The Australian government recently announced an extension of the Business Visitor Visa validity for nationals of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries and Timor-Leste.

According to the government of Australia, nationals of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Timor-Leste who filed their Business Visitor visa applications after April 1, 2024, are now eligible for  multiple-entry visas with longer validity.

Instead of the previous three years, nationals of the 11 countries mentioned above will now be granted Business Visitor visas with a validity period of five years, VisaGuide.World reports.

Business Visitors Are Now Allowed Longer Stays & Multiple Entries Over a Longer Period in Australia

This policy change aims to facilitate smoother and more frequent business exchanges by allowing longer stays and multiple entries over a longer period. Previously, the citizens of the countries mentioned above were granted a Business Visitor Visa for up to three years.

Business visitors with a tourist visa (subclass 600) can now stay for up to three months at a time during multiple visits.

As a visitor on a business visa under this category, you are permitted to carry out particular business-related activities, such as investigating, negotiating, and taking part in the assessment of business contracts, as well as general questions about business and employment-related issues.

Internationals holding the Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 188) can own and manage a business for four years but do not offer a permanent stay.

In this regard, streams under the Subclass 188 include the following ones:

• Business Innovation
• Investor
• Significant Investor streams
• Premium Investor
• Entrepreneur

Australia Recently Considered to Extend Its 10-Year Frequent Traveler Visa Scheme for Visitors ASEAN Countries, Too

Additionally, the Australian government is also set to expand the ten-year Visitor Visa Frequent Traveler stream to cover nationals from ASEAN countries (excluding Myanmar) and Timor-Leste later this year.

These changes enhance Australia’s Migration Strategy by increasing international mobility, fostering regional relationships, and strengthening community connections between ASEAN countries and Australia.

In a move to boost its tourism sector, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that Australia will create a $2 billion ($1.3 billion) fund to help with regional investment. Among these plans, he revealed that his country would also provide $140 million over four years to help build infrastructure and create particular sites called “landing pads” to help Australian businesses in Vietnam and Indonesia.

Moreover, in January 2024, Australia took a different approach by discontinuing its Significant Investor Visa (SIV) scheme, commonly known as the Golden Visa program. Following this program, wealthy foreign investors could obtain residency in Australia by making significant financial investments and meeting specific criteria.

However, since its first introduction, thousands of Significant Investor Visas have been granted through this scheme, with a total of 85 percent of successful applicants were Chinese citizens.