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Business Owner

Business Owner (Provisional) visa – Subclass 160

What is Subclass 160 Visa?

Subclass 160, one of the subclasses under Business Skills Program, 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.

Subclass 160 was closed to new applicants from 1 July 2012 but remains open for adding secondary/dependent applicants. The Business Skills Program was replaced by the Business Innovation and Investment Program (e.g. Subclass 188).

Current holder of Subclass 160 must apply for the ‘pre 1 July 2012’ permanent Business Skills visas (subclass 890 and 892).


What is the Application Process?

The following are necessary for the application process of this visa:

+ What is Relationship of the applicant?

Applicant must be a member of the family unit of the main applicant.

+ Adding members to the application

If the application for primary applicant has not yet been decided, other family unit members (including a partner) may still apply separately from the main applicant, provided that the primary application has not yet been decided.

+ Applications from family members of visa holders

Newborn children who are born in Australia to primary visa holder of this subclass are deemed to have the same visa as their parents.

Members of the family unit of primary visa holder of this subclass can join primary visa holder in Australia by submitting subsequent application. The intent is to recognise that the family circumstances of a visa holder may change during the four-year provisional period and to make it easier for babies born overseas and partners.

Subsequent applications from family unit can be evaluated without having to reconsider if all other visa holders in the family unit still meet the primary or secondary criteria.


What We Like About This Visa?

This visa subclass provides opportunity for those who are living in their home country and subject to persecution in home country. Unlike other refugee visas, the applicants do not need to show that they are residing outside of their home country.

There are no costs associated with this visa, unless the applicant is applying under the Community pilot. The Australian Government pays for:

  • travel costs to Australia

  • other costs before the Applicant leaves for Australia, including medical examinations and cultural orientation.

If a member of the Applicant’s immediate family was granted this visa in the past five years, he or she can propose the Applicant for this In-country Special Humanitarian visa under ‘split family’ provisions.


Client Testimonials

….we call it Support Network

As navigating through the immigration law process may be difficult, our former clients have agreed to share their experiences through telephone chats, emails and meeting in person.

These are their stories…

[SEE ALL TESTIMONIALS]


What Questions Do Migration Agents Ask Our Accredited Specialists

  1. Under what business structure, can a job placement company, apply to be a sponsor with the sole purpose of charging a fee to visa applicants? And is there a method which would allow the sponsor to place the visa applicant with another unrelated business?

  2. How can employers charge a payment to the visa applicants in exchange to sponsor, without being caught under the immigration offence ‘cash for visa’?

  3. How many types of visas (including streams), can a Temporary Activities Sponsor benefit from, in sponsoring more candidates? And are there any difference in the sponsorship obligation?

  4. Can a visa applicant pay for costs related to the visa applicant? or must the Sponsor pay for all costs? How do I explain & educate my client, a large company who does not wish to pay for any costs for the sponsorship because the Director feels that the visa applicant has more to benefit than the company.

  5. In what circumstances will a visa applicant lose their right to appeal a refusal?


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