The Global Talent Visa-Independent Program (GTI) is designed to provide highly qualified and talented persons with a streamlined and priority visa pathway to permanently relocate to Australia. The government wants to bring in bright people from all around the world who are at the top of their fields in so-called “target sectors.”
Independent Global Talent Program
The number of places in the GTI program will be increased, bringing the total to 15,000 people.
Taskforce on Global Business and Talent Attraction
To promote the post-COVID recovery and boost local jobs, a new whole-of-government Global Business and Talent Attraction Taskforce will be established to lure foreign enterprises and exceptional talent to Australia.
This project draws on the Prime Minister’s existing Global Talent Campaign and Business Innovation and Investment Program, as well as a new initiative to attract export-oriented Hong Kong-based enterprises to Australia, which was unveiled on July 9, 2020.
What is the Global Talent Initiative (GTI) visa program?
To attract highly educated and talented persons, the Department collaborates with Australian institutions, industry organizations, and state and territory governments. Global Talent Officers can be found in major cities throughout the world, including London, Shanghai, Singapore, Berlin, and Washington, DC. These officers work with important industries to recruit applicants for the GTI program.
Individuals who are proficient in one of the seven target sectors and can earn a wage that meets the fair work high-income criteria or are recent PhD, Masters, or Honors graduates are sought by the Department. The program is only open to those who have been referred by either the Global Talent Officers or a nominator.
Sectors to be targeted Resources
- Agri-food and AgTech are two terms that are often used interchangeably.
- Energy
- Industries that deal with health
- Defence, advanced manufacturing, and space are three of the most important sectors in the aerospace industry.
- Economic Circularity
- DigiTech
- Tourism and Infrastructure
- FinTech and Financial Services
- Education
Salary range to expect
The high-income level is set by Fair Work Australia and is modified every financial year. The limit for this year is $153,600.
- The applicant’s capacity to meet the threshold will be evaluated by the Department using the following criteria:
- The applicant’s current remuneration
- Recent PhD or Masters Graduates in the target fields have a job offer stating the remuneration.
See Fair Work High Income Threshold for further details.
The GTI Program’s Advantages
The following are some of the advantages of the GTI Program:
- Prioritization of processing
- There is no upper age limit for applying.
What is the procedure for applying?
To apply, you must meet the following requirements:
- To acquire a unique identifier from the Global Talent Officers, submit an application; and
- Find someone to nominate you; and
- If you’ve completed these two procedures successfully, you can apply for a visa.
Highly qualified professionals may be asked to apply for a Distinguished Talent visa if they are suggested to the Department (subclass 124 or subclass 858).
Use the following form to assess your global talent:
- to recommend a highly talented professional at the top of their industry to the Global Talent Independent initiative (for a global talent unique identifier), or
- can submit an application for a Distinguished Talent visa through the Global Talent Independent program (you will need a global talent unique identifier)
Unique identifier
Individuals who meet the program’s eligibility standards will be given a unique identifier. You must fill out the Global Talent Contact form and send an expression of interest (EOI). You will receive confirmation that your EOI has been received once it has been submitted. The EOI does not have a set processing time. However, it is thought that these are currently taking longer than usual due to COVID-19.
Nominator
A nominator will be required to nominate the candidate for the program. The nominator must have a national reputation in the applicant’s field and be one of the following:
- an Australian citizen or permanent resident who is eligible.
- citizen of New Zealand who qualifies
- an organization based in Australia
Your nominator could be your institution, your employer, your industry body, or your peers, depending on your industry.
To determine the nominator’s national reputation, a variety of elements may be considered. The Department may, for example, examine the nominator’s:
- record of accomplishments
- the industry’s leadership
- professional relationships with prominent companies and trade associations
- previous work experience
- contribution to scholarly journals worldwide
- attendance in regional and international conferences
Application for a visa
You will be able to submit your application for the Distinguished Talent Visa once you have obtained the unique identifier (outside Australia). It will be a subclass 858 Distinguished Talent Visa whether you are in or out of Australia. Previously, you had to apply for a subclass 124 Distinguished Talent Visa if you were outside of Australia or held an improper visa.
Changes in global talent – Masters and Honours students
The Global Talent Independent program no longer allows Masters and Honours students to be invited simply on the basis of their academic qualifications.
This policy change applies to all future EOI assessments and to EOI submissions made by candidates who have not yet received a Global Talent program invitation before January 20, 2021.
Candidates who submitted an EOI previous to the policy changes but were not invited are urged to assess their eligibility and apply again if they fit the new criteria.
New qualifying criteria:
- Applicants must demonstrate that they are highly skilled in one of the target industries, as well as:
- demonstrate their international recognition with evidence of excellent and extraordinary accomplishments
- continue to be well-known in their field
- demonstrate that they would be a valuable asset to Australia in their sector
- having no trouble finding work in Australia or establishing themselves in their field
- have a well-known Australian organization or individual vouch for them as a global talent in the same field as the candidate
Applicants must fulfill a high threshold and have a long history of professional and noteworthy accomplishments. Senior positions, patents, professional honors, international publications, media pieces, and international memberships are examples of this.
Applicants should be able to command a salary that is equal to or greater than the Fair Work high income criteria.
The Department considers the following factors while evaluating the applicant:
- current salary, as evidenced by paystubs or a contract, or
- future job offers with salary details, or
- PhD students having necessary qualifications in the target sectors, as well as recent PhD graduates.
What is the Distinguished Talent Visa, and how does it work?
Individuals who have achieved global recognition for their remarkable success in a career, sport, the arts, or academics and research are eligible for the Distinguished Talent Visa. It’s a visa that allows you and your family to live permanently in Australia.
When applying for a visa, the Department will take into account the following factors:
- Your gift must assist the Australian community, the Australian economy, Australia’s social and cultural standing, or boost Australia’s profile in academia, the arts, or sport.
- You must have an international reputation and have been a leader in your profession for the past two years.
- You must be able to demonstrate that you can find work in your field in Australia.
- A nominator is required. In the same field as you, the nominator must have a national reputation.
How much does it cost?
$4,110 for the main applicant
$1,030 for a dependent (under the age of 18).
Dependent (over the age of 18): $2,055
Financial Year 2020/21
For the 2020/21 fiscal year, 15000 places have been awarded, which is three times more than the previous fiscal year.
Grants for GTI visa
are broken down into seven target areas. Statistics from the Department of Home Affairs’ 2019-2020 Migration Program. The following is a breakdown of grants by targeted sector:
- Quantum information, advanced digital, data science, and information and communication technologies (28 percent )
- Medical Technology (26 percent )
- Mining and Energy Technology (20 percent )
- Agriculture Technology (AgTech) (9 percent )
- Advanced Manufacturing and Space (8 percent )
- FinTech (financial technology) is (6 percent )
- Cyber security is an important topic (3 percent )
The Distinguished Talent (subclass 858) visa was renamed to the Global Talent (subclass 858) visa on February 27, 2021.
Eligible applicants in or outside Australia can apply for a Distinguished Talent (subclass 124) or Global Talent (subclass 858) visa as of this date. This is assuming they are not in the process of obtaining immigration clearance at the time the decision is made.
The Global Talent (subclass 858) visa offers two options:
- Pathway to a Global Talent Visa
- Pathway for Exceptional Talent
For information on applying for the Global Talent Visa pathway, eligible applicants with suitable abilities and experience in a priority sector may visit the Global Talent Visa webpage. Eligible applicants will be requested to apply for a Global Talent (subclass 858) visa, and they are highly encouraged to do so as soon as possible. When applying for priority processing under the Global Talent pathway, applicants must include their invitation details.
Applicants who are not qualified for a Global Talent visa invitation should look into alternative visa options. The Distinguished Talent track is in high demand and is only available to the most remarkable and outstanding people. The Distinguished Talent program takes an average of 18-20 months to process.
The Taskforce on Global Business and Talent Attraction
The Government released a bold roadmap for economic growth last year, with the JobMaker Plan a crucial tool to assist turbocharge the Australian economy, amid global uncertainties fueled by COVID-19. The Prime Minister established the Global Business and Talent Attraction Taskforce as part of his drive to create thousands of high-quality employment for Australians. He refers to their aim as “brain gain for Australia.”
The Taskforce is an Australian government effort aimed at attracting the finest and brightest enterprises and individuals. It is aimed at high-yielding businesses that can bring innovative technologies, cutting-edge research and development, intellectual property, and finance to our shores.
The Taskforce is looking for extraordinarily brilliant people who are experts in their fields and can drive innovation. It is attracting the most successful enterprises with significant growth potential as well as highly qualified employees from future-oriented industries to come to Australia and develop their ideas.
The Taskforce is assisting senior executives, firm employees, and their families in relocating to Australia with flexible immigration solutions to expedite their transfer. It will assist them connect with industry and supportive business ecosystems so that they can get up and running quickly.
Changes were made on February 27, 2021, to increase Australia’s competitiveness as a relocation destination and make it easier and faster for outstanding individuals and high-value firms to migrate and contribute to the post-COVID economic recovery of Australia.
The option for the Taskforce to directly propose suitable extraordinarily talented people who will make a significant impact to the Australian economy is one of the changes to the Global Talent visa (previously known as the Distinguished Talent visa).
A temporary work visa option has also been developed to allow for the quick temporary deployment (up to 18 months) of critically trained workers to Australia in order to establish a ‘beach-head’ for their business relocation. The Temporary Activity visa (subclass 408), Australian Government Endorsed Events stream, and Post COVID-19 Economic Recovery event will all be accessible for this visa option.
The relocating business will be eligible for up to ten visas under this stream.
