In November 2019, the Australian Government introduced the Global Talent Independent (GTI) Program to enable highly skilled and talented individuals to obtain Permanent Residency in Australia through a streamlined and prioritised process. Since then, the program has become a major part of Australia’s innovation-focused migration settings. For the 2021/2022 migration program year, 15,000 places were allocated to this pathway.
What is the Global Talent Independent Program?
The purpose of the Global Talent Program is to make Australia a more attractive destination for highly skilled and exceptional individuals and to prioritise their visa applications.
The program is based on the Global Talent visa (subclass 858), which previously existed under the name Distinguished Talent visa. Historically, this visa was intended for individuals with exceptional and internationally recognised achievements in their field. However, because these criteria were only loosely defined in legislation and left significant room for interpretation, the visa played only a minor role in practice. With the introduction of the Global Talent Program, the eligibility criteria became much clearer and the overall process more transparent. Applicants who meet the requirements can also expect priority processing. Importantly, the Global Talent visa grants Permanent Residency from day one, including unrestricted work and residence rights.
The Australian Government actively promotes the program. The Department of Home Affairs has appointed Global Talent Officers in several locations worldwide (including Berlin, Dubai, New Delhi, Santiago, Shanghai, Singapore and Washington DC) to identify and attract suitable candidates. However, applicants are not required to engage with a Global Talent Officer in order to apply. Eligible candidates can submit an application directly.
Who qualifies for the Global Talent Program?
A key requirement is that the applicant works in, or holds qualifications in, a field that has been identified by the Australian Government as a target sector for the program. As at 12 February 2021, these target sectors are:
- Resources
- Agri-food and AgTech
- Energy
- Health industries
- Defence, advanced manufacturing and space
- Circular economy
- DigiTech
- Infrastructure and tourism
- Financial services and FinTech
- Education
In addition, experienced professionals should be able to demonstrate the potential to earn a high income, currently benchmarked at around AUD 150,000 per year. Applicants do not need to already hold a job offer at this income level; instead, they must demonstrate that they have the skills and profile to realistically achieve such earnings in the future.
Extension of the program to PhD graduates and simplified access
The Global Talent Program has also been extended to applicants who hold, or are close to completing, a PhD in one of the target sectors listed above. Individuals who have completed a doctorate within the past three years, or who are close to submitting their thesis, may also be eligible under simplified criteria. In these cases, requirements relating to evidence of outstanding achievements in the field are more flexible, making the program particularly attractive to doctoral graduates and PhD candidates. This explicit inclusion has significantly improved access to the Global Talent visa for applicants who may previously have struggled to demonstrate that they met the very high threshold of the former Distinguished Talent visa.
Important: Since 20 January 2021, these simplified arrangements apply only to applicants with a completed PhD or doctoral degree. An earlier extension of these concessions to outstanding Master’s graduates was withdrawn. This change applies only to the specific concessions described above; applicants who meet the general Global Talent criteria may still qualify without holding a PhD.
Nomination requirement
In addition to the criteria outlined above, most applicants must be nominated by an individual who is recognised and established in the applicant’s field. This nominator must be an Australian citizen or Permanent Resident with a strong professional standing in the same area of expertise.
Alternatively, nomination may be provided by an Australian organisation, such as a professional association or university.
Applicants who are already in Australia or who have professional connections to Australia may find it easier to secure a nomination. For example, PhD candidates or graduates in Australia may be nominated by their supervisor or university. However, applicants without existing Australian connections are not excluded. Depending on the occupation, nomination by an Australian professional body may be possible, provided the applicant can clearly demonstrate why they merit such endorsement.
What if you are not working in a target sector?
Applicants who do not work in one of the defined target sectors may still apply for a Distinguished Talent visa outside the Global Talent Independent Program. In these cases, the requirement to demonstrate exceptional and internationally recognised achievements is particularly high. Such achievements may relate to professional, academic, sporting or artistic activities, provided they are clearly outstanding and recognised at an international level.
Advantages of the Global Talent Program compared to traditional skilled visas
Applying for a Global Talent visa offers several advantages over the standard General Skilled Migration pathway:
- Faster processing times: Where eligibility is clear, visas are often granted within a few months.
- No skills assessment required: Applicants are not required to complete a formal skills assessment, which is mandatory for most skilled visas. This saves time and cost and avoids rigid assessment criteria that do not always reflect individual career paths. Instead, personal achievements and merit are assessed.
- No minimum work experience requirement: This is particularly beneficial for PhD graduates, who often face challenges meeting work experience requirements imposed by skills assessing authorities.
- No points test: The points test used for General Skilled Migration can disadvantage graduates and does not adequately reward exceptional academic or professional performance. The Global Talent Program does not require a points test.
Who should consider the Global Talent Program?
The Global Talent Program may be a suitable visa option for professionals working in one of the identified target sectors who can demonstrate an outstanding career trajectory. It is also highly relevant for PhD graduates and doctoral candidates in these fields.
For eligible applicants, the Global Talent Program can provide one of the fastest and most direct pathways to Permanent Residency in Australia.
