The new Global Talent Scheme is targeted at supporting talent and innovation in Australia where businesses will be able to sponsor highly skilled and specialised workers who will help to grow their businesses and create more jobs.
Workers sponsored under the scheme will have access to a Temporary Skills Shortage visa and permanent residence after three years.
The Global Talent Scheme (GTS) is a niche 12-month pilot scheme under the TSS visa program and will provide businesses, including Australian startups, with a way to sponsor highly-skilled and specialised workers not covered by the standard Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa (subclass 482) program and the cutting-edge skills Australia needs to compete globally.
The Global Talent Scheme includes two streams – one for established businesses and one for start-ups.
- Established Business stream allows employers who are accredited sponsors to employ highly-skilled individuals with cutting-edge skills to contribute to innovation in an established business, and help make Australian businesses and their Australian employees the best at what they do.
- Startup stream allows employers to sponsor highly-skilled individuals with cutting-edge skills to contribute to Australia's developing startup ecosystem and bring new ideas, new jobs, new skills and new technology for Australia. This stream is for startups operating in a technology-based or STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) related field. Startups must be endorsed by the independent GTS startup advisory panel.
All businesses sponsoring workers to Australia under the scheme will need to demonstrate that they have been unable to source suitable individuals in the Australian labour market.
Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, Alan Tudge said the innovative new scheme will help to attract top global talent into Australia.
Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, Alan Tudge. Source: AAP
"This scheme is designed to facilitate businesses accessing top talent from around the world," Mr Tudge said.
"It complements existing Temporary Skill Shortage visa arrangements by providing the flexibility to handle high value, niche skills that can't be obtained under the standard visa program."
Coming soon: scheme to support innovation in South Australia
The Government is also working on launching a new scheme in South Australia with an aim to roll it out nationally in 2019.
The new scheme is called Supporting Innovation in South Australia scheme which will assist South Australia to attract foreign entrepreneurs to take forward innovative ideas and launch seed-stage startups.
“We are working closely with the South Australian Government to develop this pilot scheme for implementation in 2018. Subject to a successful review, the scheme will roll out nationally in 2019,” the Department of Home Affairs said on their website.
More information about the Global Talent Scheme pilot is available at
