The Global Talent Visa is not a visa but under the Global Talent Independent (GTI) program the best and brightest skilled migrants can obtain permanent residency in the world’s best liveable cities in Australia.
Complete the “Free GTI assessment”
The Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs formally launched the GTI program on 4 November 2019 and announced the eligibility requirements for candidates to be invited to apply.
On this page:
- The actual visas are
- Eligibility requirements for candidates to be invited to apply
- The seven GTI program target sectors
- The Australian Government, is actively encouraging people who have:
- You must be internationally recognised with a record of achievement in:
- Your achievements must be exceptional and outstanding
- You must also participate in a field that
- Be this age
- Required regulatory criteria
- How to apply and how to undertake an assessment
- Global Talent Independent (GTI) Eligibility Guide Free Download
- Indicators of exceptional and outstanding achievements
- Priority sectors
Global Talent Independent (GTI) Eligibility Guide Free Download
Free Eligibility Guide - Download Now!
The actual visas are:
Subclass 124/858 Distinguished Talent visa
Eligibility requirements for candidates to be invited to apply
Overview
The Department will consider your EOI based on the indicators of exceptional and outstanding achievements claimed and the NIV program priorities.
If we invite you to apply for a NIV, it does not mean we have pre-assessed your eligibility to be granted a visa. Once you lodge a visa application, we will assess you on the merits of your application and the supporting evidence you include when you apply.
Australia will extend invitations in the following priority order, with priority one being the highest:
| Priority one | Exceptional candidates from any sector who are global experts and recipients of international ‘top of field’ level awards. |
| Priority two | Candidates from any sector nominated on the approved Form 1000 by an expert Australian Commonwealth, State or Territory Government agency. |
| Priority three | Candidates with exceptional and outstanding achievements in a Tier One sector:
|
| Priority four | Candidates with exceptional and outstanding achievements in a Tier Two sector:
|
The seven GTI program target sectors
- AgTech (agriculture and food production);
- FinTech (improve and automate delivery and use of financial services);
- MedTech (medical technologies and pharmaceuticals);
- Cyber Security;
- Quantum Information, Advanced Digital, Data Science and ICT;
- Space and Advanced Manufacturing; and
- Energy and Mining Technology.
While these sectors are for current targeting and focus, this is not to the exclusion of other industries, with scope to consider highly talented individuals in related fields.
The Australian Government, is actively encouraging people who have:
- completed a Doctoral degree (PhD) in the last 3 years, or are submitting their thesis in the next 6 months; or
- completed a Bachelor Honours degree or Masters degree in the last 3 years, and have an overall grade-point average of 80 (or above) out of 100 Candidates accepted into the program will receive streamlined, priority processing with complete visa applications currently taking less than a month to finalise.
This is a permanent residence visa allowing the applicant to live and work anywhere in Australia.
You must be internationally recognised with a record of achievement in:
- a profession
- a sport
- the arts, or
- academia and research
Subclause 124.211(2) provides that the applicant:
- has an internationally recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievement in one of the following areas (as defined in accordance with their ordinary dictionary meaning):
- a profession (refers to ‘a vocation requiring knowledge of some department of learning or science’);
- a sport (refers to ‘an activity pursued for exercise or pleasure, usually requiring some degree of physical prowess’);
- the arts (refers to ‘the theoretical or physical expression of creativity found in human cultures and societies. Major constituents of the arts include visual arts, literature, and performance arts’);
- academia and research (refers to ‘scholarly and systematic inquiry into a subject to discover facts or principles’); and
- is still prominent in the area; and
- would be an asset to the Australian community; and
- would have no difficulty in obtaining employment, or in becoming established independently, in Australia in the area; and
- produces a completed approved form 1000; and
- if the applicant has not turned 18, or is at least 55 years old, at the time of application—would be of exceptional benefit to the Australian community.
Your achievements must be exceptional and outstanding
- are currently prominent in your field
- have superior abilities to others in your field
- are acclaimed as exceptional in any country where your field is practised
- have a record of sustained achievement that is unlikely to diminish in the future
You must also participate in a field that:
- is recognised and accepted in Australia
- has international standing
You must have been prominent in this field in the past 2 years.
Be this age
If you are under 18 years old or you are aged 55 years or older when you apply, you must be of exceptional benefit to the Australian community.
Required regulatory criteria
The relevant laws are set out in the Migration Act 1958 (the Act) and the Migration Regulations 1994 (the Regulations).
Many of the requirements in the Act are expressed in objective terms and do not allow any discretion for officers.
To the extent that the Act and the Regulations allow for discretion, officers will consider the Department’s approved policy and procedures where relevant and appropriate in decision-making.
Our lawyers in Australia can assess the requirements.
Step 2 of 3
Book an appointment now via the link below to chat and obtain the assessment outcome
Book now under category 04. Migration Law – In-depth assessments and adv – 1 hr
Step 3 of 3
Submit an expression of interest (EOI) and an application
You can email us information including; candidate details, evidence of global talent (industry/sector) and occupation, attach evidence required to demonstrate an internationally recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievement in the sector of employment along with evidence of current salary.
Global Talent Independent (GTI) Eligibility Guide Free Download
Free Eligibility Guide - Download Now!
Indicators of exceptional and outstanding achievements
This is an exclusive permanent visa for high-calibre migrants who have an internationally recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievements in their field.
Exceptional and outstanding achievements suitable for the NIV may include the following.
International ‘top-of-field’ level awards
Awards for exceptional and outstanding achievements that are available in all fields. These include but are not limited to:
- Nobel Prizes
- Breakthrough Prizes
- Rousseeuw Prize
- Eni Award
- Institution of Electrical Engineers Medal of Honor
- Fields Medal
- Chern Medal
- Abel Prize
- L’Oreal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science
- Turing Award
- ACM Prize in Computing
- Pulitzer Prize
- International Booker Prize
- International Tchaikovsky Competition Gold Medal
- Olympic Gold Medal
- Laureus World Sportsman or Sportswoman of the year.
Recipients of national research grants
Receipt of a national level research grant for the highest quality research in Australia or from other countries showing that the individual is at the top of their field. These include but are not limited to:
- Australian Research Council grants
- Department of Education Accelerator grants
- equivalent level grants from other countries. This includes:
- United Kingdom Research and Innovation Grants program
- funding from the EU Commission
- funding from the US National Science Foundation
- other similar level grants.
Holders of PhDs with high-levels of academic influence or thought leadership
Holders of a PhD with high-levels of academic influence or thought leadership in their field, such as:
- recent publications in top ranked journals, for example Nature, Lancet or Acta Numerica
- a high h-index for their stage of career, for example an early career researcher with a h-index of 14
- a research-based degree from a top global university, for example, ranked in the top 100 World University Rankings by Times Higher Education.
Other measures of high-calibre talent
Other measures of high-calibre talent may include:
- recent keynote appearance at a high-profile international conference. For example:
- Web Summit; International Congress of Mathematicians
- American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting or
- International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium.
- earning at or above the Fair Work high income threshold, where:
- there is written communication from an Australian employer offering employment in Australia with an annual salary equivalent to, or higher than, the high income threshold or
- the primary applicant’s current earnings are an amount equal to, or greater than, the high income threshold.
Candidates nominated by an expert Australian Commonwealth, State or Territory government agency
Other indicators of exceptional and outstanding achievements we may consider in conjunction with nomination by an expert Australian Commonwealth, State or Territory government agency include:
- athletes and creatives who will raise Australia’s international standing in their field
- evidence of innovative investment activity with an established track record of supporting successful innovative ventures
- evidence of promising entrepreneurial activities that will lead to the commercialisation of a product or service in Australia, particularly where linked to Commonwealth, State or Territory based innovation hubs.
- recognised intellectual property attributed to them, for example holding relevant international patents.
Priority sectors
Tier One Priority Sectors
Critical technologies
Potentially transformative enabling technology. This includes artificial intelligence, advanced robotics and cyber security technology.
This sector includes, but is not limited to, the following specialisations:
- advanced information and communication technology
- advanced manufacturing and materials technology
- artificial intelligence technology
- autonomous systems
- biotechnology
- clean energy generation and storage technology
- cyber security technology
- quantum technology
- photonics
- robotics
- positioning, timing and sensing technology.
Renewables and low emission technologies
Technology that will support Australia to reach net zero.
This sector includes, but is not limited to, the following specialisations:
- bio-methane production
- circular economy innovations
- clean energy technology
- emission reduction and carbon storage
- green metals
- low-carbon liquid fuels
- processing and refining of critical minerals
- renewable energy generation
- transmission, distribution or storage
- renewable hydrogen
- Waste to Energy (WtE) technology.
Health Industries
Innovation in medical manufacturing and sovereign capabilities in medical science.
This sector includes, but is not limited to, the following specialisations:
- antimicrobial resistance
- artificial intelligence in health
- biochemistry and cell biology
- biotechnology
- genomics
- emerging health threats and emergencies
- health economics
- implantable and wearable devices
- infectious disease prevention
- pharmaceuticals and precision medicine
- medical science manufacturing for therapeutic products.
Tier Two Priority Sectors
Agri-food and AgTech
Innovation or value-adding in agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors.
This sector includes, but is not limited to, the following specialisations:
- biotechnology
- biosecurity and disease management
- farm management technology
- food technology
- processing primary industry outputs into higher value goods
- innovation and sustainability in agriculture, forestry and fisheries
- manufacturing of products for use in or connection with primary industries.
Education
Academia, research or management in universities and higher learning institutions.
This sector includes, but is not limited to, the following specialisations:
- senior management of universities and higher learning institutions
- senior academics and researchers at Australian academic level D or E (or international equivalent).
Defence Capabilities and Space
Advancing sovereign defence and space capability.
This sector includes, but is not limited to, the following specialisations:
- development, manufacturing and sustainment of products that are inputs to defence capability
- electromagnetic technologies
- propulsion systems
- space objects
- space systems engineering
- space sector enabling skills.
Financial Services and FinTech
Advancing innovation in the financial services or technology industries.
This sector includes, but is not limited to, the following specialisations:
- innovations in application programming
- blockchain engineering
- cloud technologies
- FinTech cyber and data security
- financial data science and analysis
- software engineering.
Infrastructure and Transport
Advancing innovation in the transport sector and infrastructure projects.
This sector includes, but is not limited to, the following specialisations:
- innovative manufacturing and technologies to support the development of the transport sector
- large and complex transport infrastructure projects for roads, bridges, tunnelling, rail and airports.
Resources
Innovation, product development or value adding in resource sectors or critical minerals supply chains.
This sector includes, but is not limited to, the following specialisations:
- automation and industry 4.0 skills
- beneficiation technology
- critical and battery minerals
- exploration services
- geology and metallurgy
- oil and gas decommissioning
- resource waste management
- value-add in resource sectors including manufacturing products and technologies to advance mineral processing.