[No. 1: A Closer Look at GTI’s 10 Target Sectors]

Actually, regarding this year’s updated 10 target sectors for GTI, the questions I get asked most are:

1. Does my field of study/research direction fit into sector XX?

2. It looks like it could fit this sector, but it also seems like it could fit another one — Jenny, can you help me work out which sector I actually lean towards?

Whether onshore or offshore, applicants have always struggled with the question of their Target Sector.

Below, you can take a look at the breakdown of the 10 target sectors (of course, each sector is not limited to the industries listed here)

[No. 2: GTI Income Threshold Raised]

The Department’s official website previously noted that, each financial year, the GTI programme adjusts its income threshold based on fair market data as well as the programme itself. This financial year, the GTI programme’s taxable income threshold for applicants has been slightly raised from the previous AUD153,600 toAUD158,500.

The Department has also made clear that applicants can also provide payslips and other proof of employment, a job offer, PhD-related completion certificates and so on, to demonstrate their exceptional talent.

[No. 3: EA Joins the List of GTI Nominating Bodies]

As we know, the GTI visa requires a nominator — an industry leader or organisation with an Australian National Reputation — to nominate the GTI applicant. Everyone previously knew that ACS could provide nomination services for eligible GTI applicants, and recently, Engineers Australia (EA) has also joined the ranks of GTI nominating bodies, which is undoubtedly great news for applicants — especially offshore applicants who find it hard to reach a local Australian nominator or organisation. Below, I’ll give you a brief rundown of the process for EA as a nominating body, the eligibility applicants need to meet, and the fees involved.

1. As with the ACS application process, applicants need to submit their Engineers Australia (EA) nomination assessment application after receiving the GTI – Step 1 EOI Invitation (Unique Identifier);

2. Submitting the EA Nomination Assessment application involves 3 steps:

1) Self-assess for Eligibility

2) Submission of Application

3) Assessment and Nomination

In the self-assessment step, applicants will be asked to fill in the basic details of their GTI application, and whether they meet the criteria required for the GTI visa (they’ll be asked to answer YES/NO);

If an applicant doesn’t meet some of the requirements, they can provide a rationale statement explaining, through the following points, why they still meet the eligibility criteria for GTI:

— The target sector the applicant works in or researches aligns with one or more of GTI’s target sectors;

— The applicant’s own internationally recognised achievements;

— How the applicant can contribute to Australia’s current economic situation, and so on

After submitting all the application materials, applicants need to patiently wait for EA’s assessment outcome.EA hasn’t given a clear processing timeframe for applications, so if there’s no outcome after a long time, applicants can follow up by email or phone.If EA considers the materials provided don’t meet the eligibility requirements for a GTI applicant, it has the right to refuse the applicant’s nomination application.

3. On fees

EA’s application fee as a GTI nominating body is $810 excl. GST, $891 incl. GST. Payment is required at the time of lodgement, and if refused, the application fee is non-refundable.So, I’d recommend that all applicants, if circumstances allow, try to contact a nominator themselves first, and consider ACS and EA as a Plan B.

[What Type of Applicant Is More Likely to Be Invited?]

GTI applicants can be divided into four major categories:

-Academia and research

-A Sport

-The arts

-A Profession

The applicants we most commonly encounter are those mentioned above, namely the first category, academics, and the fourth category, experts. The requirements the Department outlines on its official website correspond to this: applicants need either a PhD or higher qualification, or need to meet an income requirement of AUD158,500 or above. Put this way, it might be easier for everyone to understand.Because for GTI applicants, the actual circumstances differ — qualifications, work history, income, and the economic and social benefits their research field brings are all different. Let’s take two examples:

So, through these two examples, I hope everyone can understand that applicants don’t need to meet every single requirement — in assessing a GTI application, the case officer will still evaluate the applicant based on all the conditions as a whole.If you’re reading my article and you’re still not sure whether your own circumstances are suitable, feel free to contact me for a comprehensive assessment.

[How Can Offshore Applicants Make Their Application More Competitive?]

No. 1: Nominator

I’ve come across many applicants whose circumstances are quite strong across the board, but who are simply missing a nominator — which is a real shame. So, if you can find a nominator who meets the requirements and carries real influence, that’s a big advantage for your application. If you genuinely can’t find one, you can also contact EA or ACS as a nominating body, as mentioned earlier in this article.

No. 2: The Applicant’s Close Ties to Australia

This point is crucial. Let’s look at the following scenarios below, and you can see which one applies to you:

Advantage 1: Having a High-Paying Local Australian Job Offer in Your Target Sector Matters

This not only powerfully proves that the applicant is recognised within the Australian industry, but the salary in the offer also reflects the applicant’s current capability; on top of that, it shows they can genuinely contribute locally in Australia and provide tax revenue.

I often come across offshore applicants who tell me they don’t have a local Australian job offer, but they’ve already received an offer from a major company back home and it’s also quite close to the GTI salary requirement — is that okay? On this kind of question, I’d say: you can provide the material, but it can only serve as supporting evidence. Because it only proves that you’re in demand in another country, it doesn’t demonstrate that you’re recognised at an equivalent level within the Australian industry; what’s more, the Department would think that, since you’ve already secured such a great offer in another country, would granting you a PR just mean you’d go off and contribute somewhere else instead? So why waste such a precious place? This makes it easy to understand why many applicants, despite securing a very high salary, still don’t get invited.

Advantage 2: Applications Aligned with Broader International Needs Are More Likely to Be Invited

As we all know, the global pandemic has now been going on for close to 2 years. If, at this time, an applicant’s field of research or project relates to COVID-19 — for example, in the medical field: vaccine research and development, using technology to help confirmed patients recover, or emerging technology dedicated to medical wearables and so on;Or, for example, in the finance sector, such as: neobanks, blockchain, big data and cloud computing and other sectors that can play a key role in Australia’s post-pandemic economic recovery.

Advantage 3: Technology and Research Projects That Directly Benefit Australia Locally.

For example: Australia’s dry climate means it faces the threat of bushfires every summer, harming many crops and wildlife, with yellow smoke haze blanketing the entire Australian sky and making it hard for people to breathe normally.

I once came across an applicant who was working on an agricultural technology project back home, which could use their patented technology to help Australia ease the bushfire problem. So, even though he didn’t meet such a high qualification requirement, he still ended up receiving an invitation from the Department.

I hope the advantages for offshore applicants mentioned above can help those of you reading this who are considering applying. It’s also worth noting that Advantages 2 and 3 can change over time — not needed now doesn’t mean it won’t be needed later, and not needed before doesn’t mean there’s no opportunity now.

[Current GTI Processing Landscape]

Processing period: at present, GTI is still processing applications from around October last year,but GTI invitations have always been issued on merit, and processing remains very slow, with applicants typically hearing back in around 6-8 months, so applicants who haven’t yet received an invitation should be patient and keep waiting.

We’ve recently seen some cases invited in around 3-6 months, as shown below:

Offshore applicant, completed a PhD domestically in electronic communications, currently doing postdoctoral research at UNSW, salary did not meet the threshold.

Offshore applicant, in the Fintech sector, a professor at a domestic university, with multiple academic papers published, salary met the threshold.

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