The Global Talent Employer-Sponsored program allows employers to sponsor overseas workers for highly skilled positions that cannot be filled:
- by Australian workers
- through other standard visa programs - in particular, the Short-term stream and Medium-term stream of the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa
Before the Department enters into an agreement, businesses must be able to demonstrate that they can’t fill the position through existing skilled visa programs. Businesses are then able to sponsor workers for a TSS visa under the GTES.
The GTES is designed to benefit Australia and Australian workers.
It aims to bring globally mobile, highly skilled, and specialized individuals to Australia who can act as 'job multipliers' in Australian businesses, helping them to hire more local staff and fill critical areas of need.
Any position filled through a GTES agreement must provide opportunities for Australians by, for example:
- creating new jobs for Australians
- transferring skills and knowledge to Australian workers
Applicant and Sponsor must demonstrate how you realize these opportunities throughout the GTES agreement period.
GTES streams Key Features:
- trusted employers can access highly skilled roles - you are not restricted to occupation lists for the TSS visa short-term or medium-term streams
- there are 2 streams – Established business and Start-ups
- the earning threshold for applicants is higher than under the standard TSS stream
- you can negotiate variations on the standard TSS visa requirements
- the visa is valid for up to 4 years and allows access to a permanent residence pathway
- you can negotiate age requirements for the permanent residence pathway
- priority processing of GTES agreements
Established Business stream:
The Established Business stream lets employers who are accredited sponsors employ workers with cutting-edge skills to help innovate in an established business and make Australian businesses and their Australian employees the best at what they do.
The main features of this stream are:
- access up to 20 positions per year (applicant and position criteria must be satisfied on each occasion)
- flexibility in certain visa criteria, including access to 4-year TSS visas
- transitional pathway to permanent residence after 3 years, including age cap concessions
- simpler agreement applications and faster processing of agreements
- if the position ceases, the visa holder will have 60 days to find a new sponsor and a new visa or depart Australia
Start-up stream:
The Start-up stream, lets employers sponsor workers with cutting-edge skills to contribute to Australia's developing start-up ecosystem and bring new ideas, new jobs, new skills, and new technology into Australia.
This stream is for start-ups operating in a tech-based or STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) field.
The main features of this stream are:
- access up to 5 positions per year (applicant and position criteria must be satisfied on each occasion).
- flexibility in certain visa criteria, including access to 4 years TSS visas.
- transitional pathway to permanent residence after 3 years, including age cap concessions.
- simpler agreement applications and faster processing of agreements.
- if the position ceases the visa holder will have 60 days to find a new sponsor and a new visa or depart Australia
Start-ups must be endorsed by the independent GTES start-up advisory panel.
Panel members include:
- Alex McCauley (Chair), Chief Executive Officer, Start-up AUS
- Alex Gruszka, Chief Operating Officer, Start-up AUS
- Bronwen Clune, Digital Director, Launch VIC
- Emily Close, Head of Venture Community & Business Development, AirTree
- Lorraine Chiroiu, Chief Executive Officer, AusBiotech
- Murray Hurps, Director of Entrepreneurship, Director/Co-founder University of Technology Sydney, Start-up Muster
Note: For up-to-date information please contact our office.