Australian Immigration Daily News

The Global Talent Independent program, or GTI, represents a new way of approaching highly skilled immigration to Australia.

This year, we will be reducing our annual permanent migration cap from 190,000 to 160,000. But within that cap, we will be sharpening the emphasis on highly skilled immigration. The Global Talent Independent programme has been allocated up to 5,000 places within our annual programme. Over time, it has the potential to have a transformative impact on the Australian economy. Let’s be clear: we have very big ambitions for the GTI. The GTI has one key goal: 

• To help build our future prosperity, by attracting to Australia the world’s most highly skilled  people in the world’s highest growth industries  

Through the program we will seek out and recruit highly skilled and talented individuals from around the globe - offering them a streamlined, priority visa pathway to work and live permanently in Australia. We are being deliberately aggressive in this policy area, and will be investing around $13 million over the next three years on its execution.

Australia and Thailand have agreed to increase the number of annual places available under the Work and Holiday visa program from 500 to 2,000.

Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs David Coleman said the increase will build on recent improvements to the program that have seen a 20 per cent increase in the number of working holiday makers working in regional areas.

“By making this successful program available to more young people we are giving regional Australia access to more workers to fill critical labour shortages,” Mr Coleman said. Thai nationals who undertake three months of specified work in a regional area are eligible to apply for a second Work and Holiday visa.

A 30 year-old Japanese tourist has been arrested and charged after Australian Border Force (ABF) officers allegedly found a large amount of child exploitation material on his mobile phone at Perth International Airport.

ABF officers selected the man for a baggage examination after he arrived on a flight from Tokyo on Saturday night (2 November). During the examination of his mobile phone officers located more than 200 video files and images.

Due to the large number of videos investigators reviewed only a small selection, which it will be alleged were found to depict the sexual abuse or exploitation of children.

Following recent media commentary, the ATO would like to clarify the likely impact of the recent court decision in Addy v Commissioner of Taxation.

This decision relates to whether an individual that entered Australia as a working holiday maker was a resident of Australia for tax purposes and whether that individual paid tax at the 15 per cent tax rate applying to working holiday maker income or at the rates applying to residents (which incorporate the tax-free threshold).

It is important to note that the ATO is still considering this decision and has not yet decided whether an appeal is appropriate. The Court found that, considering the individual facts of the case, the working holiday maker in question was a resident for tax purposes and that the non-discrimination article in the relevant treaty meant that the taxpayer was entitled to be taxed under the ordinary resident tax rates instead of at the 15 per cent rate that currently applies to working holiday makers.

Under the new program, highly skilled migrants in selected industries will receive a fasttracked process to permanent residency in Australia.

Applicants will have a dedicated Home Affairs contact to guide them through the process, and applications will receive the highest priority processing.

Applicants will be eligible for permanent residency if they are likely to earn more than $149,000 per year in Australia, and they are highly skilled in one of seven key industry sectors. The usual character, security and integrity checks will apply to all applicants.