The Government of Australia wants to create a more prosperous country by inviting the best and the brightest talents from different countries. For this, they have officially launched a program called Global Talent Visa or the Global Talent Visa- Independent Program (GTI), on 4th November, 2019. Australia intends to attract such talented individuals to their county by offering permanent residence and other benefits.

Global Talent Visa/Global Talent Visa – Independent Program (GTI)This is a streamlined visa pathway program, designed to help highly skilled and talented individuals migrate to Australia permanently. Here, the country is after the best and the brightest individuals who can work in the future-focused sectors. With permanent residency, Australia offers a new beginning to global talents. They can settle and help the country to enhance their innovation and tech economies. In 2020 – 2021, Australia intends to offer 15,000 places under this program. There are Global Talent Officers who work with key industries to invite individuals to apply for the GTI program. They are placed in major cities such as London, Shanghai, Singapore, Berlin and Washington DC.

Eligibility

To qualify for the Global Visa Program, individuals will have to be highly skilled in either of the 7 target sectors mentioned by the Australian Government.

Target Sectors

There are seven target sectors in which Australia wants to focus more in the future and build innovation and capabilities. They are:
1. AgTech
2. Space and Advanced Manufacturing
3. FinTech
4. Energy and Mining Technology
5. MedTech
6. Cyber Security
7. Quantum Information, Advanced Digital, Data Science and ICT

Highly skilled individuals can apply for Global Talent Visa through another program called the ‘Distinguished Talent Visa’ as well. They must however, prove:

1.  They are internationally recognised.
2. Are prominent in their field of expertise
3. That they would be an asset, in their area of expertise, to Australia.
4. Have no difficulty in becoming established in their field or obtaining employment in Australia
5. Have a recognised organisation or individual in Australia, in the same field as the applicant, to nominate them as global talent.

Achievements

To prove their international recognition, interested applicants must provide evidence of outstanding achievements. Their professional achievements may include:

• Senior Roles
• Patents
• Professional Awards
• International Publications
• International Memberships

It is to be noted that Masters and PhD students are also offered places. They must demonstrate their exceptional talent and the international recognition they have gained in these target sectors.

High Income Threshold

The Government of Australia is willing to offer these highly skilled individuals a high salary. However, they must prove their ability in order to attract a salary at or above the Fair Work high income threshold of AUD153,600.
The Government will assess on the basis of:

The current salary of the applicant,
or
A job offers outlining salary,
or
Recent PhD or Masters graduates in the target sectors.

Benefits of the Global Talent Visa

The benefits of Global Talent Visa include:

• Higher Quota;
  This year the quota for the Global Talent Visa is three times than it was in the previous year. There are around 15,000 places kept for high achieving participants
• EIO Status:
  The candidates applying for the Global Talent Visa will be notified about the status of their Expression of Interest (EoI). This will give them an opportunity later to consider other options if they are unsuccessful in getting their EoI approved.
• Boon for Graduates
  Global Talent Visas are offered to graduates who have completed their bachelor honours degree, Master degree or PhDs in the last three years. This helps them more as they necessarily don’t require a big career to be considered. With the 189-visa becoming so difficult, this is a boon for graduates or recent graduates who are unsure on how to continue their stay in Australia.

The Global Talent Visa Program Procedure

Step 1:  Interested candidates must submit their Expression of Interest (EoI), via the Global Talent Contact form provided by the Immigration Department.
Step 2:  Eligible candidates will be invited to reply and they will receive what is called a unique identifier.
Step 3:  Using this unique identifier, they can apply for a ‘Distinguished Talent 858 Visa.
It is to be noted that the Global Talent Visa program is still under development and is yet to be independent from the Distinguished Talent Visa. However, the Distinguished Talent Visa offers only 200 places, and it is not limited to the 7 target sectors and include those in sports, art and cultural fields.

The Need of a Nominator
When invited to apply, the candidates also require a statement from a nominator. The nominator must be:

• An Australian Citizen
• A Permanent Resident
• Eligible New Zealand Citizen or
• An Australian organisation with a national reputation in the same field as the candidate.

As previously mentioned, other skilled visas are much more difficult to obtain in Australia. However, the Global Talent Visa stands as a great alternative for all the other skilled visas. Compared to the other types of skilled visas available, it is easy to submit an expression of interest for this visa.

For further information and assistance, contact us!