South Australia has allocated $400,000 to implement a pilot program for a new visa for startup entrepreneurs seeking to establish a business in the state.
The visa was first announced in March this year, before the SA state election.
Giving an undertaking to the South Australian Liberals to pilot the visa from SA before its national rollout in 2019, Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said it would foster business growth and investment in Australia.
The Government said it would increase job opportunities and boost the economy by attracting startups to establish operations in Australia.
This visa will be different from the existing entrepreneurial and Business & Innovation visas as it will not require any mandatory funding outlay and an applicant only needs to demonstrate vocational English language proficiency.
With the new visa, foreign entrepreneurs and investors with an innovative idea and a supporting business plan will be able to apply for a temporary visa to establish their venture in Australia.
South Australian Premier Steven Marshall Source: AAP
The applicants’ business proposals will be examined by the State or Federal Government and those successfully establishing their business venture in Australia will become eligible to apply for permanent residence.
The South Australia pilot will run over four years and 30 places allocated in the first year with the number of visas increasing every year, StartupSmart reports.
The South Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, David Ridgway said the new visa encourages growth in the local entrepreneurial culture.
“The new visa will drive entrepreneurialism and innovation in our state, with the future potential to employ South Australians,” Mr Ridgway said.
While it’s not yet clear whether any financial requirements apply to the applicants, they must be under the age of 45 and have vocational level English which is band 5 in each of the four components of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). They are also required to meet the health, character and financial requirements set by the Federal Government.
“We are confident that this arrangement can lead to participants applying for permanent residence in South Australia as they develop their business plans into successful enterprises creating new companies and jobs in our state,” said Mr Marshall said after the Federal Government’s announcement.
“These arrangements will also encourage more investment in those sectors of our economy with the greatest capacity to grow, including advanced manufacturing and defence technology following the Federal Government’s decision to centre the naval shipbuilding program in South Australia.”
