Global Talent Independent (GTI) Visa (Subclass 858) is a part of Australia’s Global Talent Program offered by the Department of Home Affairs. It is an attempt to attract some of the brightest and the best talents from around the world into arriving at, living in and working in Australia. 

If you are currently on a temporary visa or if you are someone looking to migrate to Australia, you can consider the Global Talent Independent Visa (Subclass 858).

What is the Global Talent Independent (GTI) Program?

The GTI Program provides one with a streamlined visa pathway that offers a Subclass 858 Visa to provide priority access to Australian permanent residency. The GTI Program utilises the profession or academic and research aspects of this visa.

The Subclass 858 Visa under this program is vastly different from other kinds of visas since they are not points-tested. There are no English language requirements or skills assessment requirements. Moreover, Global Talent visas are being given priority over all other visas so their processing times are also quite short. To apply you’d need to be from one of the target sectors listed below.

Benefits of the Global Talent Independent Program (GTI)

With this visa, you’ll be able to enjoy the following benefits.

• You’ll be able to live and work in Australia permanently.
• You can also pursue education in any of the world-class educational institutions here.
• You can enrol in Medicare which puts you into Australia’s public health care scheme.
• You would also be able to sponsor your family members for permanent residence.
• In addition to the above, after five years of holding this permanent visa, you can apply for Australian citizenship.

Streams under Global Talent Independent Program (GTI)

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There are 2 streams that applicants can apply under:

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• Global Talent Visa Pathway – an opportunity for highly skilled people in the target sectors; and
• Distinguished Talent Pathway – a pathway for exceptional individuals who do not fit into any Global Talent sector. Some examples are Olympic athletes and famous musicians.

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It is important to note that the Distingu​ished Talent Visa used to be known as Subclass 124 and was a distinguished visa from the GTI visa category. However, from 27th February 2021, the Distingu​ished Talent visa became the Global Talent Visa.

Am I Eligible?

This is quite a subjective assessment. Consider whether you have had significant academic or professional accomplishments that are not in the “ordinary” course, look at what we’ve described above as successful candidates who have received EOIs.

Feel free to reach out to us if you think you may be such a candidate, but are unsure as to whether you might qualify.

Following are the eligibility conditions set by the Department of Home Affairs:

• To apply, you need to be highly skilled in one of the target sectors or work in a senior role for a company that provides services in one of these sectors. You must meet a high standard and show an exceptional track record of professional achievement. If you fit that condition you may be eligible for the Global Talent Visa under the Global Talent Pathway. You can prove that through:
• Senior Roles
• Patents
• Professional Awards‍
• If you do not work in one of these sectors but you are a highly talented person, you may be eligible under the Distinguished Talent Pathway. It’s important to keep in mind that the standard you must meet is significantly higher.
• PhD Candidates: If you have completed your PhD in the last 3 years or if you are currently in the final 6 months of your PhD, you can apply for this visa. However, you’d still need to prove exceptional talent and international recognition in one of the target sectors. You can prove that through:‍
• Professional Awards
• International Publications‍
• High-Income Threshold: You need to prove that you can attract the above high-income threshold of AUD  $158,500 set by Fair Work. As proof, you can provide the following documents:‍
• A record of your payslips or a contract that shows your current salary.
• Any future job offers that state the potential remuneration.
• Proof of being a recent PhD graduate in the target sector.‍
• Age requirements: There is no explicit age requirement for the Global Talent visa program. However, if you are under the age of 18 or over 55 years old, you need to demonstrate that you can offer exceptionally important economic benefits to Australia.
• English Proficiency requirement: If you are over the age of 18, you need to show adequate proof of at least functional English. If you are unable to provide that as a part of your application, then you would be charged a secondary visa application fee amounting to AUD $4,890 per applicant.
• Australian Nominator: You would need an Australian person or organisation that can nominate you for the program. The nominator must have a national reputation in the same field as you and they need to attest to your skills.

In hindsight, the eligibility requirements seem fairly simple and easy. However, the standards set are, in fact, quite high and one would need to provide an excellent Expression of Interest (EOI), to be considered for Global Talent Independent Visa (Subclass 858).

As a professional, you might also consider applying for a Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189). Although they might appear similar, the Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189) differs from the Global Talent Independent Visa (Subclass 858). The next section outlines the differences.

Global Talent Independent Visa (Subclass 858) vs Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189)

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How do I apply?

To access one of the 15,000 positions under the GTI for priority processing, there are several steps.

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The unique identifier and code: The unique identifier and code are issued by the Department of Home Affairs. To get this, you need to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI):

• The Global Talent Expression of Interest form can be found here.
• In your EOI you need to provide sufficient documents as proof of your ability and standards.
• Although you indeed need to prepare an exceptional EOI to be considered for this visa, don’t make it so technical or dense that the EOI assessor fails to understand it. While working on your EOI you must understand that the person assessing it might not be a professional in your field. Thus, it’s recommended that you try to prepare it in a manner that a layman can understand it.
• During this step, you also need to attach all the necessary documents from your nominator. So make use of all the important documents available, before your application.
• If you are successful with this first stage, you will be provided with a unique Global Talent identifier and invited to submit a visa application.

Apply for the visa: With a unique identifier and code, you can lodge your visa application. The Department of Home Affairs has recently set the Immi Account system up so that these applications can now be lodged via your Immi Account if you have one.

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‍Disclaimer: Kindly note that the information provided here does not constitute legal advice. This must solely be regarded as content that provides general immigration information and is not a substitute for professional legal advice that occurs between an immigration lawyer and a client. 

Path Migration strongly recommends readers to contact certified immigration lawyers for a holistic overview of the Australia immigration system and a detailed analysis of each case.

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