Senior Executive (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 161) for Australia

If you are a senior executive employee of a major overseas businesses with significant net assets and a genuine and realistic commitment to participate in the management of a new or existing business in Australia, then you may want to consider the Senior Executive (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 161). This visa is also the first step towards being granted a permanent Business Skills visa (after two years).

In short, the visa is intended for senior executives from overseas who have gained the skills to successfully manage a business in Australia. With this visa, applicants can:

• Establish a new or an existing business in Australia.
• Travel in and out of Australia any number of times for as long as the visa remains valid.
• Bring their family, including their partner and any dependants, with them to Australia. They will have work and study rights.

In that business, applicants must also do at least one of the following:

• Develop business links with international markets.
• Create or maintain employment in Australia.
• Export Australian goods.
• Produce goods or services that would otherwise be imported.
• Introduce new or improved technology.
• Add to commercial activity and competitiveness within sectors of the Australian economy.

Applicants may also need to complete a monitoring survey to keep the Department of Immigration and Citizenship informed about their business activities in Australia. In addition, applicants will need to be under 45 years of age and must pay a non-refundable visa charge when a visa application is lodged. The first installment due is A$3,360 and a second installment of A$3,510 is due for dependents 18 or over with less than functional English.