ChAFTA versus Permanent Residency in Australia

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We know that the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) which entered into force on 20 December 2015 makes a commitment to reduce labour mobility and improve temporary entry access for the Chinese into Australia. As an immigration lawyer, one key question I am now often asked by Chinese clients is: ‘Does the introduction of ChAFTA lead to easier visa options to obtain Permanent residency in Australia?’

Below are some of the proposed changes brought about from ChAFTA which aim to facilitate greater mobility (for Chinese entering Australia)

• Intra-corporate transferees and independent executives (including executives, managers and specialists) are allowed guaranteed entry up to 4 years
• Contractual service suppliers are allowed entry up to 4 years, including guaranteed access for up to a combined total of 1,800 per year in the four occupations: chefs, Wushu martial artist coaches, traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and Mandarin language tutors
• Installers and servicers are guaranteed entry for up to 3 months
• Business visitors for up to 90 days, or 6 months for business visitors who are service sellers.
• Introduction of working holiday visa arrangements to facilitate cultural exchange for young Chinese nationals (total of 5000 spots)
• Through MoU the new Investment Facilitation Arrangements (IFA) allow Chinese owned companies registered in Australia undertaking large infrastructure development projects above $150 million to negotiate labour flexibilities for specific projects.
• Liberation of the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) screening threshold for Chinese investors in non-sensitive sectors from $252 million to $1,094 million (sensitive investment sectors include Media, telecommunications, and defence-related industries).
• Removal/reduction of tariffs for both import and exporting goods to facilitate greater trade and mobility
• China’s agreement to list on its ‘Study Abroad’ (JSJ) website (www.jsj.edu.cn) an additional 77 Australian private higher education institutions registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS)

• For significant investors, the Department of Immigration now requires investors to inject 10% of the $5 million into highly volatile venture capital investments, and imposed a direct limitation on the balancing investment component which forbids investment on residential real estate to pass 10% of the total investment, which has always been a key area of Chinese investment into Australia.
• For commodity trading, Importers/Exporters/Wholesalers are on the government Consolidated Sponsored Occupation List (CSOL) and sponsor-able under the 457 work visa program which can be later transitioned to 186 permanent residency. However, the current 457 program places a major emphasis on ‘genuineness’ of the position/role within the business, that the position cannot be created to secure a visa outcome.
• Under the employer sponsored visa, DIBP policy specifies that it does not favourably consider business sponsors who are self -sponsoring, ie - directors and family members or relatives.
• The need for a business to be ‘non-speculative’ in nature for business innovation visas, which may exclude businesses which manage speculative investments such as stocks and real estate.
• Specific state requirements and preferred business sectors for business talent and investor visas
• The English requirement for student visas and subsequent skills assessment and selection criteria for Independent skilled migration.

《中澳自贸协定》与澳洲永居

《中澳自由贸易协定》（中澳自贸协定）自2015年12月20日生效，致力于减少劳动流动性限制，促进中国公民进入澳大利亚的临时入境访问。作为一名移民律师，我经常被中国客户问到一个关键问题：“中澳自贸协定是否为拿澳洲永居带来了更简单的签证选择？”

下面列出了中澳自贸协定提出的部分变化，旨在促进（中国公民前往澳洲）的流动性。

·   公司内部调派员工和独立高管（包括执行高管、经理和专家）可以入境逗留最多4年。

·   合同服务提供者可入境逗留最多4年，包括向中医师、中文教师、中国厨师和武术教练提供每年1800个入境配额。

·   安装人员和服务人员可逗留最多3个月。

·   商务访客逗留最多90天，或者如果商务访客为服务销售商，则可逗留最多6个月。

·   为中国青年赴澳提供每年5000人的假日工作签证，推动两国青年交往和文化交流。

·   通过谅解备忘录，新的投资促进安排（Investment Facilitation Arrangements ）允许在澳注册的中国企业参与1.5亿澳元的大型基础设施开发项目，实现具体项目灵活的雇佣安排。

·   外国投资审查委员会（FIRB）放宽了对中国投资者投资非敏感行业的审查门槛，从2.52亿澳元提高至10.94亿澳元（敏感投资行业包括媒体、电信和国防相关行业）。

·   取消/减少进出口商品的关税，促进贸易的增加和流动性的提升。

·   中国同意在教育部教育涉外监管信息网（ www.jsj.edu.cn ）上新增在澳大利亚联邦政府招收海外学生院校及课程注册机构（CRICOS）注册的77家澳洲私立高等教育机构。

虽然中澳自贸协定带来的上述变化会推动持有投资签证、商务担保签、学生签证等各类签证的人员的流动性，您可能没有意识到澳洲的移民政策和签证壁垒，特别是在申请永居的阶段。有以下几点移民事项值得考虑：

·   对于重大投资者而言，澳洲移民局目前要求投资者将500万澳元的10%用于高波动性的风险资本投资，对均衡型投资部分进行直接限制，防止对住宅房地产的投资超过总投资的10%，而住宅房地产一向是中国投资澳洲的主要领域。

·   商品贸易方面，进口商/出口商/批发商都在政府的统一担保职业清单（CSOL）上，可以被担保获得457工作签证，之后可转为186永居签证。但是，目前的457签证着重强调企业内任职的“真实性”，换言之，该职位并非因为要办签证才设立的。

·   针对雇主担保签证，澳大利亚移民和边境保卫部（DIBP）的政策规定移民局不会更青睐自行担保的商业担保人，即高管及其家人或亲属。

·   商业创新签证方面，公司必须不从事投机性质的行为，这可能会剔除管理投机投资（如股票和房地产）的企业。

·   商务人才和投资者签证的各州具体要求和首选商业类别。

·   学生签证的英语要求和之后的技能评估以及独立技术移民的选拔标准。

请不要将中澳自贸协定“放开了中澳两国的投资和商业壁垒”与“放开签证要求”混淆在一起。虽然中澳自贸协定肯定会增加中澳两国间的机遇，但是请在进行投资和/或做出商业决定之前，寻求专业的移民法律建议。

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