The Liberals plan to get more start up entrepreneurs, with a little help from their friends.

LIBERALS plan a special low cost visa to get more people in SA as a key part of their population growth plan.

• Crackdown on foreign workers
• The jobs we can’t fill in SA
• Federal government backflip on visas
• Population lag - Bye, bye young South Aussies

ENTREPRENEURS wanting to create start ups in South Australia would find it much easier to get a visa under a pilot program promised by the Liberals.

Opposition leader Steven Marshall told the Sunday Mail he has struck a deal with the Federal Government for the program aimed at reversing the brain drain by encouraging businesses in emerging industries to call SA home.

He said the program, that would be kicked off under a Marshall-lead State Government, is designed to increase entrepreneurial talent and diversify business expertise.

Steven Marshall. Picture: Dylan Coker

“This is something South Australia must do to rebuild our economy,” Mr Marshall said.

“The opportunity this pilot visa provides to encourage people with innovative ideas to pursue their business development plans in South Australia aligns with our strong plan to create more jobs.

“We are confident that this arrangement can lead to participants applying for permanent residence in South Australia as they develop their business plans into successful enterprises creating new companies and jobs in our state.”

To secure the visa aimed at tapping into emerging industries that young South Australians want to be employed in:

APPLICANTS must be nominated by a South Australian Government or Australian Government entity to take forward an innovative idea with a supporting business plan;

NOMINATORS can partner with business ‘incubators and accelerators’ to identify potential applicants for nomination and foster a start-up hub in South Australia;

APPLICANTS must be under 45 years of age and able to demonstrate a vocational level of English.

Unlike the current entrepreneur visa which requires at least $200,000 in capital backing from applicants there would be no funding requirement for what Mr Marshall is dubbing a start-up visa.

Mr Marshall told the Sunday Mail the Commonwealth has also undertaken to prioritise visa applications from those wishing to invest in South Australian enterprises operating in key sectors, including advanced manufacturing and defence technology.

The visa plan is a key part of Mr Marshall’s population growth strategy.

SA’s population growth is less than half of the national average last year growing at 0.6 per cent compared to Australia’s population growth of 1.6 per cent.