Congratulations to our latest Global Talent Visa client who obtained the subclass 858 visa in 6 to 7 weeks. Rob is now a proud Australian permanent resident and we are delighted to have assisted him with his visa application.

Click here to learn the criteria for the Global Talent Visa

If you think you may be eligible for a GTI visa, email your CV, a description of your prominence in one of the target sectors and your ability to attract the salary threshold to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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.

The Australian Government has announced that they have created a new taskforce, the “Global Business and Talent Attraction Taskforce”, to bring business and skills to Australia.

This was announced on ABC News, and repeated by Minister Tudge in a tweet this morning (5 September 2020).

The Shepparton news reported that Peter Dutton told Nine News "It's OK that we've got support in place at the moment with JobKeeper and JobSeeker - that's fine and that's a good thing - but to get to the next stage we need to have investment."

Click here to learn the criteria for the Global Talent Visa

Minister Tudge placed heavy emphasis on the benefit of this Taskforce for Australian employment opportunities in his interview with ABC AM earlier this morning. It will combined efforts of:

• AusTrade
• State governments
• The Department of Home Affairs

The AFR has reported that the Global Business and Talent Attraction Taskforce will be led by Peter Verwer, previously the boss of the Property Council of Australia.

A working target for the Government is 1,000 or so such businesses.

Global Business and Talent Attraction: A new pathway to Australian permanent residence?

Along with the new The Global Business and Talent Attraction Taskforce comes a new webpage.

The main focus of the new Global Business and Talent Attraction Taskforce appears to be targeting the Moby Dicks of the business world, attracting very large businesses to be the next Atlassian or Canva.

As a whole of Government approach, the target businesses are likely to received prioritised processing and higher service standards than applicants through other pathways.

We expect that the announcement of the Taskforce will lead to an increased focus on the Global Talent Independent visa, as well as continued focus on the business and investment visa programs, such as the 188 visa and 132 visa. The Global Talent Employer Sponsored program is likely to be a key to helping these businesses fill labour needs where Australians are not available to fill the roles.

Expression of Interest for Global Business and Talent Attraction Taskforce

While the Global Talent Independent visa Expression of Interest is still available, the Government has released a new expression of interest for The Global Business and Talent Attraction Taskforce. The new expression of interest is more open-ended and does not indicate any strict requirements.

Benefits of the Global Business and Talent Attraction Taskforce

The Global Business and Talent Attraction Taskforce is intended to provide:

• Faster and easier access to Australian permanent residency
• More hands-on support for (prospective) migrants
• Advice and information to assist with the migration process
• One direct contact who will assist in liaising with several areas of Government to provide a "whole of Government" package

Requirements for the Global Business and Talent Attraction Taskforce

The Global Business and Talent Attraction Taskforce has indicated it is looking for:

• Top tier business leaders
• Globally talent professionals 

The new taskforce has not indicated any clear requirements.

The expression of interest does not request any income or salary details and does not have a list of target sectors to choose from.

As such, the Global Business and Talent Attraction Taskforce appears to be more open-ended than the Global Talent Independent visa program, which has 7 key target sectors and requires a salary (or potential salary) of AUD $153,600.

For businesses, it has been indicated that there will be a focus on "high yield businesses". We expect that this might include businesses such as:

• Consulting businesses
• Marketing businesses, including digital marketing
• IT and software development businesses
• Corporate and professional services businesses
• Financial businesses

This also indicates that the Department will be less interested in "high capital" businesses, such as manufacturing businesses.

Hong Kong and Global Talent - Where will the centre of Asia Business Be?

The Australian Government in many of its announcements has indicated a strong intention to attract business and talent from Hong Kong to move to Australia.

Hong Kong has been a key hub of business and trade in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region. Australia seems to be looking to strengthen its position as such as hub in its own right, by attracting key players from Hong Kong to Australia.

Sydney, Australia has been highlighted as one of the top 10 cities for business in Asia Pacific. It is likely that this will continue to be a focal point for businesses looking to set up headquarters in Australia.

Other recent Global Talent visa initiatives

There are a range of recent initiatives already put in place by the Australian Government to attract and retain global talent. These are likely to form a part of the Taskforce’s initiatives to bring business and skills to Australia.

Global Talent Independent Visa

The Global Talent Independent visa is a thriving category which has been seeing more attention in recent months.

Established in November 2019, it has a yearly allocation of 5,000 positions to attract global talent to Australia from the following target sectors:

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

This forms a part of the 3 visa products highlighted for global talent attraction.

A recent FOI disclosure indicated that 100% of 38 visa applications for global talent from offshore were approved, and that there were 144 onshore 858 visa approvals out of 162 lodgements. It is not clear exactly what period of the program these statistics relate to.

Global Talent Employer Sponsored

A substantial, but less talked-about program is the Global Talent Employer Sponsored program. This program might support the labour needs of the big businesses which the Australian Government is hoping to attract to Australia with the new Global Business and Talent Attraction Taskforce.

South Australia pushing for Innovation and Global Talent

South Australia has identified itself in the Australian market as a strong contender for business innovation and headquarters for Hi-Tech developments. There are several programs pushing to develop this further.

Key Growth Sectors for South Australia

South Australia has a number of significant industries which, while many have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, will continue to be important to the growth of South Australia going forward.

These include:

• Tourism
• International education
• Defence industry
• Food, wine and agribusiness
• Hi-Tech
• Health and medical industries
• Energy and mining
• Space industry
• Creative industries

SISA 408 Visa - Supporting Innovation in South Australia

The Supporting Innovation in South Australia stream of the 408 visa is a program specifically designed to encourage innovative businesses operating in South Australia.

It is a temporary visa program for those looking to run businesses in South Australia, with a key focus on the following fields:

• Defense and Space
• Cybersecurity, big data, digital and blockchain
• Food, wine, and ag. Tech
• Health and medical technology
• Robotics
• Media and film

A key benefit of the program is the involvement of innovation hubs and the Chief Entrepreneur.

Lot Fourteen

Lot Fourteen is a business and innovation hub located on North Terrace in the middle of Adelaide CBD, South Australia.

As an innovation hub, Lot Fourteen is home to a range of businesses operating in the growth areas highlighted above. 

A key feature of Lot Fourteen is the Australian Space Agency which opened at Lot Fourteen in February 2020.

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.

The Global Talent Independent (GTI) visa is an easy pathway to Australian permanent residency for those that can qualify. Often, potential GTI applicants will have met all of the requirements but are unable to find a nominator. One of the most common barriers that GTI applicants may encounter, especially offshore applicants, is locating an Australian person or organisation to nominate them. As the national body for the ICT sector, the Australian Computer Society (ACS) is willing to provide nominations for GTI applicants. 

Click here to learn the criteria for the Global Talent Visa

One of the requirements of a GTI visa is for the applicant to be nominated by an Australian person or organisation who has a national reputation in the same field as the applicant. For many offshore GTI applicants, this requirement may be difficult especially when they have not had the chance to network with people in their field.

The Australian Computer Society (ACS) has recently indicated that they will be providing nominations for some applicants for the GTI visa program.

They are focused on the following target sectors:

• Cyber Security
• Quantum Information
• Advanced Digital
• Data Science 
• ICT

The cost for this service is currently set at AUD $500, to account for time spent assessing the candidate.

They are open to nominating applicants who are both overseas or in Australia.

ACS Nomination Process

Step 1: Lodge an Expression of Interest with the Department of Home Affairs.

Step 2: If eligible, the Department of Home Affairs will provide a Global Talent Identifier number.

Step 3: Send your CV to ACS with an explanation of your relevant qualifications, skills and experience in one of the sectors above.

Step 4: If suitable, ACS will progress your application and ask for the nomination fee. Further information may be requested. You may need to attend an interview with ACS.

Step 5: ACS will complete the nomination form and provide you with a nomination letter for the visa application.

The ACS will be nominating candidates who can show they will be an asset to their industry in Australia. This will be an advocacy driven process, in a similar way to the GTI visa program as a whole. Therefore it is important that any submissions for a nomination from ACS will demonstrate the applicant's skills and expertise in their relevant field.

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 (08) 8351 9956 or +61 8 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 Global Talent Independent visa has attracted a lot of attention as it is the first of its kind in Australian immigration. There are 5,000 available places per year.

The global talent visa program is a new initiative by the Department of Home Affairs to attract highly skilled workers from target sectors to Australia.

This visa is a fast-track to Australian permanent residency and will be a great visa pathway for high achievers around the world. The government hopes that the work of these individuals will provide a boost to the Australian economy.

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

As Australia tries to restart the economy post-pandemic, the Morrison government will reset the permanent migration cap in its October budget. Acting Immigration Minister Alan Tudge wants to use the newly launched Global Talent Independent program to attract 5,000 of the world’s most talented high-tech migrants each year, with fast-tracking to Australian permanent residency.

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

The Australian Government recently announced three new visas for innovation:

1. Global Talent Independent (GTI)
2. Global Talent Employer Sponsored (GTES)
3. Supporting Innovation in South Australia (SISA)

Why the Global Talent Independent Visa?

Launched in November 2019, the Global Talent Independent program aims to attract highly-talented candidates who are at the top of their field in high growth industries. To entice these talented candidates, the Australian Government have designed the GTI program with the follow key features:

• Priority processing, with decisions being made from one week to two months.
• Permanent residency straight away
• No age limit
• Free to work for any employer
• No sponsorship requirements
• No SAF levy to be paid
• Access to Medicare and other government benefits

Global Talent Visa as a substitute for Employer-Sponsored Visa

The key areas of problems include:

• The Skilling Australia Fund (‘SAF’) levy has made it very expensive for employers to sponsor workers.
• The work experience requirements are very difficult for prospective migrants to meet. The current work experience requirements are:
  • two years post-qualification experience for the Temporary Skills Shortage 482 visa
  • three years full time experience for the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional 494 visa

Global Talent Independent Visa vs Regional Migration

Global Talent Independent Visa vs Trades and Agricultural Labourer Positions

The Global Talent program focuses on high-tech related and highly paid skills sets. This is a positive and there are definitely some shortages in relation to such highly skilled tech-related positions. However the most consistent areas of shortages are not in relation to high-tech positions, but are in trades and also agricultural labouring positions.

Trade Occupation Shortage

There have been consistent shortages in relation to trade occupations such as electricians and diesel mechanics. These shortages are reflected by the fact that these occupations I consistently on the medium-term (long-term) skill shortages lists for migration purposes. You will also find that many states do not add any extra conditions for sponsoring these occupations, whereas Degree level and often management focus positions often require many additional requirements to meet state sponsorship.

Agricultural Labour Shortage

The shortage of Australian agricultural labourer positions is well documented over many decades. This gap has been partially field by the Pacific Islander and also backpacker visas. However the need to address the low wages and seasonal nature of this work has never really been addressed by the Federal Government. As a result, there is a consistent and ongoing shortage in this area.

The shortage in this area is set to increase over the next couple of years, as the effects of the Coronavirus will stop the constant flow of backpackers that have been coming to Australia up until recently. The number of backpackers that are already in Australia will not be sufficient to complete all the work and their incentive to keep doing the job is decreasing over time. This is an article for another day, but there is an argument for the introduction of a government subsidised and regulated base level wage for agricultural labour during the Coronavirus times. Such a move would decrease the dependence on foreign labour which is currently almost impossible to access. It would also provide more stability for the sector and allow people to live in regional areas, bringing great economic benefit to these regional areas.

Global Talent Independent Visa in 2020-2021 – Opportunity for Permanent Residency

The Global Talent Independent Visa is the most successful of the three visas for innovation.  The opportunity to attract global talent has been increased by the COVID-19 pandemic. This is due to the global increase in unemployment rates as a direct impact of the COVID-19. Prior to the global pandemic, these highly-skilled candidates might not have been looking to migrate to Australia. With the Coronavirus under control, Australia has become an even more attractive destination compared to other nations where COVID-19 has proliferated.

Minister Tudge hinted at the potential development of the GTI program as an integral part of the Australian migration program for the 2020-21 migration year, post-pandemic. 

More Information on the Global Talent Programs

If you are interested in finding out more about visas under the the Global Talent program, read more here:

• 3 Visas for Innovation - Global Talent Visa Program: https://www.workvisalawyers.com.au/news/all/the-global-talent-visa-program.html
• Global Talent Independent: https://www.workvisalawyers.com.au/news/all/why-the-australian-global-talent-independent-visa-is-so-hot-right-now.html
• Global Talent Employer-Sponsored: https://www.workvisalawyers.com.au/news/all/new-global-talent-visa-as-part-of-tss-482-to-attract-entrepreneurs-to-australia.html
• Supporting Innovation in South Australia (SISA): https://www.workvisalawyers.com.au/news/all/new-south-australian-entrepreneur-visa-processing-times-requirements-checklist-supporting-innovation-in-south-australia-sisa-subclass-408-temporary-activity-visa.html

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.

Sources:

https://www.workvisalawyers.com.au/news/all/the-global-talent-visa-program.html

https://www.workvisalawyers.com.au/news/all/why-the-australian-global-talent-independent-visa-is-so-hot-right-now.html

https://www.workvisalawyers.com.au/news/all/coronavirus-how-will-covid-19-affect-australian-immigration-practice-and-policy-students-skilled-business-family.html

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/migration-reset-looms-in-budget-as-government-eyes-super-skilled-talent-20200521-p54vcl.html

https://www.itnews.com.au/news/tech-migrants-shun-australias-new-fast-track-permanent-residency-visa-548177

https://www.pm.gov.au/media/press-conference-australian-parliament-house-act-1may20

If you wish to keep up to date with Work Visa Lawyers' coverage on the COVID-19 impacts on Australia’s immigration policy and current visa programs, read our rolling news blog here.

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.

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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.