Global Talent Visa is a unique chance for talents to come to Australia. With this visa, you can work in science, engineering, humanities, medicine, digital technology, the arts, and fashion. This post is about the main 32 steps on how to get a Global Talent Visa. I wrote it with only the Global Talent Independent Program in mind and the soul. However, if you are applying for any other kind of Global Talent Visa, you possibly will find some relevant information for you too.
Step #1: Choose the Visa Route
If you want to get a Global Talent Visa then be ready to fight. This also means you made at least basic research on the topic of Australia Visas. So, probably, you know that there is plenty of Skilled Migration Visas. However, most of them require access to significant investment funds. Or at least financial savings as well as limited opportunities to work and live in Australia.
Contrary, Global Talent Visa has no financial requirements. And it’s mild to many other immigration aspects. For example, the English language test or any visa sponsorship. That is why it gives a chance to work and live in the United Kingdom. Here you can discover your talents for the country’s benefits.
Step #2: Read guidelines of Tech Nation and Home Office
If you write in a search engine “get Global Talent Visa guidelines” there are hundreds of search results relevant for this request. However, the most important documents are published by Global Business and Talent Attraction Taskforce. This is our Endorsement authority. Also, the Home Affairs has guidelines. This body is the governmental authority on immigration in Australia. Hence, first of all, an applicant needs to read these two guidelines carefully.
Step #3: First Glance: Promise or Talent
It is easy to think but sometimes tricky to decide what route to choose. However, only you are entitled to choose who you are – an Exceptional Talent or Exceptional Promise. What is the difference?
For Exceptional Talent, you have to be a leader in the field of digital technology. In other words, you are a founder of the Unicorn company.
you cannot choose both options simultaneously. Once you have decided which route is most appropriate to your expertise, you must specify your route. You must choose are you applying as an Exceptional Talent or Exceptional Promise candidate on the Tech Nation visa application form. Moreover, you cannot change your choice after submission.
For Exceptional Promise, you need to demonstrate the potential to become a leader in the field of digital technology. In other words, your company is still not a Unicorn but shows good growth.
Step #4: Choose Between Work & Investment Routes
In Global Talent Visa, there are two possible ways to go. As a result, the choice has to be based purely on your experience and qualification. For a Global Talent Visa in the work route, you have to be an expert in your field with stable experience in niche technology. For the Investment route, you have to be a successful entrepreneur. Then you must have a proven record of your work as a C-suite manager or any similar position.
Step #5: Think About One Key Criteria & Two Qualified Criteria
Depending on the choice of Work visa or Investment visa, you need to apply for a slightly different package of documents. For any of these routes, you must have (1) at least one key criteria, (2) at least two qualifying criteria. However, the content of the criteria is different. I do not want to copy-paste all of them here since you read them in the Guidelines mentioned above.
However, what is important – you need to think hard and provide as much proof of your talent as possible. If you can support two key criteria – do it! It will increase your chances to get a Global Talent Visa. That is why – think and dig into your own experience and skills.
Step #6: Write a Plan To Do
After you have got an understanding of what you need to do to get the visa, put it down and write a plan of your actions. In other words, you need to write a personal plan for the Endorsement stage step-by-step. It is better to place it on the wall and look at it every day.
Step #7: Set Up Your Deadlines
As I have said and done – you can use any project management technique. The main goal: to get a Global Talent Visa. And make your application successful. But what has to be met – deadlines. You do not have any obligatory date or time to apply for a visa.
Step #8: Consider Fast Track Option
According to the Direction 89 that was issued under section 499 of the Migration Act 1958, by the Alan Tudge, the Acting Minister for Immigration on 17/12/2020, the priority of the assessment and allocation of places should be given to the applicants in 10 specific target sector. There are currently 15000 places available under the Global Talent pathway in Australia’s immigration intake program in 2020-2021.
To be considered for an invitation to apply under the program, you need to demonstrate that you are highly skilled in one of the following 10 target sectors:
- Resources
- Agri-food and AgTech
- Energy
- Health industries
- Defence, advanced manufacturing and space
- Circular economy
- Digitech
- Infrastructure and tourism
- Financial services and FinTech
- Education
Step #9: Brainstorm Supporting Docs
After you have outlined your route and other important aspects of your application, it is the ideal time to think about supporting documents. They are required to prove your key & qualifying criteria and eligibility for Fast Track of Exceptional Talent Visa. What types of documents should it be? Do you need to contact anyone to receive the document? How long (approximately) it will take to get it? Consider the real situations for understanding your chances to obtain what you need for your visa application.
Step #10: Find an Example of Personal Statement
As I wrote many times, Personal Statement is the core document in the visa application. It represents yourself in front of the Endorsement Panel. That is why start to draft it as early as possible. You must have a clear plan for what you will do in Australia (also, where exactly and how).
Step #11: Write Personal Statement
Every Personal Statement to get a Global Talent Visa has to have four main parts. You can find precise questions to answer, however, in general, you need to write (1) about your excellent professional past, (2) why you have chosen Australia, (3) why Australia must choose you as a talent (or promise), (4) what unique things you will do in Australia in the short term and long-term perspective.
Step #12: Proofread Your Personal Statement
This document is your silent presentation in front of the gurus of the GBTA Taskforce. So do your best to make it as good as possible. I do not think that you have to go to the professional translators (unless your English is completely poor). Most of the people who sent me their Personal Statements are writing them by themselves.
Step #13: Find Three-Four Referees
To get your three Letters of Recommendation, you need to have three or four trusted people. They must know your past and believes in your future. There are some formal requirements regarding them. Your referees have to be C-level managers in international companies or prominent scientists in the area of your expertise.
Step #14: Prepare an Example of Letter of Recommendation
It is easier for your referee to write such a document if he or she has an example or any sample letter. Again, try to find relevant documents that will not harm your visa application. The typical Recommendation Letters for universities, from the previous job, for an internship, will not work!
Step #15: Prepare Supporting Documents
There are no two similar packages of supporting documents as we all have different life circumstances. Hence, you need to have your unique supporting documents for all criteria.
Step #16: Apply Online for Visa
You have to make two visa applications. One – for Home Affairs (including fee payment), the other one – for GBTA Taskforce (including attachments of supporting documents). By the way, the GBTA Taskforce visa application is a part of the Home Office visa application, so it is better to start them simultaneously.
Step #17: Check All The Fields to Complete
There are many fields to fill in the Global Talent Visa online visa application. You may be familiar with all of them and know what to write or what option to choose (for Yes/No questions). Anyway, try to check in advance the fields to complete and do a new search for fields that are not clear. If you do not know anything – use the next step and use a proactive approach for this.
Step #18: Ask About Help
If you want to have my recommendation about a legal firm with a solid and positive reputation – let me know, please. They work with any type of talent visas. Hence, write to me, and in a private message, I will make you an introduction to the legal immigration firm.
Step #19: Check Your Bank Account to Pay for The Endorsement Stage
To apply for an Endorsement stage, you need to have sufficient funds in your bank account. The most convenient way to pay is via debit/credit card so please, be ready to provide information about the cardholder, card number, date of issue and CVV code. Double-check the required sum in your account and its availability as well as the appropriate limit for online transactions.
Step #20: Apply for The Stage 1 Online
Fill in all the required fields in the online forms (both of them, mentioned above in step no. 16). Attach the documents to support your application. Put information about the payment for your Endorsement stage of visa application and submit this application. Done!
Step #21: No Paper Application
It is a great point to mention but to get a Global Talent Visa you must be paper free! It is better to say one more time there is an official statement in both Guidelines, that “You do not need to send printed hard copies to GBTA Taskforce or the Home Affairs”. Please, do not waste your time and efforts to print your docs.
Step #22: Wait Until the Expected Endorsement
You need to wait up to 8 weeks after the confirmation email from Home Affairs. Yes, two months period is a quite long time in terms of expected results. But all you need to do is to check your email every day and keep calm. You cannot change the order of things and make your Global Talent Visa application processing faster.
Step #23: Contact Home Office (Not Obligatory)
If you have any doubt about your submitted application, the date when Home Affairs has received it or a fact that you do not have your confirmation email (after two weeks of your pressing the button “Submit”) you can contact the Office of Home Affairs
Step #24: Print Your Endorsement Letter
It will be The Big Day of your life when you will get your Endorsement letter. It will be sent to you by one of the Home Affairs experts. And this day will almost start your new life. I wrote “almost” since there is also the second stage to get a Global Talent Visa application so-called “Immigration Stage”. However, the hardest part – The endorsement Stage is done!
Step #25: Collect the Docs for Visa Stage
The main point of this stage is to demonstrate for Home Affairs that you will be a good immigrant with a well-reputed Global Talent Visa in hand. In other words, a person who does not have any massive health issues (Health Clearance). And those who will be in good relations with law and Australia policies.
Step #26: Double-check Your Bank Account and Pay the Charge for Health Clearance
Again – the Visa Stage has a financial step to do. Every applicant has to pay not only for applying visa but also to pay Australian healthcare. You need to calculate it in advance to understand the amount of the sum. For example, when you come with dependants, the quantity is growing significantly.
Step #27: Print All Documents and Visa Application
Most straightforward step but check it twice or three times – you should not forget anything, the price of a mistake is too high. What other documents to bring with you?
Step #28: Book a Slot at the Australia Visa Centre
After you have paid the required sums and collected all the documents – go to the Australia Visa Centre web page to book a slot for your in-person application. In different countries, there is a variety of unique options for Visa Centre’s work. However, in general, you may go in an ordinary queue or apply in premium.
Step #29: Apply in Person for Visa
On the day you have booked a timeslot, go to the Visa centre with the required documents and apply them for the Visa Stage.
Step #30: Wait Until the Collection Time
This waiting drove me crazy but no choice. After you give the document to the officer at the Australia Visa Centre, you have to wait again. I know how it is painful. Moreover, there is a different duration of waiting. When living in the UK, you need to wait up to 2 months (8 weeks) again.