Ashton Legal has received a response from a Global Talent Officer (GTO) in response to our enquiries into whether high performing Bachelor (Honours) and Masters graduates are still eligible for the GTI following the removal of the cohort from the GTI eligibility criteria published on the Department’s website. It would seem that high academic achievers who hold a Bachelor (Honours) and Master degrees can still apply under GTI BUT they cannot rely only on their academic achievements to demonstrate their ‘international record of outstanding and exceptional achievements’.
In summary:
- As of 20 January 2021, Master by Coursework, Master by Research, and Bachelor (Honours) graduates are no longer eligible for invitation to the GTI program solely on the basis of their qualifications. This policy change affects all future EOI submissions and EOIs made by candidates who have not yet received an invitation by 20 January 2021.
What does this mean for graduates (within the last 3 years) who have achieved a WAM of 80 or above, and were relying solely on their qualifications in the target sectors to qualify for GTI? This means that candidates in this cohort must be able to provide additional evidence to show that they:
- they are internationally recognised with evidence of outstanding and exceptional achievements
- still be prominent in their field of expertise
- provide evidence that they would be an asset to Australia, in their field of expertise
- have no difficulty obtaining employment in Australia or becoming established in their field
- have a recognised organisation or individual in Australia endorse them as global talent, in the same field as the applicant
[…] This may include senior roles, patents, professional awards, international publications, media articles and international memberships.
Candidates in this cohort would also need to demonstrate an ability to attract a salary that is at or above the Fair Work High Income Threshold (FWHIT) through current salary, future job offers outlining remuneration, or concrete evidence of realistic earning potential backed up with evidence based on the candidate’s credentials (rather than generic market salary evidence).
We have also received advice that candidates in the affected cohort, who are no longer eligible for GTI under the new policy changes, will be contacted by the Department. Affected candidates can withdraw their EOI, and this will not adversely impact on their future interactions with the Department, i.e. will not affect future EOI submissions when they become eligible.
If you are in the affected cohort, please get in contact with us for further advice.