The Federal Government is set to trial a new visa scheme to attract highly skilled global talent and deliver innovation to Australia with a pilot program to be launched from 1 July.
The new Global Talent Scheme, jointly announced on Monday by the Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs Alan Tudge and the Minister for Jobs and Innovation Michaelia Cash, will consist of two components.
To qualify, the sponsoring employers will need to be able 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 – and they must have a track record of hiring and training Australians.
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.
{loadposition peter}And 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 programs, a four year Temporary Skill Shortage visa will be issued with permanent residence applications available after three years.
The Government has said it 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.
Minister Tudge said that the new scheme is recognition that global talent is in high demand and Australia needs to provide pathways for Australian businesses to access this.
“We want to ensure that Australian businesses can access the best talent in the world, because this will underpin business growth, skills transfer and job creation.
“At all stages, Australians are prioritised for the jobs, but where the skills and experience are not available here, we want to be able to attract talent from overseas.
“This is part of the ongoing reforms to our skilled visa programs to ensure that Australians have priority for Australian jobs, but acknowledge that there are times when the skills are not available in the country.”
Minister Cash said the new scheme will particularly help Australian employers in Australia’s growing innovation sector and help them to create more Australian jobs.
“Industry figures say globally mobile, highly skilled and experienced staff can act as ‘job multipliers’ in Australian businesses, helping them to hire more local staff and fill critical areas of need.” Minister Cash concluded.