2016-Jul 29: Assessing Financial Sustainability

Visa Pak 270: Advice to staff about assessing the financial sustainability of the employer supporting the application.

Visa Paks

29 July 2016

Assessing Financial Sustainability

When assessing an application for a visa, an immigration officer needs to be satisfied that any offer of work is financially sustainable for the prospective employer. Assessment of an employer’s financial sustainability should take into account all facts about the employer’s business. Examining financial statements contributes toward this, but these are not determinative of an employer’s financial position on their own. If a business has failed to make a profit, this does not necessarily mean that it is not financially sustainable. Liquidity, past profitability and external factors such as industry performance and profitability also need to be taken into account.

When assessing whether employment is sustainable, immigration officers may consider, but are not limited to, financial factors such as previous years’ financial performance; current staff numbers and total wages spent; value of assets and liabilities; future growth prospects. Immigration officers should also take into account business factors such as the length of time the employer has been operating; the nature and scale of the business; the location of the business; and whether the job is genuine.