Global Talent Visa Questions Answered

Global Talent Visa Questions Answered

What are the target sectors?

The GTI program aims to attract highly skilled and talented individuals from one of the seven target sectors. These are:

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

How many spots are allocated for the GTI program?

For the 2020-21 migration program, 15,000 spots were allocated to the GTI program.

Is it necessary for applicants to reach out to a GTO to apply for the GTI program when they can directly apply for the EOI?

The Department has deployed Global Talent Officers (GTO) in London, Shanghai, Singapore, and Washington DC to promote the GTI program. But, due to COVID-19, the GTOs are continuing their role in Australia. A GTO can provide information and clarify any queries you have regarding the GTI program. However, it is not a requirement that an applicant must speak to a GTO before applying.

Are there any tips in preparing and filling 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 the visa program. The applicant can fill out the EOI using the Global Talent contact form. The form will ask for a variety of questions to assess the applicant’s eligibility. These include:

Personal details
Evidence of global talent – industry, occupation title, employer
Current salary
Educational background
Evidence of an internationally recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievements.
Information on the nominator

The applicant may also attach any relevant documents to the EOI.

As the form’s purpose is to determine eligibility, it is essential to highlight the outstanding and exceptional achievements by attaching relevant documents.

Is it possible to update the EOI once it has been submitted?

To update the EOI, the applicant can send an email to [email protected]. When sending the email, the applicant should include crucial details such as name, date of birth and passport number so that the Department can link the additional information to the correct EOI application.

Will the applicant be informed of the status of their application?

COVID-19 has caused a delay in processing the EOI, however, all applicants will be notified of the EOI outcome via email.

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Does the Department place a quota on the number of invitations issued per targeted sector?

There is no quota in place per targeted sector, however, individuals who can contribute Australia’s economic growth post-pandemic are highly sought after. These include individuals in MedTech, FinTech and Advanced Manufacturing sector. In the 2019-2020 Migration Program, the break down of grants per targeted sector were as follow:

Quantum Information, Advanced Digital, Data Science and ICT (28%)
MedTech (26%)
Energy and Mining Technology (20%)
AgTech (9%)
Space and Advanced Manufacturing (8%)
FinTech (6%)
Cybersecurity (3%)

Does the Department place a quota on the number of invitations issued per applicant’s country of origin?

The government allocated 15,000 spots for the GTI program. However, there is no quota in place per countries of origin.

Will the applicant receive an invite if he/she meets all the requirement for the GTI program?

The eligibility criteria for the GTI program can be broken down into a few different sections.

The applicant must be highly skilled in one of the seven targeted sectors.
The applicant must demonstrate 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 has no difficulty obtaining employment in Australia.
Have a nominator.
The applicant must have the ability to attract a salary of $153,600.

Applicants who can meet the above criteria are encouraged to apply. However, it is also vital to remember that the applicants are ranked against each other meeting the minimum requirement does not guarantee a spot in the GTI Program.

Global Talent Independent changes – Masters and Honours students (from 20 January 2021)

Global Talent Independent program now prevent Masters and Honours students from receiving an invitation, based solely on their academic qualifications.

This policy change affects all future EOI assessments, and applies to EOI submissions made by candidates who have not yet received an invitation to the Global Talent program by 20 January 2021.

EOI candidates who submitted an EOI prior to the policy changes and have not been invited are encouraged to review their eligibility and to consider applying again when they meet the new requirements.

New eligibility requirements:

Applicants must demonstrate that they are highly skilled in one of the target sectors and:

prove they are internationally recognised with evidence of outstanding and exceptional achievements
still be prominent in their field of expertise
provide evidence that they would be an asset to Australia, in their field of expertise
have no difficulty obtaining employment in Australia or becoming established in their field
have a recognised organisation or individual in Australia endorse them as global talent, in the same field as the applicant.

Applicants must meet a high standard and show an exceptional track-record of professional and outstanding achievements. This may include senior roles, patents, professional awards, international publications, media articles and international memberships.

Applicants should have the ability to attract a salary at or above the Fair Work high income threshold.

In assessing the applicant the Department considers:

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

Is the Department flexible regarding ‘recent graduate’ requirement?

Recent graduates must have an overall grade-point average of 80 (or above) to meet the minimum requirement. This is stated in the policy; thus, it must be met. As such if the applicant GPA is 79, then the applicant would not be eligible.

How does the applicant demonstrate that they can meet the income threshold?

The applicant must show the ability to attract a salary of $153,600. As such, the applicant does not need to prove that he/she is earning the above amount at the time of application. There are different ways an applicant can prove this. Some of them include:

Job offers which meet the income threshold.
Suitable job advertisements in Australia that match the applicant’s qualification and experience.
If the applicant is a recent graduate, they can show evidence of suitable roles in the targeted sector.

Can an applicant holding a BVA apply for the visa?

Applicants who hold a BVA cannot apply for the GTI program as they would not be eligible to apply for the Distinguished Talent Visa. Onshore applicant must hold a substantive visa before submitting the EOI.

COVID- 19

Due to the COVID-19, the processing time for most visas and EOI have been delayed. Global Talent Officers posted overseas are now working in Australia.