Global Talent Independent Program
Launched in November 2019, the Global Talent Independent program (GTI) offers a streamlined, priority visa pathway for highly skilled and talented individuals to work and live permanently in Australia.
The program
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 Government has Global Talent Officers 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.
Target sectors
- AgTech
- Space and Advanced Manufacturing
- FinTech
- Energy and Mining Technology
- MedTech
- Cyber Security
- Quantum Information, Advanced Digital, Data Science and ICT
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:
- current salary evidenced through payslips or a contract, or
- future job offers outlining remuneration, or
- recent PhD or Masters graduates in the target sectors.
Before you apply
You must first provide an expression of interest for consideration under the Global Talent program.
A unique identifier will be provided to individuals who meet the program parameters, which provides priority processing for a Distinguished Talent visa application.
Applying for the visa
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.
12 August 2019 Update:
Global Talent Independent Program Set to be Announced
Today Immigration Minister David Coleman will announce a Global Talent Independent Program, a new high-skilled migration scheme aimed at attracting the world’s brightest minds. The scheme aims to assist high-tech Australian industries through the introduction of 5000 fast-tracked visas for highly skilled individuals.
The visa is the first example of an attempt to recruit individuals overseas via a permanent Migration Program. While the Department of Home Affairs is currently recruiting highly skilled individuals from world leading institutions such as MIT, Stanford and Oxford, the search is expected to be expanded to more institutions across the globe.
The 500 visa holders will not be included in the annual immigration cap of 160,000 per year, rather they will be a part of the 70,000 skilled migration cap, which is included in the overall intake.
While the government is consulting with a panel of high-achieving Australians to determine which industries will be earmarked for the stream, it appears that it will be limited to five or six. However, Australian companies in the high-growth industries of agtech, fintech, and quantum computing are most likely to benefit.
