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 1st 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
If you think you are eligible to apply for a Global Talent Visa, take 5 minutes to complete our free online Global Talent assessment form.
Our lawyers and registered migration agents will assess your eligibility and get back to you.
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 1st 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.
