Global Talent Independent Visa – Subclass 858

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Global Talent Visa Pathways

There are 2 pathways under the Global Talent Subclass 858 Visa: Global Talent Independent Program (GTIP) and Distinguished Talent Visa Pathway.

Global Talent Independent Program

The Global Talent Independent Program (GTIP) is a permanent visa for people who have a national or internationally recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievement in a targeted eligible field. The program targets individuals who are distinguished in their field and who are likely to be able to earn at least $153,600 AUD in Australia. The objective of the GTIP is to grow Australia’s innovation and tech economies, and is to attract top talent in certain critical sectors.

In 2020-2021, 15,000 places were made available under the program, which is triple to what it was in the previous financial year. This recognises the importance of the contribution to Australia by those who already hold this visa or potentially will make, by those who are eligible to apply under the Global Talent visa.

Global Talent Independent Program Eligibility

Applicants can apply for the Global Talent Independent Program (GTIP) if they are within the following fields:

1. Resources
2. Agri-food and Ag-Tech
3. Energy
4. Health industries
5. Defence, advanced manufacturing and space
6. Circular economy
7. Digitech
8. Infrastructure and tourism
9. Financial services and FinTech
10. Education

To be eligible under the Global Talent Independent Visa Program you need to meet the following conditions:

• Are distinguished in one of the identified Global Talent Visa fields/industries
• Have an Australian nominator; You will need an Australian citizen or an Australian organisation to nominate you for the Global Talent visa. There is no fee payable with the nomination, and there are no ongoing obligations for your nominator.
• The nominator should be in a position of expertise in Australia in your field so as to be able to verify that you have the national/international reputation and that you should be granted a Global Talent visa. An organisation, such as the Australian Computer Society, could also be a nominator.
• Are able to earn above the Fair Work High Income Threshold (FWHIT) (currently AU$153,600 per annum) in Australia which can be demonstrated with evidence of current earnings, future job offers or recent PhD graduates in the target sectors.
• If applying from offshore or onshore and not yet earning this amount, you will need to demonstrate you have potential to earn $153,900. In essence, an applicant needs to demonstrate that they would have no difficulty in obtaining employment (or establishing themselves independently) in their field at an income rate to meet Fair Work High Income Threshold (FWHIT).
• The application needs to address how they can be a potential asset to the Australian community;
• PhD graduates and certain PhD students may still be eligible to apply for the GTI Program if they can demonstrate exceptional talent and international recognition in a target sector. In addition, PhD students who are nearing completion of their degree must be able to demonstrate they had a record of achievement prior to commencing their PhD studies.
• The Department is also looking to target certain student cohorts with research that is internationally recognised and relevant to those targeted industries, including those who have recently (in the last 3 years) completed a PhD or (or are close to submitting their thesis).

Global Talent Independent Program Benefits

The benefits of the Global Talent Independent Program (GTIP) includes:

• Priority processing means these Global Talent visas are given the highest priority of all Australian migration programs. The process is streamlined and extremely efficient with visas being granted in as little as 1 month from lodgement.
• This visa is an independent applicant and does not require an applicant to be sponsored by an employer and is not points tested.
• The visa is granted without any employment limitations or conditions.
• Being a permanent resident provides a pathway to Australian citizenship.

Distinguished Talent Visa Pathway

The Distinguished Talent Visa Pathway is an Australian permanent visa for those who have an internationally recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievement in one of the following areas: a profession, sport, arts or academia and research.

Distinguished Talent Visa Eligibility

Applicants can apply for the Distinguished Talent Visa if they meet the following conditions:

• Benefit the Australian community (economically, socially, culturally or by raising Australia’s academic, artistic or sports standing internationally).
• Demonstrate the ability to establish themselves in Australia by having no difficulty in finding the relevant employment or being independently established.
• Be internationally recognized with a record of achievement in a profession, a sport, the arts or academia and research.
• Applicants must be acclaimed as exceptional in any country where their field is practiced with a sustained record of achievement.
• Be nominated by:

1.  Australian citizen
2.  Australian permanent resident
3.  Eligible New Zealand citizen
4.  Australian organization with a national reputation in your area of talent
5. Visa applications by Hong Kong passport holders are prioritised (recently announced by the Department of Home Affairs)

858 Visa Application Process

Global Talent Independent Program Application Process

The GTIP has a 2-step application process:

1. Whether overseas or in Australia, individuals eligible for the Global Talent Independent Program (GTIP) can lodge their Expression of Interest (EOI) with the Department of Home Affairs to be invited to apply for this visa. Only applicants with a national or international recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievement in one of the following identified priority sectors below may be eligible:

• Resources
• Agri-food and Ag-Tech
• Health industries
• Defence, advanced manufacturing and space
• Circular economy
• Digitech
• Infrastructure and tourism
• Financial services and FinTech
• Education

2. Once invited to apply under EOI, a visa application is then lodged under the Global Talent Independent Pathway (GTIP).

How We Can Help The 858 Visa Application Process

At AustraliaMigrate, we can help lodge your Distinguished Talent Visa Pathway by:

1. Preparing and lodging your expression of interest, ensuring the application focuses on all the factors that the Australian government is looking for. This allows us to uncover hidden gems and opportunities in your achievements to help give you an edge in your ‘expression of interest’ application so you can win an invitation to lodge your 858 visa application
2. Working with your nominator and referees to build the strongest supporting evidence possible for your case.
3. Gather evidence of your earning capacity in Australia from researching relevant websites, speaking to industry leaders and prominent people in your field and undertaking market research on your behalf.
4. Prepare, lodge and then navigate your visa application through the process to approval.
5. Assist with including eligible family members such as your spouse, de-facto partner and children who may be over 18 but under 23

It is important to avoid the following when applying for the 858 Visa:

• Providing a lack of or unclear information and lack of supporting documents, that is submitted when incomplete an expression of interest. The expression of interest is an extremely important step and we work closely with our clients to ensure strong supporting documents are lodged, giving the expression of interest application a very high chance of winning an invitation to lodge an 858 visa application
• Submitting overly technical complex information, which makes it difficult for an assessor to fully comprehend and understand your achievements, and thereby missing the opportunity of being identified as a Global Talent.