In late 2019 the Australian Government launched the Global Talent – Independent program which offers a streamlined, priority visa pathway for highly skilled and talented individuals to work and live permanently in Australia.

There are two streams. The first is the Global Talent Independent Program (GTI) and the second is the Global Talent Employer Sponsored (GTES).

The GTI is aimed at attracting skilled migrants at the top future-focused fields to Australia. The program want to bring the best talent from around the world to create opportunities for Australians by transferring skills, promoting innovation, and creating job opportunities.

The Government works with Australian universities, industry bodies, and state and territory governments to attract global talent to Australia in the following target sectors:

• AgTech
• Space and Advanced Manufacturing
• FinTech
• Energy and Mining Technology
• MedTech
• Cyber Security
• Quantum Information, Advanced Digital, Data Science and ICT

As part of the application, you will need to be endorsed by a nominator who has a national reputation in the same field as you and is either:

• an eligible Australian citizen, resident
• eligible New Zealand citizen
• an Australian organisation

The GTES lets employers sponsor overseas workers for highly-skilled niche positions that cannot be filled:

• by Australian workers
• through other standard visa programs – in particular, the Short-term stream and Medium-term stream of the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa

The Government will enter into an agreement the business wishing to sponsor the applicant and the business must show that they can’t fill the position through existing skilled visa programs.

The aim of the program is to bring globally mobile, highly skilled and specialised individuals to Australia who can act as ‘job multipliers’ in Australian businesses, helping them to hire more local staff and fill critical areas of need.

Any position filled through a GTES agreement must provide opportunities for Australians by:

• creating new jobs for Australians
• transferring skills and knowledge to Australian workers

The key features of the GTES are:

•  trusted employers can access highly-skilled roles – you are not restricted to occupation lists for the TSS visa short-term or medium-term streams
• there are 2 streams – Established business and Start-ups
• the earning threshold for applicants is higher than under the standard TSS stream
•  you can negotiate variations on the standard TSS visa requirements
• the visa is valid for up to 4 years and allows access to a permanent residence pathway
• you can negotiate age requirements for the permanent residence pathway
• priority processing of GTES agreements

Want to apply for the global talent visa?

At FC Lawyers we have assisted individuals and businesses in a range of professions, occupations and industry sectors with global talent visa applications and issues.

Contact our team of Registered Migration Agents and Immigration Lawyers to discuss whether you or your business could access this program.