- Foreign Investment Guidelines
- Arrangements For International Business Visitor Visas
- Assistance from Invest Australia
Assistance from Invest Australia.
Foreign companies planning to establish or expand business operations in Australia can obtain professional assistance, free of charge from Invest Australia.
Invest Australia is the Australian Government’s inward investment agency and is the first point-of-contact for all inquiries.
Companies planning to start or expand operations in Australia can obtain information and assistance from Invest Australia and its international network.
Headquartered in Canberra, Invest Australia provides on-the-ground support from 15 locations around the world, with offices in Sydney, Singapore, Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Seoul, Tokyo, Dubai, Mumbai, New Delhi, Frankfurt, Paris, London, New York, and San Francisco. Where Invest Australia does not have representation, it works in collaboration with Austrade, and with Australian embassies and consulates.
Over the past four years Invest Australia has played a verified role in
attracting or facilitating 289 projects worth approximately A$41.7 billion,
with the potential to create more than 21,000 jobs and generate A$8.1 billion
in export earnings.
Invest Australia can help with:
- connections with the right industry and government contacts;
- information on regulations and government programs;
- arrangement of site visits and links with potential joint venture partners;
- expert advice from industry specialists on Australia’s industry capabilities and strengths;
- assistance in identifying potential opportunities in Australia;
- information on business costs, skills availability, taxation and research and development opportunities;
- streamlined project approvals processes; and
- facilitation of major projects.
Major Project Facilitation
Invest Australia facilitates new investment by providing companies with
a single contact point within the Australian Government. Through the Major
Project Facilitation (MPF) service, Invest Australia provides the proponent
with information, advice and support to assist with necessary government
approvals. Invest Australia also identifies the sequence and timings for
key approvals and the relevant government programs that may assist the project.
The objectives of the MPF service are to:
- assist proponents of large projects to obtain decisions on necessary Australian Government approvals wherever possible within that project's commercial timeframe;
- add value to those projects, particularly where the required approvals are complex and extensive i.e. where MPF can assist with the prompt implementation of the project;
- demonstrate the Government's commitment to support major new projects; and
- identify any impediments to the project proceeding and where appropriate advise government of the need for policy or procedural change.
Supported Skills Program
The Invest Australia Supported Skills Program is designed to encourage international firms to choose Australia as a location for foreign direct investment. It allows companies that make a significant investment in Australia to bring out key expatriate managerial and specialist employees from within the company group that are essential to establish operations in Australia.
A Supported Skills Immigration agreement provides access to permanent and long stay temporary business visas and streamlined visa processing. While there is no application fee, normal Department of Immigration and Citizenship fees do apply.
Strategic Investment Coordination
Through the Strategic Investment Coordination process, Invest Australia advises the Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources on requests for investment incentives. Requests for incentives are considered on a case by case basis against published criteria.
The Strategic Investment Coordination process is open to both international and domestic businesses. The objectives of the process are to attract to Australia projects with significant net economic and employment benefits that would otherwise have located in another country and to increase sustainable investment in Australia.
To find out how Invest Australia can help businesses to establish a presence in the Asia-Pacific the world’s fastest growing region visit the Invest Australia website or email askus@investaustralia.gov.au.