Highlights
- Indian migrant receives Australian permanent residency under the Global Talent Independent (GTI) program
- Rakesh has fourteen years of experience in cybersecurity
- 'Global Talent Independent program is the fastest way of getting permanent residency in Australia'
More than 400 applicants from India applied for permanent residency between July 2019 to October 2020 under the Global Talent Independent scheme which is fast becoming a popular visa pathway for skilled migrants seeking to live and work in Australia permanently.
One of those aspirants was Rakesh who had grown up dreaming of a life Down Under but had almost given up trying after he failed to qualify for skilled pathways, despite his years of experience and outstanding professional achievements, predominantly because of his age.
Rakesh recieved a Distinguished Talent visa on 28 July 2020. Source: Supplied by Rakesh
How Rakesh secured a Global Talent visa:
The 37-year-old cybersecurity expert then learnt about the new GTI program through a friend, months after it was launched in November 2019, which he claims changed his life and renewed his prospects of migrating to Australia.
After thorough research Rakesh, who currently works in Southeast Asia, lodged his expression of interest in January last year, which was accepted within days based on his 14 years of experience in cybersecurity – one of the seven ‘future-focused' sectors outlined in the GTI program as part of its mandatory criteria for applicants.
“I have worked in the information and computer technology domain for over 14 years now. So, I gauged that I could fulfil the criteria outlined for successful candidates as I have garnered enough national and international recognition for my work over the years,” he told SBS Punjabi.
Cybersecurity expert from India got his permanent residency grant within days. Source: Getty Images/GCShutter
“I believe I was successful because apart from ticking all the other boxes such as establishing my work and income potential, the fact that I was already contributing to the Australian economy, paved a way for my residency success through this one-of-a-kind high-priority pathway.”
Giving an insight into his successful journey, Rakesh shared that he lodged his expression of interest in January but got waylaid for a few months as he was unaware of the nomination process.
“Once I discovered that the Australian Computer Society (ACS) was nominating applicants for GTI, I approached them and that’s when they approved my nomination after rigorous assessment of my documentation. Once the nomination procedure was over, I received an invite for permanent residency in July,” he said.
Rakesh is now planning to settle down with his family in one of the two big cities in Australia after securing a “lucrative job”.
“I will move once travel restrictions are lifted and the pandemic situation is under control around the world so that there are better job prospects and it would be safer for my family.”
In late 2020, the Australian government expanded the GTI program from 5,000 to 15,000 places for the current financial year to target the best minds from around the world in key sectors including ag-tech, med-tech, space, fin-tech, energy, and mining technology, cybersecurity, and data science.
To be eligible, the applicants must demonstrate the potential to earn a salary at or above the income threshold of $153,600 each year and have their application supported by a nominator of national reputation in the same field.
Last year alone, a total of under the program between 1 January and 9 September 2020, a number that is expected to grow by the end of the current migration program year.
Invitations issued for applicants to apply for a Distinguished Talent visa under the Global Talent Initiative from 1 January 2020 to 9 September 2020 Source: Department of Home Affairs
Rupert Grayston, the director of standards and accreditation services at the Australian Computer Society (ACS) that nominated Rakesh and many other applicants in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector told SBS Punjabi that they have lately witnessed an increased interest from professionals from India compared to previous months.
“Indian nationals make up 25% of total applications received by the ACS from candidates seeking nomination by a relevant industry association under the Global Talent Program in ICT related target sectors. Over recent months the ACS has seen an increased interest from Indian ICT professionals compared to prior months,” said Mr Grayston.
'Success rate is far lower'
Rakesh has 14 years of experience in the cybersecurity sector. Source: Getty Images
As per the data released by the Department of Home Affairs, a total of 3,986 expressions of interest (EOI) were lodged between 1 July to 10 October 2020 by applicants around the world, out of which only 913 have been invited to apply. 90% of EOIs for applicants during this period were processed within 115 days.
Melbourne-based migration agent Harjeet Singh Chahal said with no age limit or investment prerequisite, the pathway is growing in popularity. However, while the Department is receiving hundreds of EOIs, the conversion rate is far lower.
“The actual number of visas submitted and being granted following these EOIs is much lower and that is because most of the applicants are unable to fulfil the high threshold set up for the grants which only reads easier on paper.
“Many applicants from India who have deep pockets are keen to apply for this pathway not knowing that they do not have the qualification or outstanding achievements that have been outlined for applicants as part of the GTI program,” he said.
Mr Chahal added that the level of flexibility in the criteria has also made this pathway vulnerable to exploitation in the future.
“There is a potential for rorting in this pathway as global talent applicants do not have to speak in English, there is no age criteria and they don’t have to set up a business and only have to show a potential to earn a certain amount of money.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if in future the Immigration Department goes ahead and streamlines the criteria to allow only super talented individuals to apply because otherwise, it wouldn’t take long for the system to become clogged with applications which would inflate the processing times and make this pathway virtually ineffective,” added Mr Chahal.
Rakesh only wants to be identified by his first name
Disclaimer: This content is for general information purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for consultation with professional advisors.
People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others.
Testing for coronavirus is now widely available across Australia. If you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms, arrange a test by calling your doctor or contact the Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.
The federal government's coronavirus tracing app COVIDSafe is available for download from your phone's app store.
SBS is committed to informing Australia’s diverse communities about the latest COVID-19 developments. News and information is available in 63 languages at
