In August 2019, the Australian Government announced that the pilot for the Global Talent Scheme, originally trialled in South Australia, was a success and that they intended the initiative to continue nationwide.

The scheme is designed to give Australia access to the best and brightest from around the world with a view to drive growth in certain sectors that would build businesses, create high-paying local jobs, share highly specialised skillsets and knowledge amongst Australian workers and transform the Australian economy.

This article takes a look at what the Global Talent Scheme does for businesses and visa applicants and whether it has eased the process for Australian businesses needing to fill their skill shortages.

What is the Global Talent Scheme?

Whilst building the Australian economy, the Global Talent Scheme was seen as a way to make it easier for companies (some of whom have struggled to fill vacancies following the removal of the Temporary Work (Skilled) 457 visa and introduction of a more restrictive Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) 482 visa) to employ highly skilled professionals from overseas.

The scheme is split into two categories:

1. Global Talent – Employer Sponsored (GTES)

2. Global Talent Visa Program

Global Talent – Employer Sponsored (GTES)

Using the TSS 482 visa, the GTES category can provide businesses the opportunity to sponsor and employ talent that cannot be found locally and cannot qualify for another type of visa.

Both startup (specialising in technology or STEM) and established businesses can consider this option and in doing so, will need to enter into a Labour Agreement with the Department of Home Affairs and meet certain criteria, including:

• Offering a minimum salary to the visa applicant. The minimum salary threshold will be determined by whether the employer is a startup or established business

• Demonstrating their efforts to find a relevantly skilled Australian worker

• Demonstrating how the sponsorship of an overseas worker will allow skills to be transferred and create jobs for Australian workers

As part of this process, businesses will have the opportunity to negotiate aspects that a TSS 482 visa would typically restrict, for example:

• Having access to a wider range of occupations including those not on the TSS lists

• A TSS 482 visa validity of up to 4 years, generally provided to occupations on the medium and long-term list

• A pathway to permanent residence under the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS)

• A relaxed age limit requirement for the ENS visa

• Priority processing

Global Talent Visa Program

Using the Global Talent Visa Program stream of the Global Talent 858 visa, this pathway offers Australian permanent residence to highly skilled workers who are at the top of their field. Added priority is given to those with outstanding achievements and a high earning potential in the following targeted sectors:

• Cyber Security

• Quantum information, advanced digital, data science and ICT

• Energy and mining technology

• MedTech

• Agtech

• Fintech

• Space and advanced manufacturing

Standard criteria for the Global Talent program (previously known as the Distinguished Talent visa) will still apply including the requirement to be nominated by someone with similar recognition in the applicant’s area of expertise.

Conclusion

It has been almost two years since the TSS 482 visa replaced the Temporary Work Skilled 457. For the most part, businesses have become used to the significant changes and costs, still opting to use the program as necessary.

However, these changes have had an impact on many businesses who saw their skilled occupations either removed from the relevant occupation list, moved to the short-term list preventing permanent employment or have caveats applied that were difficult to meet.

There was hope that the GTES would make this restrictive process somewhat easier and based on the concessions available this does appear to be the case. However, at last count there were 18 established businesses signed onto the Labour Agreement in comparison to 5 startup businesses and despite the Government declaring this program a success, these figures have not moved from those released in June 2019 suggesting that the process may be easier but, mostly for established businesses.

Generally, the difficulty in getting a standard Distinguished Talent visa application across the line has been because applicants struggled to prove that their achievements had been ‘outstanding’. But, with 5,000 places allocated to the GTI stream and given the objectives of the Australian Government to ‘transform the economy’, it will be interesting to see whether they ease the criteria which could see them deliver on the program’s quota.

If you are a business struggling to fill your vacancy, contact us to discuss the employer sponsorship pathways best suited to your need. Otherwise, if you feel your skills are in strong demand book a consultation with our experienced advisors to discuss your skilled migration options.