Australia granted 9,584 Global Talent visas for skilled migration applicants in the 2020-2021 migration year.
In its 2020-21 Migration Program Report, Australia revealed that 79,620 migration places were allotted to the Skill stream out of the 160,052 places for Australian migration.
Of the 79,620 Skill stream migration places, 9,584 visas were granted to Global Talent Program applicants, making up 12 per cent of the total Skill stream visas.
Digitech was the most popular sector in the Global Talent Visa Program, with 33.9 per cent of all applications submitted under the Program.
Roles in the Digitech sector include machine learning, cloud computing, cyber security and quantum computing.
The next most popular sectors in the Global Talent Visa Program were:
- Health Industries – 22.8 per cent applications;
- Energy – 17.0 per cent applications;
- Financial Services and FinTech – 11.5 per cent applications;
- Resources – 6.6 per cent applications;
- Defence, Advanced Manufacturing and Space – 6.4 per cent applications;
- Agri-food and AgTech – 0.9 per cent applications;
- Infrastructure and Tourism – 0.4 per cent applications;
- Education – 0.3 per cent applications; and
- Circular Economy – 0.1 per cent applications.
Of the 9,584 Global Talent visas granted, 7,375 applications were submitted by skilled migration applicants who were already in Australia, while offshore applicants lodged the remaining 2,209 applications.
New South Wales was the most preferred destination (3,845), followed by Victoria (2,418), Queensland (1,465) and Western Australia (852).
Alex Hawke, Australia’s Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs, said that delivering a complete migration program of 160,052 places amidst the Covid-19 pandemic necessitated drawing from the pool of onshore applicants.
He also said that Australia would continue to prioritise skilled migration visas to drive the country’s economic growth, job creation and investment opportunities.
The Skill stream for Australian migration is designed to improve the country’s productive capacity and fill skill shortages in the Australian labour market.
To be invited for a Global Talent visa, applicants need to be highly skilled in any one of 10 target sectors and earn a salary of at least $158,500. They must also prove that they have global recognition for outstanding achievements in their respective fields.
Applicants must also prove that they will be an asset to Australia and be nominated by a recognised Australian organisation or individual as a global talent.
