GLOBAL TALENT INDEPENDENT (GTI) VISA REQUIREMENTS

What are the target sectors for this Program of Global Talent Visa?

The aim of the GTI visa requirements Program is to attract highly skilled and talented individuals into Australia from one of the 10 target sectors, viz:

• Resources
• Agri-food and AgTech
• Energy
• Health Industries
• Defence, Advanced Manufacturing and Space
• Circular Economy
• DigiTech
• Infrastructure and Tourism
• Financial Services and FinTech
• Education

How many spots are allocated for this Program?

15,000 spots have been allocated for the GTI Program for the year 2020-21 migration program.

Is it necessary for applicants to reach out to a GTO to apply for this Program, or can they directly apply for the EOI?

The Department has deployed Global Talent Officers (GTOs) in order to promote their GTI Program. A GTO would provide information and clarify any queries the applicant may have regarding the GTI Program. However, it is not mandatory for an applicant to reach out to a GTO before applying.

How does an applicant prepare and fill out the EOI for the GTI Program?

The EOI is a form that has been streamlined by the Department to assess an applicant’s eligibility for this Program. The applicant can fill out the EOI using the Global Talent Contact form. There are a variety of questions in the form in order to assess the applicant’s eligibility, viz:

• Personal details
• Evidence of Global Talent, such as Industry, Occupation Title, Name of employer
• Educational background
• Present salary earned
• Evidence of a track record of exceptional professional achievements which are internationally recognised
• Information on the nominator, i.e. a recognised organisation or individual in Australia in the same field as the applicant, endorsing the applicant as a Global Talent.

The applicant should also attach any documents that he/she deems relevant to the EOI for the global talent visa program, more so since highlighting the exceptional professional achievements would add weightage to the eligibility of the applicant. This could include senior roles, professional awards, international publications and memberships, patents and media articles.

Can an applicant update the EOI after it has been submitted?

If the EOI has to be updated, the applicant would need to send an email to globaltalent@homeaffairs.gov.au with the relevant additional information. In the email, the applicant should include critical details such as his/her name, date of birth and Passport number, so that the Department can link the additional information with the correct EOI application.

How will the applicant be informed of the status/outcome of their application?

There has been some delay in the processing of the EOIs due to Covid-19. However, all applicants will be notified of their EOI outcome via email.

Has the Department announced a quota on the number of invitations issued per targeted sector?

There is no separate quota for each targeted sector. However, highly sought-after applicants are those who would be able to contribute towards Australia’s economic growth post the pandemic, more so in the MedTech, FinTech and Advanced Manufacturing sectors.

Has the Department placed a quota on the number of invitations issued per country of origin?

As mentioned earlier, the Department has totally allocated 15,000 spots for the GTI Program. There is however no separate quota for individual countries of origin.

Can an applicant be assured of receiving an invitation if he/she meets all the requirements for the GTI Program?

The eligibility criteria for the GTI Program are broadly classified as below:

• The applicant must be highly skilled in one of the 7 targeted sectors.
• The applicant will need to show that he/she is internationally recognised, and prominent in his/her field of expertise.
• The applicant must be an asset to Australia and show that he/she will have no difficulty obtaining employment in Australia.
• The applicant must have a nominator – a recognised organisation or individual in Australia in the same field as the applicant, endorsing the applicant as a Global Talent.
• The applicant must have the ability to attract a salary at or above the Fair Work high income threshold of a minimum $153,600 per annum.

Applicants meeting the above criteria would be encouraged to apply. However, one must note that the applicants would be ranked against each other by the Department. Hence, merely meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee a spot in the GTI Program. In assessing the applicant the Department would consider:

• current salary shown through payslips or a contract
• future job offers outlining the remuneration
• recent Ph.D. graduates and certain Ph.D. students with relevant qualifications in the target sectors.

GTI Visa changes – Masters and Honours students

With effect from 20^th January 2021, the GTI Program prevents Masters and Honours students from receiving an invitation based solely on their academic qualifications. This policy change will affect all future EOI assessments. It applies to EOI submissions made by applicants who have not yet received an invitation to the Program till this date.

EOI candidates who have therefore submitted an EOI prior to the policy changes and have not yet been invited are encouraged to review their eligibility, and to re-consider their application if and when they meet the new requirements.

Is the Department flexible in the ‘recent graduate’ requirement?

As stated in the policy, ‘Recent graduates’ must have an overall grade-point average of 80 or more in order to meet the minimum requirement. Even a GPA of 79, would render the applicant ineligible.

How can an applicant demonstrate that he/she can meet the income threshold?

The applicant needs to show the ability to attract a minimum salary of $153,600 in Australia. There are different ways an applicant can prove this, viz:

• Job offers which meet this minimum income threshold
• Suitable job advertisements in Australian media that match the applicant’s qualification and experience
• If the applicant is a ‘recent graduate’, he/she can show evidence of suitable roles in the targeted sector of the applicant.

However, the applicant does not need to prove that he/she is earning the above amount at the time of applying.

Can an applicant holding a Bridging Visa ‘A’ apply for the visa?

An applicant holding a Bridging Visa ‘A’ is not eligible to apply for the Global Talent Visa. Onshore applicants must hold a Substantive Visa in order to submit the EOI.

To see the uodate on Global Talent Visa Click Here

Amitava Deb

• Amitava is a gold medallist from India’s premier technical institute, IIT Kharagpur.
• He has worked with some of the world’s top companies such as Sony Australia Pty. Ltd., Siemens AG Germany, Clarity International Ltd., Reliance Communications and Optus Sydney.
• Amitava is a Chartered Professional Engineer accredited by Engineers Australia. He is a full member of this esteemed association.
• He is a member of the Australian Computer Society, Tele Management Forum and Worldwide Institute of Software Architects.
• Amitava is a well-recognised name in the ICT Professional Community in Australia.