Global Talent Independent (GTI) program

The GTI program is designed to attract skilled migrants at the top of specific key sectors to Australia. It operates through an additional layer on top of an existing visa – being the Distinguished Talent visa.

The GTI program involves the Department taking on a more active role by engaging “Global Talent Officers” (GTO) in key locations overseas to invite targeted individuals to apply for an Australian visa. GTOs will work with countries in their regions and attend key events/expos to promote this program.

Individuals interested in this program, should submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) with the Department of Home Affairs (Department) to be invited to apply for this visa. A successful candidate would receive a unique identifier and be invited to apply for a Distinguished Talent visa. Their visa application would receive priority processing (around 2 months).

In particular, the Department targets the following seven sectors:

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

The Department are 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:

• Masters/Honours (with an 80% average), or
• PhD or those within the last semester (6 months) of submitting their thesis.

Distinguished Talent visa (subclass 124, subclass 858)

The Distinguished Talent visa aims to attract individuals who have an “internationally recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievement” in either a profession, sport, the arts, or academia and research.

 It also requires the applicant to still be prominent in the area, be an asset to the Australian community, demonstrate that they’d have no difficulty in obtaining employment (or being established independently) in the area, and be nominated by either an Australian individual or organisation with a national reputation in the area.