2020 saw a major shift in focus in the Australian Migration Program away from Skilled Visas towards the Global Talent Independent program (GTI), a streamlined visa pathway that uses the Distinguished Talent (Subclass 858) visa to provide priority access to Australian permanent residency.
The quota for Global Talent visas increased in the 2020-21 migration program year from 5,000 to 15,000 available places and remains the same for the 2021-22 program. The increase in available spots does not mean the standards have been lowered if anything, there is more competition. From 01 July 2020 to 10 October 2020, the Department of Home Affairs received an astonishing 3,986 GTI Expressions of Interest.
This significant quota increase has of course taken a toll on other skilled visas such as the Skilled Independent (Subclass 189) visa. Subclass 189 has always been highly sought by skilled applicants because it provides permanent residence without the need for State nomination or employer sponsorship. However, the visa process has become increasingly competitive over the years, with consistently high numbers of applicants lodging Expressions of Interest in Skill Select and raising the bar even higher.
As a result of the significant decline of places allocated to the Skilled Migration program and the ever-growing pool of applicants, the GTI program is now becoming a real alternative for skilled migrants.
An alternative to applying for subclass 189?
At first glance, the GTI program may have fewer requirements than the 189 Skilled Independent visa, after all, it does not require applicants to obtain a positive Skills Assessment or meet the minimum point’s threshold. This is true however, the GTI program aims to attract highly skilled individuals who are at the top of their field and who can be job multipliers in the Australian economy. Applicants must have an internationally recognized record of exceptional and outstanding achievement in specific sectors, in other words, applicants must demonstrate that they are “talents”.
The GTI program is also an attractive option for eligible Graduates in the fields of
- Resources
- Agri-food and AgTech
- Energy
- Health industries
- Defence, advanced manufacturing and space
- Circular economy
- DigiTech
- Infrastructure and tourism
- Financial services and FinTech
- Education
As a matter of fact, recent PhD and Research Graduates are a target group of the Global Talent program.
In summary, some of the key features of the GTI program over subclass 189 include: