The program is designed to help grow Australia’s innovation and tech economies and driven to create opportunities for Australians by transferring skills, promoting innovation, and creating jobs. For persons who have an internationally recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievement in an eligible field, this is a permanent visa which lets you stay in Australia indefinitely. You become a permanent resident immediately on the day your visa is granted. You are expected to contribute to Australia in your field of expertise. Applicants who are talented and under 18 years may include their parents and their siblings aged 18 to 23 years, who are still dependent on their parents. There are two pathways within the Global Talent visa:

• The Global Talent Visa program (for persons who have skills in the priority sectors and require a special invitation by Australia Global Talent taskforce officers)
• The Distinguished Talent program (for persons who have skills in other sectors who don’t require expression of interest and invitation by Global Talent taskforce)

There is no age limit for this visa, however if you are under 18 years old, or are 55 years or older when you apply, you must demonstrate how you will be of exceptional benefit to the Australian community.
VISA BENEFITS
This visa allows you to:

• stay in Australia permanently
• work and study in Australia
• enrol in Australia’s public health care scheme, Medicare
• sponsor your relatives to come to Australia
• travel to and from Australia for 5 years
• if eligible, apply for Australian citizenship

The Global Talent Visa Program provides direct entry to Australia permanent residency and aims to attract the brightest and best Global Talent to Australia. The streamlined Global Talent Visa Program pathway for applicants with skills in identified priority sectors who have submitted an Expression of Interest (EOI). The Global Talent pathway has been allocated many annual places (15 000 places are available for the financial year 2020-21). This program is only for the most exceptional and outstanding individuals. The current average processing time for the Global Talent program is 2-4 months. You must receive an invitation for this program before lodging your visa.
KEY CRITERIA – GLOBAL TALENT APPLICANTS
To receive an invitation, you must demonstrate that you are highly skilled in one of the target sectors below by:

• Proving you are internationally recognised with evidence of outstanding and exceptional achievements
• Proving you are still prominent in your field of expertise
• Providing sufficient evidence that you would be an asset to Australia, in your field of expertise
• Demonstrating you will have no difficulty obtaining employment in Australia or becoming established in your field
• Providing an endorsement and nomination from a recognised organisation or individual in Australia who is well recognised in a similar field to your skillset

In addition, you must meet a high standard and show an exceptional track-record of professional and outstanding achievements for each of the key criteria above. This may include senior roles, patents, professional awards, international publications, media articles and international memberships of which may span from the beginning of your career and within last 2 years
CURRENT TARGET SECTORS FOR GLOBAL TALENT VISA PROGRAM

• Resources
• Agri-food and AgTech
• Energy
• Health industries
• Defence, advanced manufacturing, and space
• Circular economy
• Digital Technologies
• Infrastructure and tourism
• Financial services and FinTech
• Education

PHD CANDIDATES
Places are also available to PhD graduates and certain PhD students who can demonstrate their exceptional talent and international recognition. PhD students who are nearing completion of their degree must be able to demonstrate they had a record of outstanding achievement prior to commencing their PhD studies. Candidates also must demonstrate that their PhD qualification is equivalent to Australian standards.
PhD graduates and PhD students who are close to submission of their thesis

• To be eligible under the Global Talent Visa Program, PhD graduates must provide evidence that they have completed their studies in a priority sector within the last 3 years.
• PhD students must provide evidence that they are close to completing their PhD, and that they have a prior record of exceptional and outstanding professional achievement in addition to eligibility of holding the required PHD qualification

All PhD graduates and students must also provide evidence that their qualification meets Australian standards. You must provide evidence that shows they are exceptional and outstanding, and that your research has international significance in the target sectors

The Distinguished Talent pathway has a very small number of annual places (200 places in 2020-21) and is subject to overwhelming demand. This program is only for the most exceptional and outstanding individuals. The current average processing time for the Distinguished Talent program is 12-16 months. The Distinguished Talent pathway for applicants working in other sectors and you have an internationally recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievement in one of the following areas:

• a profession
• a sport
• the arts
• or academia and research

KEY CRITERIA – DISTINGUISHED TALENT APPLICANTS
You must be able to demonstrate that you are highly skilled in areas below by:

• Proving you are internationally recognised with evidence of outstanding and exceptional achievements
• Proving you are still prominent in your field of expertise
• Providing sufficient evidence that you would be an asset to Australia, in your field of expertise
• Demonstrating you will have no difficulty obtaining employment in Australia or becoming established in your field
• Providing an endorsement and nomination from a recognised organisation or individual in Australia who is well recognised in a similar field to your skillset

In addition, you must meet a high standard and show an exceptional track-record of professional and outstanding achievements for each of the key criteria above. This may include senior roles, patents, professional awards, international publications, media articles and international memberships of which may span from the beginning of your career and within last 2 years