On Monday 4 November 2019, the Hon David Coleman MP officially 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.

The program is designed to attract skilled migrants at the top future-focused fields to Australia. The program brings the best talent from around the world.

The Distinguished Talent visa application have two visa categories:

• subclass 124 (offshore) or
• subclass 858 (onshore). 

Up to 5,000 places will be offered in the Global Talent – Independent program in 2019/20. This creates opportunities for Australians by transferring skills, promoting innovation, and creating job opportunities. 

The Global Talent Officers are located in Berlin, Dubai, New Delhi, Santiago, Shanghai, Singapore, and Washington DC. They work across a number of countries in their region, and attend key industry events and expos to promote the program.

To express interest for priority processing within the program, a candidate will be highly skilled in one of the seven target sectors and be able to command a salary that meets the high income threshold or be a highly graded recent PhD or Masters graduates.

Sectors

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

Applicants will be eligible for permanent residency if they are likely to earn more than $149,000 per year in Australia, and they are highly skilled in one of seven key industry sectors.

Expected salary threshold

Candidates should have the ability to attract a salary at or above the Fair Work high income threshold (FWHIT), which is currently AUD148,700. This figure is adjusted annually on 1 July.

In assessing whether a candidate is likely to have the ability to meet this salary threshold, the Department will consider:

Requirements:

Be internationally recognised with a record of achievement

You must be internationally recognised with a record of achievement in:

• a profession
• a sport
• the arts, or
• academia and research

Your achievements must be exceptional and outstanding. This means you:

• are currently prominent in your field
• have superior abilities to others in your field
• are acclaimed as exceptional in any country where your field is practised
• have a record of sustained achievement that is unlikely to diminish in the future

You must also participate in a field that:

• is recognised and accepted in Australia
• has international standing
• You must have been prominent in this field in the past 2 years.

You must be of benefit to the Australian Community:

• economic
• social
• cultural, or
• to raise Australia’s academic, artistic or sports standing internationally
• You must contribute to the nation as a whole.

In assessing whether a candidate is likely to have the ability to meet this salary threshold, the Department will consider:

• current salary evidenced through payslips or a contract, or
• future job offers outlining remuneration, or
• recent PhD or Masters graduates in the target sectors.

For more information see  Fair Work High Income Threshold

Apply for the visa

Complete your Distinguished Talent visa application in ImmiAccount.

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.

Migrating to Australia:

Australian permanent residents can:

• bring immediate family to live in Australia permanently
• work and study anywhere in Australia
• enrol in Australia’s public health program, Medicare
• after four years, apply for Australian citizenship.

For more information regarding the Global Talent Program in Australia, get in touch with our migration team at info@australasiaeduconnect.com.au.

Source:

• Global Talent Program open for business
• Global Talent Independent program (GTI)