Under the Global Talent Independent Program, launching this year, Home Affairs staff will be located on the ground in Germany, the US, Singapore, China, Chile and Dubai.
The government is deploying recruitment officers overseas to bring thousands of the best and brightest workers to Australia. Their task is to recruit 5,000 professionals at the top of their fields in target industries, particularly the tech sector. The government has set aside 5,000 of the 160,000 places in the permanent migration stream for the new program. According to the Home Affairs website, the global talent officers will work with local industries to identify talented people and “attend key industry events and expos, and promote life in Australia”.
Highly-skilled workers identified by Home Affairs will be encouraged to apply for existing permanent visas including the distinguished talent and skilled independent visa.
The announcement follows the government’s decision to entrench a pilot visa scheme designed to make it easier for the tech industry to recruit highly-skilled workers despite a low take up.
Of the 23 businesses that have signed up, just five are startups, with the majority being established businesses including Coles Supermarkets and Rio Tinto.
