Senior Executive Visa:

Definition:

This visa is designed is for senior executive employees of major overseas businesses, who have significant net assets and a genuine and realistic commitment to participate in the management of a new or existing business. This visa is also the first step towards being granted a permanent Business Skills visa.

Persons who can apply:

Senior executives from overseas who through their experience have gained the skills to successfully manage a business in Australia, are less than 55 years old, and their family.

Visa Cost:

You must pay a non-refundable visa charge when you lodge your visa application.
See: Business Development Visa Charges

What does the visa let me do?

With this visa you can:

• establish a new or existing business in Australia
• travel in and out of Australia any number of times as long as the visa is valid
• have your family accompany you to Australia. They will have access to work and study rights. Your family includes your spouse and any dependants.

Visa validity period:

This visa is valid for four years.
If the visa is granted while you are:

• in Australia (Student visa holders only), it is valid from the date of grant
• outside Australia, it is valid from the entry expiry date on your visa label.

Eligibility:

These pages provide information about the requirements that must be met to support a visa application.

• Main Applicant
• Family Member

Obligations:

As a Senior Executive (Provisional) visa holder you are expected to provide valuable input to the Australian economy. In that business you must actively participate in the day-to-day management of that business at a senior level, and continue to make genuine efforts to hold a substantial ownership interest at a senior level in the day-to-day management of such a business.

In that business you 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

You may be asked to complete a monitoring survey to provide us with information about your business activities in Australia.

Visa conditions

• You must not marry before you enter Australia
• You must enter Australia before anyone else included in your visa application
  Note: This means your family members cannot enter Australia before you.

Change in circumstances

If your circumstances change, you must inform the department (in writing) as soon as possible.
See: Form 1022 Notification of Changes in Circumstances (318KB PDF file)