THE AUSTRALIAN Government has announced that a new visa scheme “to attract highly skilled global talent and deliver innovation to Australia” will be piloted from 1 July of this year.
In a statement yesterday (19 March), the government said it recognises there is fierce competition globally for high-tech skills and talent, and that attracting these people helps to transfer skills to Australian workers and grow Australian-based businesses.
The Global Talent Scheme will consist of two components. Established businesses with an annual turnover of more than $4 million will be able to sponsor highly skilled and experienced individuals for positions with earnings above $180,000 into Australia.
Employers will be required to demonstrate that they prioritise the employment of Australians and that there will be skills transfer to Australian workers as a result of the person being granted a visa. The sponsoring business must also have a track record of hiring and training Australians.
Technology-based and STEM-related start-up businesses will also be able to sponsor experienced people with specialised technology skills.
Start-ups will need to be recognised by a start-up authority and demonstrate that they prioritise the employment of Australians.
In both instances, a four year Temporary Skill Shortage visa will be issued with permanent residence applications available after three years.
The government will consult further on the details of the scheme over the next few months, before piloting it for 12 months, starting 1 July 2018. An industry advisory group will provide ongoing guidance for the pilot.
AREEA welcomes the announcement of this new visa, particularly given uncertainty around which skills will not be available under the new TSS Visa that came into effect yesterday, replacing the longstanding 457 visa scheme (see related story).
AREEA will engage with the Government during the forthcoming consultation process to ensure all our members’ views are represented for the pilot phase of this new visa program. To provide input contact [email protected].
