Australia Investment Immigration

Investment immigration is by definition, where an individual invests a set amount of money as stipulated by the country he/she wishes to seek permanent residency in. The investment is solely for the benefit of the country’s economy where the individual wishes to reside in, thus allowing them to qualify for permanent residency through an investment immigration program. Each jurisdiction has different requirements to satisfy, as outlined below:

Why Immigrate to Australia

Australia is a highly sought after location for foreigners to permanently reside in, due to its strong and stable economic infrastructure, attractive working conditions and high standard of living. Australia is considered a financial hub and has adopted an advanced financial and telecommunications system, which allows for the ease of business start ups and international business relations. Australia is a popular location for foreign investors; the standard of health care and education in Australia is high, while real estate offers good value for money. To obtain a visa from Australia through an investment immigration program, you must invest into the Australian Government bonds.

There are many conditions which must be satisfied for an applicant to successfully gain an investment immigration visa in Australia. The main programs available as an investor are that of unsponsored investment, sponsored investment or an investment retirement visa. The type of program you will opt for is dependent on both your age and financial status. Some of these are detailed below:

Australia Investors

- The applicant must be 45 years old or less with vocational English

- Must be willing to invest their funds in Australia for a minimum of 4 years

- Must have a personal net worth of a least AU$2,250,000 (this net worth must be applicable for the 2 years previous to the individual’s visa application)

- The net worth of the individual must have been earned in a legitimate manner (with proof)

- For an applicant’s visa to be successful they must invest AU$1,500,000 into an Australia project or enterprise, which will in turn benefit the Australian economy

- Before an applicant can invest, they must have relevant experience within the previous 5 years prior to his application. Experience can be in the form of a) managing a business where you owned at least 10%, or b) managing investments worth a net value of AU$1,500,000.

- All visa applicants must meet the Australian standards of health, character, credibility and police background checks before they are approved for entry.

- The applicant (once invested in Australia) is granted a 4 year visa which would then be extended to a permanent residency visa if all the applicable investment conditions had been met.

Sponsored Investor

Sponsored Investors in Australia are subject to less stringent rules for residency visa application, however there are still several conditions which must me satisfied:

- For an applicant to be a sponsored investor, they must be under 55 years of age

- The applicant must have gained the sponsorship from a participating state

- Sponsored investors are subject to a lower level of personal net worth to satisfy (AU$1,125,000) however they must buy AU$750,000 Australian Government Bonds

- The individual must also prove their net worth status was legitimately gained

- No inappropriate business history, including dealings with illegal drugs, will be accepted

- Both sponsored and unsponsored investors must have relevant experience before investing into an Australia project.

- The applicant must satisfy relevant Australian health, credibility and police background checks.

- Unlike the unsponsored investor, a sponsored investor does not need vocational English, however they must intend to live in Australia for at least 2 years after the visa is approved

- If the sponsoring state determines the applicant’s business proposal as of ‘exceptional economic benefit’ the applicant may be able to apply for a residency visa under the ‘Business Talent’ investor program.

Retirement Investor Visa

This program is applicable for those individuals seeking permanent residency and who are aged 55 or over. Certain conditions must be met in order to be approved for this visa:

- Applicants must meet Australian health standards

- Applicants must have sufficient resources to cover living expenses while residing in Australia

- Applicants must be willing and able to make an investment into Australia

As residency visas in Australia are only granted initially for a maximum of 4 years, once the 4 years has expired you may seek a permanent residency visa. This can only be achieved where you have managed your investment bonds in Australia successfully for the full 4 year term. Furthermore you must have lived in Australia for a minimum of 2 out of the 4 years of holding the initial residence visa. During your 4 year investment visa period, you should not have participated in any inappropriate business, such as dealing with illegal drugs, but you should be committed and able to continue engaging in effective and beneficial business within Australia.

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