Immigration Lawyers and Migration Agents

Your Australian Visa Our Focus

What will happen to the Global Talent Visa?

The Australian Federal Government released the federal budget on 14 May 2024. The Budget reflects the Federal Government’s plan to reform Australia’s migration system as outlined in the Migration Strategy and will introduce changes to the skilled visa programs including the Global Talent Visa.

What does this mean for the Global Talent Visa?

It was announced that the Global Talent Visa (subclass 858)  will be discontinued and will be replaced by a new visa called the National Innovation Visa.

What is this National Innovation Visa?

The National Innovation Visa is said to be designed to attract exceptionally talented migrants and replace the Global Talent visa and the Business Innovation and Investment visa.  This new visa will provide a permanent visa pathway for the most exceptional talented migrants – such as high performing entrepreneurs, major investors and global researchers.

When will this take effect?

The Government announced that the change will be implemented from late 2024.

What will happen to the Global Talent Visa already lodged?

Transition arrangements will be in place and the Department will ensure that applicants including existing Global Talent visa applicants are supported in the application process. Existing Global Talent Visa applicants will not be adversely affected by the transition and will be assessed against the eligibility requirements/criteria applicable at the time of their application.

What will happen to the pending Expressions of Interest?

We do not have the details or confirmation yet, but we suspect that the EOIs that are undecided or that have not been finalized when the change is implemented will expire.

We suggest that those interested in applying for the Global Talent Visa- Invited pathway, should submit their EOIs as soon as they can so there is a greater chance that the EOI is decided before the Global Talent Visa is discontinued.

What if I already have received a successful EOI and have not applied for the visa yet? What will happen to my invitation?

We do not have official confirmation yet as to what will happen to the unused EOI invitations however, it is likely that the invitations will expire, and we suggest that potential applicants who had received the invitation should lodge their application as soon as they can.

What is the allocation for the Global Talent Visa for 2024/2025 Financial Year?

The Federal Budget also provides for the Migration Planning Levels. For the next financial year, 2024/2025, the number of places allocated for the Global Talent Visa has decreased to 4,000 places compared to 5,000 for the 2023/2024 financial year.

Will the new National Innovation Visa have a separate allocation from the Global Talent?

No, the National Innovation Visas granted in the 2024/2025 financial year will be counted towards the Global Talent Visa Program allocation.

What are the eligibility criteria for the new National Innovation Visa?

We do not have the details about the eligibility criteria for the new National Innovation Visa however, the Migration Review recommended that the requirement of having a nomination may be removed. Again, this is just a recommendation by the Review Panel and we will not know the criteria until the legislation and the corresponding regulations are passed.

Sources:

Department of Home Affairs website - Migration Program planning levels < https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/what-we-do/migration-program-planning-levels >

Budget 2024-25 website-  https://budget.gov.au/content/documents.htm

Migration Strategy - https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/programs-subsite/migration-strategy/Documents/migration-strategy.pdf

If you want to check if you are eligible for the Global Talent Visa, you can use our free Global Talent Assessment Tool.

How can Work Visa Lawyers help?

Work Visa Lawyers can help you with all steps in the Global Talent visa application process, including with applications for nomination from the ACS.

Our team of experienced Immigration Lawyers and Migration Agents look forward to assisting you with your Australian visa or appeal.

Contact us on (+61) 08 8351 9956 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Book an appointment with one of our experienced Immigration Lawyers and Registered Migration Agents here.

The Australian Government announced that it will close the Global Talent Visa in late 2024 and replace it with the new National Innovation Visa. Follow this link for more details about the National Innovation Visa.

We have assisted (and currently assisting) a number of successful Global Talent Visa (GTV) applicants, and we get a lot of enquiries about it. One of the most frequently asked questions related to their income, i.e, they receive a basic salary and gets awarded company shares or bonuses, or they own the business and receive a minimum salary but receive dividends. Would their salary be assessed as equivalent to or higher than Australia’s Fair Work High Income Threshold (FWHIT)?

This issue was, previously, made more confusing when the Global Talent Visa EOI webform states that "Income includes salary, commissions, allowances, bonuses, investment dividends and other sources of personal income. For foreign income, calculate the Australian dollar amount using current exchange rates."   This has now been changed.

When submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) for the Global Talent Visa it is important to address that the applicant meets the salary requirement otherwise the EOI will most likely not be successful.

For those not familiar with the Global Talent Visa (subclass 858), it is a visa designed to attract high-performing, highly skilled and talented individuals working in particularly target sectors of Digitech, FinTech, Agri-food and AgTech, Health Industries, Defence, advanced manufacturing and space, Circular Economy, Resources, Energy, Infrastructure and tourism and Education.

Read more about the Global Talent Visa

“Earnings”

Ministerial Direction 89, give directions in relation to the processing of the Global Talent visa and gives the highest priority to applications submitted in relation to the above-mentioned sectors and where the primary applicant’s current earnings are an amount equal to or greater than the FWHIT or the applicant has received a job offer from and Australian employer with an annual salary equivalent to or higher than the FWHIT or there is evidence that the applicant is likely to attract a salary equal to or higher than FWHIT.

FWHIT is assessed with reference to ‘earnings’ as defined by section 332 of the Fair Work Act 2009 which states:

In the last year there's been significant negative press and uncertainty about the Global Talent visa and the significant investor visa. The significant investor visa or SIV is a visa that requires a $5 million investment into a complying investment fund.

There was a statement from Minister of Home Affairs Claire O'Neill in 2020 to casting doubt into the future of the investment visa.

The Global Talent isa is a visa stream of the 858, which requires applicants to have expertise in a relevant sector and to have a salary above the Fair Work high income threshold.

There were articles criticizing the integrity of the global talent visa in 2022, so it's a little surprising that there are some positive comments about both in the review.

This is what the review says about the significant investor visa recommendation number eight.

Reconsider the size and role of the Business Innovation and Investment program, noting more positive outcomes from the significant investor visa. Based on this, I would expect a lower overall allocation for the 188. Perhaps even a closing of the 188A or business innovation stream.

But for the significant investor visa to survive and receive allocations.

Recommendation ten.

Consider changes to the existing global talent visa to improve the clarity in the selection criteria and remove the need for a nominator.

Based on this, there may be more specific criteria added to the Global Talent Visa.

The current nomination process is likely to be cut. Changing the nomination process is a good idea. Nomination often proved to be a barrier to applicants that did not personally know an Australian citizen or PR holder. The report makes 31 references to highly skilled migrants. While global talent is not the only way to secure highly skilled migrants. I feel stuck in the global talent visa has risen.

Another way to secure highly skilled migrants is through the points system.

The report looks to refine the points system to better target highly skilled migrants.

So where to from here?

A new migration program year begins very soon. From the 1st of July 2023. There is not enough time to make large legislative and regulatory changes before the 1st of July 2023. What's more likely is that the current visa categories will be managed with different allocation levels.

This will give more time for substantial changes in 2024

So that's the report on the future of the global talent visa and the significant investor visa.

Do you want to know more?

• Business/Investment Migration | Business Visas
• Global Talent Visa

Do you need help?

Our team of experience Immigration Lawyers and Migration Agents look forward to assisting you with your Australian visa or appeal.

Based in Adelaide South Australia, we provide Australian Immigration advice to people and businesses from all over the world.

For other programs, you only need to meet the criteria of each streams you are aiming toward and apply for the visa. As long as you provide all supporting documents required by the Department of Home Affairs, you will just need to wait for the result.

It is not like that in Global Talent Visa Australia.

Through the process of expressing your interest in the Global Talent Independent program, you have to make sure the documents show your best aspect of your expertise in the Targeted Sectors.

GLOBAL TALENT VISA TESTIMONIALS – WORK VISA LAWYERS

What a great start of the first quarter of 2022!

We have received a total of 11 invitations and visa grants from the Global Talent Visa program in just 6 weeks.

The period is from 18 February until 7 April 2022.

As usual, DigiTech is the most popular sector in the GTI program in 2022 which takes more than half of the invitations.

Following that are Financial Services and FinTech, and Infrastructure and Tourism.

Scroll down to each photo for its details of the 4 core requirements of Global Talent Visa program and how successful applicants achieve that.

Learn more about Global Talent Visa Updates in 2022 here>

Overall, the 4 core requirements of Global Talent Independent program has been met as:

- Target Sector: DigiTech, Infrastructure and Tourism, FinTech

- International Recognized: yes working and leading projects that are world-wide recognized, PhD Publications...

- High income threshold at $156,800 AUD: yes all are over the threshold

- Nominator : High quality nominator who is familiar with applicant's achievement and knowledge.

Take Free GTV Assessment Call Now

Since its introduction, the Global Talent Visa proved to be one of the most popular visas for highly skilled individuals wanting to come to Australia.  When it was first introduced, the Australian Government allocated 5,000 places for the program, for this financial year (2021-2022), there are now 15,000 places under this program and will be reducing to approx 8,500 in 2022-23 program year. 

Information page for Global Talent Visa >

It even became more popular when Australia imposed the border and travel restrictions because the Global Talent visa holders were not subject to the inbound travel restrictions because it is a permanent resident visa.

Because of its popularity, the Expression of Interest (EOI) process to get an invitation to apply for the Global Talent Visa is very competitive (read full blog about the current application numbers here) and the processing time could be longer than expected. The current processing time for Global Talent Visa post EOI lodgment could be 6-12 months depending on how exceptionally talented the applicants are.

However, the Department of Home Affairs in its September 2021 ​​Skilled visa newsletters ​​noted that they received many EOIs that are not within the scope of the program.  The number of EOIs received would necessarily increase the Department’s workload and therefore delay the processing.

Considering the competitiveness of the global talent visa program, what do you need to do to make your EOI stand out and/or to increase your chances of getting an invitation?

In General, visa applicants are required to meet the following 4 core requirements to be able to apply for a Global Talent visa: Target sectors, Salary above the income threshold, internationally recognized for outstanding achievement and qualified Australian nominator

If you are still unsure about your eligibility, please take our free GTV assessment here!

Take Free GTV Assessment

What were the changes in the last 2 years with Global Talent Visa 858?

14/12/2020, The department passed the legislation to remove the offshore stream subclass 124 and made some major modifications to the onshore Global Talent Visa Subclass 858 application.

20/1/2021: bachelor (with Honours) and Masters graduates are no longer eligible for invitation to the GTI program by submitting those qualifications alone. It is clearly making no competitiveness at all to those PHD candidates or Research fellows and the Department of Home Affair was considering about their ability to attract the fair work High income Threshold requirements.

Also, for existing EOIs submitted on the Department website will also be applied by this change. It means, Masters Graduates or Bachelor candidates who are waiting for the invitation will no longer be accepted.

27/1/2021: The Distinguished Talent Visa was renamed the Global talent visa. The subclass and criteria remained the same.

Global Talent Visa - Australian Nominator

To get invited for a Global Talent Visa, you need to have an eligible Australian nominator. The nominator must be of a national reputation in your area of talent who is Australian Citizen; Permanent resident of Australia; Eligible New Zealand citizen and Australian organisation.

With the national reputable criteria, it clearly aims to global organization who has made global footprints in their industries or area of study; Educational Institute with strong background in researches which are globally recognised.

And a lot of people are getting their nomination from their own employer. It is strongly dependent on projects they are doing.

• Please help yourself with our quick initial GTV Assessment and Our Immigration Agents and lawyers will be in touch with you shortly. It is completely FREE !

The Department of Home Affairs has just released details of which organisations nominated the most candidates from November 2019 and the end of June 2021.

The top 10 nominators for Global Talent Visa 858 are:

The Global Talent Visa continues to be the visa everyone wants.

And why wouldn’t it be?

With fast processing, low costs, and a direct pathway to permanent residence in Australia, there are few immigration options that can compare. It isn’t easy to get though; the Global Talent Visa is for highly skilled applicants in specific target sectors. Until now, the Australian Government had provided very little information as to who would and would not qualify for the GTV, but this month the Government has released examples of exceptional and strong candidates (who were granted Global Talent Visa 858) and categories of professionals that would usually not be eligible.

Click here to learn the criteria for the Global Talent Visa

Priority status will be given to applicants who work in a designated sector. These sectors are currently:

• Resources;
• Agri-food and AgTech;
• Energy;
• Health industries;
• Defence, Advanced Manufacturing and Space;
• Circular economy;
• Digitech;
• Infrastructure and tourism;
• Financial services and FinTech; and
• Education

Let’s take a look at the successful candidates from each sector. You may notice some of the sectors (such as Defence, Advanced manufacturing and Space) have been broken down into multiple separate categories.)

Resources

EXCEPTIONAL CANDIDATES

Managing director of a technology and innovation unit of an international mining corporation with a global track record in the delivery of safe, cost effective, and complex multi-billion dollar projects.

STRONG CANDIDATES

Executive with extensive experience in subsea system development, execution and operation for a top-tier oil and gas company.

NOT USUALLY ELIGIBLE

• Site managers
• Engineers and mechanics
• Technicians and construction workers

AgriFood and AgTech

EXCEPTIONAL CANDIDATES

Director of a world-renowned research centre for livestock genetic engineering with proven results in applying research to improve the quality, productivity and efficiency across the industry.

STRONG CANDIDATES

Highly regarded and cited post-doctoral researcher in the field of robotics and automations in agriculture, with ongoing industry collaborations. 

NOT USUALLY ELIGIBLE

The following experience or professions would not usually meet the parameters of the program:

• Farmers and agricultural technicians 
• Food safety managers 
• Chefs and cooks

Clean Energy and Renewables

EXCEPTIONAL CANDIDATES

Founder and CEO of an internationally acclaimed start-up in the research and manufacturing of innovative clean technology for heating, ventilation and air conditioning.

STRONG CANDIDATES

Senior energy transformation engineering specialist in devising solutions for new energy technologies.

Executive with expertise in the development and delivery of large energy projects.

NOT USUALLY ELIGIBLE

The following experience or professions would not usually meet the parameters of the program:

• Technicians and construction workers
• Distribution and sales representatives
• Junior or mid-level power plant or mine operations managers

Health Industries

EXCEPTIONAL CANDIDATES

Pharmaceutical executive and founder of a multi-million dollar global company dedicated to accelerating clinical trial processes by utilising a novel e-platform to track patient data. 

Renowned infectious diseases researcher and practitioner of international repute.  

STRONG CANDIDATES

Senior auditory neuroscientist with a track record of research in health technologies, leading the research and design of cochlear implant technology.

Biomedical engineer with expertise in medical application of polymers, biomaterials and delivery platforms.

NOT USUALLY ELIGIBLE

The following experience or professions would not usually meet the parameters of the program:

• General practitioners
• Retail pharmacists
• Dentists
• Physiotherapists
• Nurses
• Veterinarians 
• Aged care workers

Defence

EXCEPTIONAL CANDIDATES

Business director of an international organisation renowned for testing, inspecting and certifying defence vessels and equipment.

STRONG CANDIDATES

Senior technology manager of a globally renowned aeronautical research and development centre leading multiple portfolios on defence products.

NOT USUALLY ELIGIBLE

The following experience or professions would not usually meet the parameters of the program:

• Soldiers and sailors 
• Junior officers

Advanced Manufacturing

EXCEPTIONAL CANDIDATES

A leading researcher in micro and nano electro-mechanical systems that owns multiple patents.

Chief technology officer of an internationally acclaimed manufacturer of sensors for electronic devices in the healthcare, robotics, and digital manufacturing sectors.

STRONG CANDIDATES

Senior data scientist specialising in designing machine learning algorithms and neural network models, with experience in commercialising artificial intelligence projects for automotive and intelligent devices. 

NOT USUALLY ELIGIBLE

The following experience or professions would not usually meet the parameters of the program:

• Engineering technicians 
• Machine operators
• Draftspersons
• Sales and administrative managers

Space

EXCEPTIONAL CANDIDATES

Renowned space industry leader with vast experience specialising in space systems engineering.

Head engineer of avionics and software at a leading rocket company that is developing new orbital launch vehicles and technologies for foreign space agencies.

STRONG CANDIDATES

A space policy specialist with extensive experience collaborating between government and the industry.

Post-doctoral astrophysicist with a sustained record in collaborative research, with a number of space agencies.

NOT USUALLY ELIGIBLE

The following experience or professions would not usually meet the parameters of the program:

• Engineers and mechanics who do not lead ground-breaking projects

Circular Economy

EXCEPTIONAL CANDIDATES

Managing director of a technology and innovation unit of an international mining corporation with a global track record in the delivery of safe, cost effective, and complex multi-billion dollar projects.

STRONG CANDIDATES

Executive with extensive experience in critical mineral development, execution and operation for a top-tier company.

A leading researcher with expertise in heat and mass transfer, phase change and metallurgical transformation in high temperature systems.

NOT USUALLY ELIGIBLE

The following experience or professions would not usually meet the parameters of the program:

• Site managers 
• Engineers and mechanics
• Technicians and construction workers

DigiTech

EXCEPTIONAL CANDIDATES

Founder and/or inventor of deep technology IP associated with digitech.

Expert in human-centred design and design thinking, experienced in designing sites, apps and online optimization strategies for high end IT firms.

Chief Information Security Officer driving intiatives in virtualization, Cloud, Internet of Things and cybersecurity across entire corporations.

STRONG CANDIDATES

Entrepreneur of an award winning video games developer company that has developed a number of original titles target at wide ranging international audiences.

Researcher and expert in software, platforms, game engine and AR/VR/XR tech including exemplary coders.

NOT USUALLY ELIGIBLE

The following experience or professions would not usually meet the parameters of the program:

• Business analysts, developers and ICT consultants without international experience.
• ICT support centre managers.

Infrastructure

EXCEPTIONAL CANDIDATES

Chief operating officer of a national freight company with expertise in large scale and complex interstate railroading operations.

Chief commercial officer of a commercial airline with a global reputation in developing new aviation business models. 

STRONG CANDIDATES

Internationally recognised expert in railway operations, instrumental in the success of multiple large-scale, government led railway and transport infrastructure projects in a number of countries.

Managing director of an innovative company known globally for sports products and infrastructure for international championships including the Olympic Games.

NOT USUALLY ELIGIBLE

The following experience or professions would not usually meet the parameters of the program:

• Engineers
• Mechanics
• Draftspersons

Tourism

EXCEPTIONAL CANDIDATES

Chief commercial officer of a commercial airline with a global reputation in developing new aviation business models.

STRONG CANDIDATES

Managing director of an innovative company known globally for sports events and international championship events.

NOT USUALLY ELIGIBLE

The following experience or professions would not usually meet the parameters of the program:

• Tour guides, travel agents and hospitality workers
• Taxi and rideshare drivers

Financial Services and FinTech

EXCEPTIONAL CANDIDATES

CEO and founder of a digital asset and financial services enterprise, globally recognised for their outstanding innovation through successful application of business models and technology.

STRONG CANDIDATES

Executive of a multinational corporation operating in global financial ICT strategy consulting, artificial intelligence and cloud strategy development, risk and insurance market operations, or global financial services operating models.

NOT USUALLY ELIGIBLE

The following experience or professions would not usually meet the parameters of the program:

• Traditional bankers (except c-suite executives for major financial institutions)
• Retail bankers
• Accountants and account managers
• Financial advisors
• Stockbrokers
• Insurance brokers and sales managers
• Chief financial officers (unless a leader in a priority sector)

Education

EXCEPTIONAL CANDIDATES

An executive with a track record in setting up university centres abroad, with expertise in establishing global collaborations and partnerships across government, academia and research.

Renowned level E academic and winner of prestigious prizes. 

STRONG CANDIDATES

Senior technology manager of a globally renowned aeronautical research and development centre leading multiple portfolios on defence products.

NOT USUALLY ELIGIBLE

The following experience or professions would not usually meet the parameters of the program:

• Researchers and academics at Australian academic levels A to C or their international equivalents, in fields other than education or pedagogy
• School teachers 
• Specialist teachers
• School administration staff

Is This You?

If you fit into any of the above categories, you could be an excellent contender for an Australian Global Talent Visa. Contact Work Visa Lawyers today to see if you have a shot at the country’s most sought after visa.

Author

Chris Johnston, Founder and Principal Lawyer at Work Visa Lawyers

Sources:

https://www.globalaustralia.gov.au

Do you need help?

Our team of experienced Immigration Lawyers and Migration Agents look forward to assisting you with your Australian visa or appeal.

Based in Adelaide South Australia, we provide Australian Immigration advice to people and businesses from all over the world.

If you require further information regarding your Australia visa options you can contact us through:

(08) 8351 9956 or +61 8 8351 9956 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

You can also subscribe our Facebook: WORK VISA lawyers

Disclaimer

This information is correct at the time of publication but is subject to change without notice.  All information provided on this page is provided for purely educational purposes and does not constitute legal advice.  For advice on your situation, please speak with an Immigration Lawyer or a Registered Migration Agent.

An employer-sponsored visa to Australia is one great option for businesses to fill the skills or labour shortage in Australia. For the skilled visa holder, it is a great opportunity to come to Australia either temporarily or permanently. With someone who were in Australia during the pandemic, an employer-sponsored visa 482 can give you pathway to PR 186 visa 

However if you meet the eligibility criteria for it, the Global Talent Visa can be an even more attractive option than an employer-sponsored visa.

This is because of several factors including career flexibility, skills assessments, and age and language requirements.

Nevertheless, each visa stream has its own advantages and disadvantages for both employers and applicants. 

This article will discuss about the positive points of both the global talent visa and the employer sponsorship program.

Read more about the new visa 482 Employer Sponsored short-term to PR in 2022>

Career flexibility - No specific Occupation List for Global Talent Visa 858

Global Talent Visa is not an employer-sponsored visa. As a Global Talent Visa holder, you have the freedom to change jobs or roles, set up your own company or be self-employed. Even if you have to leave your job and be unemployed for some reason (like starting a family) you won't lose your visa.

For some employer-sponsored visas such as the Temporary Skill Shortage Visa (subclass 482) you have to work for the employer who sponsored you unless your occupation is one of the exempt occupations (such as a high-level, specialist medical professionals).

There are also employer-sponsored visas like the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) (subclass 187) visa which require you to work in regional areas. There is no such requirement for the Global Talent Visa.

You can also work in a variety of occupations within your specialisation in designated Target sectors. For employer-sponsored visas, your occupation must be listed in the relevant skilled occupation lists.

No skills assessment for Global Talent Visa 

To be eligible for the Global Talent Visa, you have to :

• Be internationally recognised with evidence of outstanding achievements;
• Be currently prominent in your field of expertise and must provide evidence that you would be an asset to Australia.  You can provide evidence such as industry awards, media articles, research, publications and the like. 

A lot of PHD students have found that Global Talent Visa is their main Permanent Residency pathway without complicating process like General Skilled Migration. Because they can satisfy the part of internationally recognised evidence.

Moreover, you do not have to provide a skills assessment issued by the relevant skills assessing authority for your occupation.

Low English language's requirement for Global Talent Visa

The English language skill required for the Global Talent visa is only “functional English”, that is if you are taking the IELTS test for example, you only need an average band score of at least 4.5 based on the 4 test components. If you or any secondary applicant can not meet the required English language skill, you need to pay the second visa application charge before the visa can be granted.

For the employer-sponsored visa, RSMS (subclass 187) the English language skill required is “competent English” which is, for an IELTS test, getting a score of at least 6 for each of the 4 components.

NO age limit for Global Talent Visa applicants 

Unless an exemption applies, the age limit for the RSMS and the Employer Nominated (subclass 186) visas is 45 years old.

For the Global Talent Visa, there is no age limit but if you are over 55 years old you have to prove that you can bring exceptional economic benefit to Australia.

Faster processing times for Global Talent Visa 

The Global Talent Visa is a fast-tracked pathway to permanent residency, with visas being granted anywhere from 2 months to 4 months. Note though that it may take weeks or even months to get the invitation to apply for the visa.

Generally, however, the processing times for the Global Talent visa are still shorter than the RSMS and the ENS visas.

The current processing time for permanent residence employer-sponsored visas such the RSMS (Direct Entry Stream) is between 35-45 months, and for the ENS (Direct Entry Stream) it is between 6-11 months.

No Cost for Global Talent Visa in terms of sponsorship

While the Global Talent Visa applicant may get a job offer from an Australian organisation, the prospective Australian employer will not incur costs to become an approved sponsor, apply and pay for the nomination and pay the Skilling Australians Fund levy.

In short, if you are an exceptional talent, the Global Talent might be for you.

To check your eligibility, you can take our quick and free Global Talent assessment here.

Employer Sponsorship program and its benefits to employers and applicants

Even though Employer sponsorship program has a specific skilled occupation lists, the list has wide veriety of occupations which Global Talent Visa program does not have such as: Trades occupations (Motor mechanic, Chef, Cook, welder, electrician...), Professional occupations ( marketing specialist, financial broker...) or General practitioner, Hospitality (cafe or restaurant manager)

The big difference that distinguish applicants for global talent visa program from employer sponsorship program applicants is the High Income Threshold currently set at 158,500 AUD. This is a very high salary requirement which most applicants do not meet.

There are also a lot of applicants who have put it the expression of interest in the Global Talent Visa and they are not being considered in a timely manner. 

The processing time of Global Talent Visa program could meet some delay because of its popularity in 2022, it sometimes takes 6 to 12 months to process.

On the other side, Employer Sponsored Visa could be quicker to get someone into Australia and start working for the company. 

 For someone who were in Australia during the pandemic, a new visa 482 short-term pathway to PR 186 visa could be a good option for skilled workers who are finding a way to get 491 nomination.

Read more about new visa 482 changes in 2022 here>

Author:

Rosa Torrefranca, Immigration Lawyer at Work Visa Lawyers

Do you need help?

Our team of experienced Immigration Lawyers and Migration Agents look forward to assisting you with your Australian visa or appeal.

Based in Adelaide South Australia, we provide Australian Immigration advice to people and businesses from all over the world.

If you require further information regarding your Australia visa options you can contact us through:

(08) 8351 9956 or +61 8 8351 9956 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

You can also subscribe to our Facebook: WORK VISA lawyers

Disclaimer

This information is correct at the time of publication but is subject to change without notice.  All information provided on this page is provided for purely educational purposes and does not constitute legal advice.  For advice on your situation, please speak with an Immigration Lawyer or a Registered Migration Agent.

The general key criteria that an EOI must satisfy are well known:

• An applicant must be internationally recognised with evidence of outstanding achievements;
• They must be currently prominent in their field of expertise;
• They must provide evidence that they would be an asset to Australia in their area of expertise;
• They must show that they would have no difficulty obtaining employment in Australia or becoming established in their field;
• They must have a recognised organisation or individual with a national reputation in the same field in Australia nominate them as global talent; and,
• They must earn a salary over the Fair Work High Income Threshold (currently AUD158,600).

However, there’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to satisfying those criteria. So, I’ll use the space below to paint a bit of a picture of what, in our experience, a successful applicant typically looks like.

如果您正在考虑全球人才签证（GTI 签证），您必须获得与您相同领域的专业人士的担保。该担保人可以代表您并且向移民局表达您在指定领域中的突出才能。这是全球人才签证GTI流程的关键部分，但经常被忽视。以下干货是关于如何寻找全球人才担保人：

Click here to read this in English

Click here to learn the criteria for the Global Talent Visa

 We have assisted many clients with their Global Talent Visa Expression of Interest (EOI). We understand that some people have already lodged their expressions of interest, but are wondering “How can I make my Global Talent EOI better?” We are passing on some of the tips we have learned along the way.

After lodging your Global Talent Visa Expression of Interest, more information can be provided to support your EOI by emailing it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If you are sending more information to the Department, be sure to include your name, date of birth and passport number, so that the information can be linked properly.

The ways to improve your expression of interest are linked (necessarily) to the requirements for the Global Talent visa EOI.

A new visa to attract highly skilled workers from around the globe is set to increase Australian visa options.

The Australian Government has announced that the new Global Talent Visa will come into effect from 1^st July 2018 and will be trialled for one year.

It is believed that the new visa will attract people with exceptional technical skills and talent, which can be transferred to the Australian work-force and in turn encourage business growth.

“Industry figures say globally mobile, highly skilled and experienced staff can act as ‘job multipliers’ in Australian businesses, helping them to hire more local staff and fill critical areas of need.”

 - Minister for Jobs and Innovation, Michaelia Cash

This is an older article. Click here to learn the current criteria for the Global Talent Visa

Highlights of the new Global Talent Visa Scheme

A key feature of the Global Talent Scheme is that it will be split into two streams:

• Established business stream
• Start-up stream

Successful applicants under both streams will have access to a 4-year visa within the Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) Visa Programme which came into effect on 18 March 2018, providing visa holders a pathway to permanent residency after three years and certain age cap concessions.

Applications will be simpler and have faster processing times.

The new visa scheme in its current form is not limited to a specific list of occupations.

The features of the two streams:

Established business stream

• Business must be publicly listed or have an annual turnover of at least A$4 million for each of the past 2 years
• Access up to 20 positions per year
• Available to accredited sponsors and other businesses
• If the position ends, the visa holder has 60 days to find a new sponsor and a new visa or depart Australia
• Business must show a good history i.e. no breaches of workplace or immigration law
• Business must demonstrate a track record of giving first preference to Australian workers
• Labour market testing for the specific position
• Applicants must meet health, character and security requirements
• They must have no family relationship with directors/shareholders
• Qualifications must be compatible with the highly skilled role
• Applicant must have at least 3 years work experience directly relevant to position
• Capacity to pass on skills and help develop Australians workers
• Position must have minimum annual earnings of A$180,000

 Start-up stream

• Business operates in STEM-related (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) field
• A ‘start-up authority’ must endorse the business
• Access up to 5 positions per year
• Business must show a good history i.e. no breaches of workplace or immigration law
• Business must demonstrate a track record of giving first preference to Australian workers
• If the position ends (eg the start-up ceases trading) the visa holder has 60 days to find a new sponsor and a new visa or depart Australia
• Labour market testing for the specific position
• Applicants must meet health, character and security requirements
• They must have no family relationship with directors/shareholders
• Qualifications must be compatible with the highly skilled role
• At least 3 years work experience directly relevant to position
• Capacity to pass on skills and develop Australian workers
• Minimum annual earnings at the market salary rate (this can include equity, but must have a cash component that is no less than the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (currently A$53,900)).

More developments in the Entrepreneur/Start-up space

There is increasing interest in the area of innovation and entrepreneurship. The South Australian State Government has also recently announced that, with the cooperation of the Federal Government, South Australia will be trialling a new visa to attract budding entrepreneurs.

The newly announced South Australian Entrepreneurs visa is consistent with the South Australian Government’s aim to make Adelaide the start-up capital of Australia. We will provide more details as they become available.

In Conclusion

The Government recognises that there is increasing competition internationally for people with high-tech skills and experience, and believes that the new Global Talent Visa will allow Australian businesses to access the best talent across the world, leading to business growth, innovation, skills transfer and job creation.

From now until the visa is introduced on 1^st July 2018, the initial settings will be refined, with an industry advisory group to provide ongoing guidance.

Follow Work Visa Lawyers on social media or subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest updates on Australian migration news.

Do you need help with an Australian visa application?

At Work Visa Lawyers we are experienced in assisting applicants in all matters relating to Australian visa applications. Our areas of expertise include Skilled Migration visas, Business Skills Migration visas, Employer Sponsored Work Visas, Partner and other Family Migration visas as well as the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) Review, Judicial Review and Ministerial Intervention.

If you require further information regarding your Australia visa options you can contact us through:

(08) 8351 9956 or +61 8 8351 9956 

or   This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.