What is a Global Talent (formerly Distinguished Talent) visa?

Global Talent Independent Program (GTI Visa)

The Global Talent Visa Subclass 858 is a special Australian visa for applicants who have an internationally excellent record of brilliant and outstanding achievements in a specific field. Visa subclass 858 is a permanent visa that allows the applicant to enter and stay in the country for an indefinite period. With GTI Visa, you can work and study in recognised organisations throughout the country. It requires the candidate to have an eligible relative living in the country who is qualified to cover his or her expenses during this time.

Overview

With GTI Visa, you can:

• 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
• apply for Australian citizenship, if eligible

Note

Newly arrived residents may be required to wait before receiving certain Australian Government payments and benefits. The waiting period varies from 1 to 2 years and may take up to 4 years. See the website for more information, click here.

How to apply for GTI Visa

The Global Talent visa comprises two visa pathways:

The streamlined Global Talent Visa Program pathway for applicants with skills in identified priority sectors who have submitted an Expression of Interest (EOI); If you receive an invitation from Australia as a result of your EOI, the next step is to apply for a visa. The visa application must be processed once it is submitted.; and

The Distinguished Talent pathway for applicants working in other sectors.

(a) You must either be in or outside Australia but not in immigration clearance when you apply and when this visa is decided.

(b) You must have an internationally recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievement in one of the following areas:

• A profession
• A sport
• The arts
• Academia or research

(c) You must be nominated by:

• An Australian citizen,
• Australia permanent resident,
• An eligible New Zealand citizen, or
• An Australian organisation with a national reputation in your area of talent.

Duration of stay

This is a permanent visa. It lets you stay in Australia indefinitely. You become a permanent resident on the day we grant the visa.

For citizenship purposes, your permanent residence starts on the day:

• we grant the visa if you are in Australia
• you enter Australia on this visa if you are outside Australia

Include your family members

You can include members of the family unit when you apply. You can also add family to your application at any time before we decide on your application.

If you are under 18 years old, you can include:

• a parent
• members of the family unit of that parent
• Family members who apply for the visa must meet the Australian Home Affairs Department health and character requirements.

Members of the family unit include:

(a) the main applicant’s spouse or de facto partner

(b) the main applicant’s child, or their partner’s child, who is not engaged, married or in a de facto relationship and is:

• aged under 18 years, or
• aged 18 to 23 years and dependent on the main applicant or the main applicant’s partner, or
• aged 23 years or older and dependent on the main applicant or the main applicant’s partner due to a partial or total physical or mental disability
• the dependent child of the child above.

Cost

(a) The visa costs AUD4,110 for the main applicant. There is an extra charge for each family member who applies for the visa with you.

Use the Visa pricing estimator to figure out how much your visa will cost. The estimator does not account for the second instalment or any other costs.

Link: Click here.

Note:

If you do not pay the correct visa application charge, the Department of Home Affairs cannot process your application. They will tell you if so and return your application if needed.

(b) You might have to pay an extra fee for any applicant aged 18 years or older who has less than functional English. This charge is called the second instalment. Department of Home Affairs will tell you when to pay the second instalment.

The second instalment charge is AUD4,890.

The Visa Pricing Estimator does not include the second instalment or other costs. You might also have to pay other costs for health checks, police certificates and biometrics.

Recent changes to GTI Visa Quota[1]

On 31 May 2021, Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke has revamped the nation’s skilled migrant intake with more people to come in as employer-sponsored. The Australian senate official transcripts read: “The global talent category decreased to 11,000 for the 2021/22 Migration Program”. Previously in 2020/21 Migration program for the global talent category, it has 15,000 places.

Employer-sponsored visas will be lifted to 23,500 from 22,000, the regional visa will be expanded by 17% to 13,150 positions while an extra thousand will be available through the skilled independent visa. The number of business innovation visas almost doubled from 6862 in 2019-20 to 13,500 for this financial year. But it will be cut to 11,000 in 2021-22 and follows a review in recent months.

[1] Shane Wright, Sydney Morning Herald, ‘Global talent migrants cut, skilled migrants up as calls grow for reform’, read more here.

Should you have further enquiries on GTI visas, please do not hesitate to contact us.