How to apply for a global talent visa in Australia from India?

The Global Talent Independent (GTI) program was officially launched on 4th November 2019. The Global Talent visa in Australia is a priority pathway for highly skilled and talented individuals who wish to obtain Australian permanent residency.

What is the Global Talent Independent program?

Apply for a Global Talent visa in Australia is mainly to attract skilled migrants who excel in 10 specific key sectors of priority in Australia. It is an extension of the existing Global Talent (Subclass 858) visa.

In the GTI program, the Department has appointed “Global Talent Officers” in some locations overseas to invite suitable individuals to apply for the GT visa. These Officers work with countries allotted to them and attend seminars and events to promote the Global Talent program.

Applicants who are interested in this program, first need to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) with the Department of Home Affairs (DHA). A successful candidate who is selected receives a unique identifier and is invited to apply for the Global Talent visa in Australia. These applications receive priority processing in comparison to some other visas. For the year 2020-21, DHA has allotted 15,000 spots, and a similar number has been allocated for the year 2021-22.

DHA is also looking to target students who have done research that is internationally recognized and relevant to these ten targeted industries, including students who have in the last 3 years either completed a PhD or are in the process of submitting their thesis.

What is a Global Talent visa?

The Global Talent Visa in Australia aims to attract individuals who have an internationally recognized exceptional achievement record in any of the following fields – academics, sports, research, professional research.

The visa also requires the applicant to be a prominent figure in their selected sector. And he/she is expected to be an asset to the Australian community. The applicant should demonstrate that he/she would have no difficulty in obtaining employment or working independently in the selected field. The applicant should also be nominated by an Australian individual/organization with a national reputation in the selected field.

Am I eligible to apply for a Global Talent visa?

In order to be eligible under the Global Talent Independent program, you must be an apt fit in one of the above ten targeted sectors. Also, you must have an outstanding achievement profile that has been internationally recognized in your field, and either:

• Demonstrate that you will be able to attract a salary which is equivalent to the Fair Work High Income Threshold, which is currently AUD $158,500, or
• Have either completed your PhD in the past 3 years or nearing completion of your thesis within a maximum of 6 months.

You would not be eligible if you do not satisfy the above conditions.

How do I apply for the Global Talent Independent program?

To access one of the positions under the application for a Global Talent visa for priority processing, there are three steps:

• A Unique Identifier Number and Code (issued by DHA)

You first have to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) directly to DHA. Your EOI should contain a covering letter, a CV, and documentary proof of your claimed achievements. Once the referral has been assessed successfully. DHA will email you a Unique Identifier Number and Code, and ask you to submit the visa application.

• A Nomination

Although the application form can be completed online, a Form 1000 (which needs to be completed by the Nominator) is a paper-based form. This form has to be scanned and uploaded. Your Nominator must complete this form and must either be an Australian Citizen/PR holder/eligible NZ Citizen, or an Australian Organisation. He/she must also be a prominent entity in that selected sector. The Nomination process is an endorsement of your skills, and will not be considered as a sponsorship with any attached obligations to the Nominator. It is suggested that you review your Nominator’s profile before asking him/her to assist you. In order to ensure that the Nominator is a nationally prominent entity. The Form 1000 should be sent to your Nominator at the beginning to ensure he/she is comfortable with what is on the form, and what is expected from them.

• The Visa application itself

The most important criteria are for you to be able to demonstrate that you have a profile. That is internationally recognized with outstanding achievements in your field. Your profile should stand out from that of other individual profiles in your selected field. You should have received awards, spoken at conferences, held senior positions in international companies, made academic and/or general publications, gained some media coverage for your work, held patents, as some of the pre-requisites in your profile. You must also be of good health and character, for which health examination results and police clearance proof have to be provided.

How much does a Global Talent visa cost?

The Government visa fees for this application are:

Dependent applicants who are above 18 years and who do not have “functional English” would have to pay an additional $4,890 per person at the time of the visa grant.

Errors made during submission of EOI

These are a few of the errors committed by applicants while submitting EOIs

• not providing supporting evidence of their achievements
• forgetting to include one or more documents during submission
• not enough documentation provided during submission
• submitting tech-savvy rather than simply-put information, which could be a drawback

This is a highly competitive program designed to attract the best in the field. And your EOI should be prepared with the aim to make the best impression at first glance. While you are permitted to email further documents to DHA, they have a huge volume of applications, and the time and effort required by them to link your email and further documents to your original EOI application could greatly increase your waiting period.

If you would like further guidance, feel free to contact the author on email at amitava@dmsmigration.com