Relocating to Australia
Although Australia’s first immigrants may have been reluctant European outcasts, destined for a lifetime of hard labour, today this vast country lures 150,000 people annually from the UK alone.
Many of these hopefuls arrive to set up business for themselves in search of Australia’s famed sun, scenery and laid-back quality of life.
Australia is an affluent country with a stable economy and strong links to the UK, making it a more significant market for the UK than its comparatively small population of 20 million might suggest. With a market worth over £250 billion, Australia is a prime location for business immigrants.
The advantages of a shared language, a common basis for commercial law, similar business culture, genuine goodwill towards the UK, not to mention the presence of many UK companies already established in the market, make Australia hugely accessible to the fledgling exporter, as well as the more experienced. This is becoming ever more so as technological advances close the geographical gap between the two countries.
Business Broker, Eric Lahra, who has 30 years experience in the Australian market advises, “The professional businessperson looking to migrate to Australia should continue in the same field and not re-invent the wheel. Business here has adopted a very British system and there is a chance that the newcomer will introduce some new ideas to the local scene.”
Australia is a huge country with most people living in one of the major cities and 74% of the population living in centres of 20,000 or more, making the market easily identifiable. The principle cities of Sydney and Melbourne are large by international standards, with populations of 4.2 million and 3.4 million respectively.
Australia’s cities are young, vibrant and cosmopolitan places thanks to the waves of post-war immigration from southern Europe and Southeast Asia. As a result, creative and media, food and drink, recreation and leisure industries all rate highly on the list of sectors offering significant opportunities to British companies.
Other prime sectors are agriculture, mining, oil and gas, telecommunications, biotechnology and railways and with most of Australia’s population living within 20 km of the sea, marine industries are hot to invest in.
The business skills class of Australia’s migration programme helps successful business people to settle permanently in Australia and develop new or existing businesses. It is advisable to seek assistance from an agent before your application as there are only 110,000 places available each year for migrants and competition is fierce.
Under the recently introduced two-stage arrangements, business migrants are granted a provisional visa for four years and, after meeting the requisite level of achievement or maintaining their eligible investment, are fit to make an application for a residence visa.
Applicants for provisional visas must have had a successful business career to date and have significant net assets to settle in Australia. For the second stage residence visa, business people must have had ownership interest in one actively operating business in Australia for at least two years, employ at least two Australian citizens, and have achieved a decent annual turnover.
Western Australia is Australia’s largest state, covering the most resourceful third of the country, and being as close to Singapore as it is to Sydney, it is ideally equipped to service the growing economies of Asia and the Indian Ocean rim. Well placed for air travel, freight networks, shipping lines and telecommunications, the state is home to Ernst & Young, Coopers and Lybrand and many other key international businesses.
The comparatively sparsely populated regions of the Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland are loaded with lucrative industries including offshore gas exploration, mining, farming, fishing and tourism, but are still ripe for investment as most migrants head for the economically strong cities.
The tourist trade in particular, should be highly attractive to the business migrant as Australia’s rich aboriginal culture and stunning natural beauty continues to draw in over a million visitors a year.
Lahra feels that the best business move for the individual looking for a lifestyle change would be in this industry, “I would recommend a tourism and/or accommodation business (motel or B&B) where you normally get the housing with the business. This makes the start in a new country much easier and you start interacting with the travellers and local community immediately.”
View businesses for sale in Australia
Many of these hopefuls arrive to set up business for themselves in search of Australia’s famed sun, scenery and laid-back quality of life.
Australia is an affluent country with a stable economy and strong links to the UK, making it a more significant market for the UK than its comparatively small population of 20 million might suggest. With a market worth over £250 billion, Australia is a prime location for business immigrants.
The advantages of a shared language, a common basis for commercial law, similar business culture, genuine goodwill towards the UK, not to mention the presence of many UK companies already established in the market, make Australia hugely accessible to the fledgling exporter, as well as the more experienced. This is becoming ever more so as technological advances close the geographical gap between the two countries.
Business Broker, Eric Lahra, who has 30 years experience in the Australian market advises, “The professional businessperson looking to migrate to Australia should continue in the same field and not re-invent the wheel. Business here has adopted a very British system and there is a chance that the newcomer will introduce some new ideas to the local scene.”
Australia is a huge country with most people living in one of the major cities and 74% of the population living in centres of 20,000 or more, making the market easily identifiable. The principle cities of Sydney and Melbourne are large by international standards, with populations of 4.2 million and 3.4 million respectively.
Australia’s cities are young, vibrant and cosmopolitan places thanks to the waves of post-war immigration from southern Europe and Southeast Asia. As a result, creative and media, food and drink, recreation and leisure industries all rate highly on the list of sectors offering significant opportunities to British companies.
Other prime sectors are agriculture, mining, oil and gas, telecommunications, biotechnology and railways and with most of Australia’s population living within 20 km of the sea, marine industries are hot to invest in.
The business skills class of Australia’s migration programme helps successful business people to settle permanently in Australia and develop new or existing businesses. It is advisable to seek assistance from an agent before your application as there are only 110,000 places available each year for migrants and competition is fierce.
Under the recently introduced two-stage arrangements, business migrants are granted a provisional visa for four years and, after meeting the requisite level of achievement or maintaining their eligible investment, are fit to make an application for a residence visa.
Applicants for provisional visas must have had a successful business career to date and have significant net assets to settle in Australia. For the second stage residence visa, business people must have had ownership interest in one actively operating business in Australia for at least two years, employ at least two Australian citizens, and have achieved a decent annual turnover.
Western Australia is Australia’s largest state, covering the most resourceful third of the country, and being as close to Singapore as it is to Sydney, it is ideally equipped to service the growing economies of Asia and the Indian Ocean rim. Well placed for air travel, freight networks, shipping lines and telecommunications, the state is home to Ernst & Young, Coopers and Lybrand and many other key international businesses.
The comparatively sparsely populated regions of the Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland are loaded with lucrative industries including offshore gas exploration, mining, farming, fishing and tourism, but are still ripe for investment as most migrants head for the economically strong cities.
The tourist trade in particular, should be highly attractive to the business migrant as Australia’s rich aboriginal culture and stunning natural beauty continues to draw in over a million visitors a year.
Lahra feels that the best business move for the individual looking for a lifestyle change would be in this industry, “I would recommend a tourism and/or accommodation business (motel or B&B) where you normally get the housing with the business. This makes the start in a new country much easier and you start interacting with the travellers and local community immediately.”
View businesses for sale in Australia
Australia Checklist
- There is a large demand to emigrate to Australia at present
Australia boasts a great standard of living
Key industries are food and drink, creative, leisure, agriculture, mining, oil and gas, telecommunications, biotechnology, marine and tourist
Permanent visas can be obtained after two years of owning a business
Cities are economically strong and more rural areas ripe for investment
Australia Resources
International Chamber of Commerce
Australia’s largest international Chamber of Commerce with offices in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth
www.amcham.com.au
Australian Department of Immigration
www.immi.gov.au
Western Australia’s business and investment gateway
www.big.wa.au
Australian High Commission
Australia House
The Strand
London WC2B 4LA
Tel: 44 020 7887 5226
Fax: 44 020 7836 4250
Australia’s largest international Chamber of Commerce with offices in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth
www.amcham.com.au
Australian Department of Immigration
www.immi.gov.au
Western Australia’s business and investment gateway
www.big.wa.au
Australian High Commission
Australia House
The Strand
London WC2B 4LA
Tel: 44 020 7887 5226
Fax: 44 020 7836 4250