Coming to Australia to start a business
If you’d like to start a business in Australia, but you’re not an Australian citizen or permanent resident, you should know:
- how to get the right visa
- the legal and government requirements that apply to Australian businesses.
Business visas
The Department of Home Affairs is responsible for Australian business visas.
Business Innovation and Investment visas
If you have business skills and want to set up and manage a new or existing business in Australia, take a look at the Provisional Business Innovation and Investment visas.
Before you can apply for these visas, you must be nominated by a state or territory government.
Generally, you’ll need to follow these steps:
- Submit an expression of interest through the Department of Home Affairs’ SkillSelect online service.
- See if a state or territory government decides to invite you to apply for a visa. You can wait for a state or territory government to contact you, or you can contact them directly.
- If you receive an invitation, apply for a visa. You’ll need to meet certain requirements and provide documents to support your application.
If you’re granted one of these provisional visas, it will be valid for four years, and you’ll have completed the first step towards getting a Permanent Business Innovation and Investment visa.
Business Talent visas
You may also be eligible for the Permanent Business Talent visa if you:
- own or part-own an overseas business, have net business and personal assets of at least AUD $1.5 million, and an annual business turnover of at least AUD $3 million, or
- have obtained at least AUD $1 million in venture capital funding in Australia to develop a high-value business idea.
More about business visas
For an overview of business visas, read the Department of Home Affairs’ business migration fact sheet. You may also be interested in their information about:
Starting and running a business in Australia
The money and time it takes to start and run a business in Australia varies greatly, and depends on the type of business you’d like to run and the supplies and licences you’ll need. To help you understand what’s involved, take a look at the following resources:
- Starting a business guide – for information about business planning, different business types, and the steps you need to take to start a business in Australia.
- Starting a company page on the Australian Securities and Investments Commission website – for information about company structures, legal obligations and Australian Company Numbers.
- Australian Business Licensing and Information Service – for information about the government licences, permits, approvals, registrations, codes of practice, standards and guidelines you may need for your business.
Related information
- Read about investing in Australia on the AusTrade website. AusTrade is the Australian Government’s trade and investment development agency.
- Find out about how foreign residents are taxed when doing business in Australia on the Australian Taxation Office website.