Business valuation for business migration visas
Business and investor visa streams require evidence of the net value of a business interest, prepared by an independent qualified valuer. The report has to satisfy a case officer who will read it without the applicant present, so the documentation standard is high.
These reports are assessed by decision-makers applying published criteria, not by commercial parties negotiating. What matters is that the ownership, the valuation date, the methodology and the evidence are all unambiguous on the face of the document.
The brief
Who reads it, and what it has to satisfy
The purpose sets the standard of value, the level of documentation and the person the report has to convince. Getting that wrong is the most common reason a valuation is rejected.
A Department case officer, and your registered migration agent or immigration lawyer.
Market value of the ownership interest, net of liabilities, at a stated date.
As required by the visa criteria — frequently a date close to lodgement, and sometimes a historical date for a holding-period requirement.
What the report must contain for this purpose
- The applicant’s ownership interest, evidenced and stated as a percentage
- Market value of the business, with methodology and evidence
- Liabilities deducted, so the net value of the interest is explicit
- The valuation date, and its relationship to the visa criterion
- The valuer’s qualifications and independence, stated
- A signed declaration, in a document that stands alone
Sequence
How a visa valuation runs
The migration agent sets the criteria; we scope the valuation to them. Getting that alignment right at the start avoids a resubmission.
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01
Confirm the criterion with your agent
Which visa, which stream, which requirement, and what exactly must be evidenced — net business assets, ownership percentage, turnover, or a combination.
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02
Establish and evidence ownership
Share registers, trust deeds, partnership records and ASIC extracts, so the percentage in the report is documented rather than asserted.
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03
Value the business and its assets
The trading business, plus real property, plant and equipment where they form part of what must be evidenced — all valued in-house.
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04
Deliver a stand-alone report
Written so a case officer can follow it without further explanation, with the declaration, credentials and evidence on the face of the document.
Where it goes wrong
What causes requests for further information
Almost all of these are avoidable at the scoping stage.
Why the document standard matters
A request for further information adds months to a visa application and sometimes jeopardises it. A report scoped to the criterion, with ownership evidenced and the methodology visible, costs no more than one that is not — the difference is entirely in the scoping conversation at the start.
- Ownership not evidenced A stated percentage with no register, deed or ASIC extract behind it will be queried. The evidence has to be in the report, not in the applicant’s file.
- Gross rather than net value Where the criterion is net value, a report giving business value without deducting liabilities does not answer the question asked.
- The wrong valuation date Criteria frequently specify a date or a period. A report dated at the valuer’s convenience may not meet it, and the fix is a new report.
- A valuer without stated credentials The report must show who prepared it and what qualifies them. An unsigned or unattributed document invites a request for further information.
- Assertion instead of methodology A conclusion with no method, no evidence and no assumptions is not a valuation. Case officers are reading for exactly this.
What we need
Documents for this engagement
Your migration agent will usually tell us the criterion. Everything below establishes the ownership and the value behind it.
Open the standard checklist →- The visa criterion From your migration agent, in writing
- Ownership evidence Share register, ASIC extract, trust deed or partnership agreement
- Financial statements — three years For each entity in which an interest is held
- Tax returns and BAS As lodged, to corroborate the statements
- Asset and property details Registers, titles, leases and finance agreements
- Liability schedule All debt, finance and provisions, so net value is defensible
Business innovation and investment streams commonly require evidence of net business assets, ownership percentage and turnover, and some state and territory nomination requirements ask for the same. The exact criterion varies by visa and stream and changes over time, so your registered migration agent should confirm the requirement in writing and we scope the report to it.
The requirement is generally for an independent, suitably qualified valuer. Reports prepared by the applicant’s own accountant are more likely to attract questions about independence. Ours are prepared and signed by a Certified Practising Valuer of the Australian Valuers Institute, with credentials stated on the face of the report.
No, but the ownership evidence matters more. The trust deed, the unit register or the schedule of beneficiaries has to establish the applicant’s interest clearly, and the report values that interest rather than the whole entity. Complex structures are common and are simply documented properly.
We value Australian businesses and Australian assets. Where an applicant holds an overseas business, that generally needs a valuer in the relevant jurisdiction; we can value the Australian components of a group within the same matter.
Ten to twenty business days from complete information, and faster where a lodgement deadline requires it. Tell us the date at the outset and we will confirm whether it is achievable before you engage us.
Reviewed by a Certified Practising Valuer
Reviewed by Jarrad Khoury, Director and Head of Valuations — Registered Valuer (QLD, Not Limited), Licensed Valuer (WA, Not Limited), CPV and CBV. Published by Business Valuations Brisbane, the business valuation division of Asset Valuations Group.
Last reviewed
A report your case officer can rely on.
A free 15-minute scoping call, then a fixed fee in writing. No obligation, and nothing you send leaves our office.
1300 778 033