Australian Franchisors may be missing out on attracting offshore Franchisees due to trepidation around the necessary visa requirements.
In short, the ‘self-sponsorship’ option under the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) programme is essentially closed to all but STEM based enterprises.
Usually, this leaves only two purpose built visa options:
- Using the Master Franchisor’s business sponsorship ‘license’ to facilitate the visa arrangements of the investing Franchisee; or,
- Using the Business and Investor (‘BIIP’) visa programme, and most readily, the Subclass 188 visa in the Innovation stream.
The problem with using a Master sponsorship license is that the Franchisor is liable for all of the immigration compliance risk throughout the network. Without ultimate visibility and control, this is an untenable risk with little benefit for either party, and it may not even facilitate a clear pathway to Australian permanent residence for the Franchisee.
On the other hand, the BIIP programme is a notoriously difficult visa category that very few migration professionals can handle.
With 13 years of Business and Investor visa experience, we have increasingly wondered how many Franchise opportunities go to waste because of patchy advice, and a poor understanding of how to make the BIIP work. Of course, it may not work 100% of the time, but our specialist team of business-savvy immigration professionals can provide an advisory service to screen your candidate’s eligibility for a Subclass 188 visa. This frees you up to confidently close the Franchise opportunity.
Further information is available from 188@fcbsmartvisa.com.au or speak with our Head of Migration on +612 9922 5188
