for
those undertaking Masters research or a Doctorate.
Non-Award - which are foundation studies or other
components of courses not leading to an Australian award.
AusAID and Defence - these
are full-time courses undertaken by an AusAID or Defence student
sponsored by the Australian Government.
Each applicant for a student visa is assessed
depending on country from which a passport is held and the type
of visa required. The assessment level is designed to indicate
how likely a student is to comply with the conditions of their
visa, based on their previous behaviour. The assessment levels
range from 1 to 5 and the higher the level, the more evidence
will be required to support the visa application in terms of the
student's ability to support themselves and their fluency in the
English language.
There are a number of conditions associated
with being granted a Student Visa, the most notable of which being
that the student must maintain adequate health insurance for the
duration of their stay, they may not work unless they apply for
a separate visa to do so and they must remain in full-time education.
The conditions are far more detailed than this but this gives
an idea of what is required of someone wanting to apply for a
Student Visa.
