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Ensuring Australia’s business visitor visa program meets the needs of business

5.

Thank you for agreeing to participate in this confidential survey about Australia’s business visitor visa system and how it might better meet the needs of your business. If you have not already done so we would suggest that you read the discussion paper “Ensuring Australia’s business visitor visa program meets the needs of business” which can be found on the projects page of the CENTIEM website at http://www.centiem.com
If you have any questions concerning the survey please do not hesitate to contact us at info@centimem.com
About your business
1.What industry sector(s) does your business operate in?
2.How many employees does you business have worldwide?
Use of business visitor visas by your business: Business visitor visas allow the visa holder to stay in Australia for business purposes for up to three months at a time and may provide for either single or multiple entries to Australia during the life of the visa.
3.Which of the following short-stay business visitor visas does your business currently use?
Yes
No
Subclass 977 – ETA (Business Entrant – Short Validity)
Subclass 956 – ETA (Business Entrant – Long Validity)
Subclass 651 – eVisitor (business)
Subclass 456 – Business (Short Stay)
Subclass 459 – Sponsored Business Visitor (Short Stay)
4.For what purposes does your business mostly use these visas?
5.Does your business ever use 456 visas in preference to ETAs or eVisitor visas?

6.Have you experienced any issues in obtaining 456 visas?
7.Do you experience problems with the use of business visitor visas by the business in circumstances where the human resources team is not informed?
Employment of overseas workers: The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) states that a business visitor visa should not be used to employ an overseas worker in circumstances where:

• the position is ongoing (more than 6 weeks); or
• cannot otherwise be done by an Australian citizen or permanent resident and is highly specialised in nature, is needed to be undertaken because of an emergency or urgent situation; or
• in very limited and exceptional cases, is of such economic or social significance to Australia and its citizens and residents that it is in ‘Australia's interest’.

In all other circumstances a 457 visa should normally be used.
8.Do you find it difficult to know when it is appropriate to use a business visitor visa for work purposes rather than a 457 or another type of visa?
9.Would it be useful to have more specific examples from DIAC about the type of work that can be undertaken on a business visitor visa?
10.What type of details would assist you?
11.Does the 457 visa adequately meet the needs of your business in relation to short-term intra-business transfers and short term engagements of employees and contractors?

12.In what ways does it not meet your needs?
13.Does your business require a more flexible visa for short-term intra-business transfers and short term engagements of employees and contractors?
14.What sort of flexibility would assist your business?
15.What do you think of DIAC's proposals to create a new short-term work visa?
Urgent assignments: Current DIAC policy states that it is not appropriate for applicants who intend to work in Australia, and who are waiting for their Business (Long Stay) (subclass 457) or other "400 series" visa application to be decided to travel to Australia on a subclass 456 visa.
16.Does your business experience problems in urgently bringing workers to Australia where they have applied for or intend to apply for a 457 visa?
17.Would it be of assistance to your business if DIAC policy clarified that it is acceptable for an overseas worker to travel to Australia using a business visitor visa whilst their application for a 457 is processed?
General Comments
18.Please provide any other comments about business visitor visas that you feel are relevant to your business.
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