​Global Talent – Employer Sponsored (GTES) visa

What is the GTES program?

The GTES lets eligible employers sponsor overseas workers for highly-skilled, niche positions that genuinely can’t be filled by Australian workers or through other standard skilled visa pathways, including the Skills in Demand (SID) visa.

Before entering into a GTES agreement, the Department of Home Affairs requires your business to demonstrate that the role can’t be filled through Australia’s existing skilled migration settings. Once your agreement is approved, you can sponsor the specialists you need for a SID visa under your GTES agreement.

The program isn’t just about filling a vacancy — it’s designed to benefit the wider business and Australian workforce too. Every position sponsored under a GTES agreement needs to create real opportunity for Australians, whether that’s new jobs created around the role or skills and knowledge transferred to your local team. Home Affairs describes these specialists as “job multipliers” — people whose expertise helps you grow your business and hire more Australians as a result.

Why employers use GTES

Access talent outside standard occupation lists. You’re not limited to roles on the SID core skills or specialist skills occupation lists — GTES opens the door to genuinely niche, cutting-edge positions.

• A visa built for career specialists. The SID visa granted under a GTES agreement runs for up to 4 years and comes with a pathway to permanent residence.
• Room to negotiate. You can negotiate variations to standard SID visa requirements, including age requirements for the permanent residence pathway.
• Priority processing. GTES agreement requests are handled as a priority, so approved employers move faster than they would through standard channels.
• Two streams to fit your business. Whether you’re an established company or an early-stage startup, there’s a GTES stream built around how your business operates.

Two streams — which one fits your business?

Established Business stream

• Built for accredited sponsors who need to bring in specialist skills to stay ahead in their field — and to make their existing Australian team better at what they do.
• Sponsor up to 20 positions per year (each applicant and position must meet the criteria on every occasion)
• Access to 4-year SID visas with flexibility on certain visa criteria
• A transitional pathway to permanent residence after 2 years, with age cap concessions available
• Simpler agreement applications and faster processing
• If a sponsored position ends, the visa holder has up to 180 days to secure a new sponsor and visa, or depart Australia

To qualify, your business generally needs to:

• Show that access to GTES will create job opportunities and skills transfer for Australians
• Provide labour market testing evidence for the specific role(s)
• Be in good standing with immigration and workplace regulators
• Be publicly listed, or have an annual turnover of at least AUD 4 million in each of the past 2 years
• Hold SID accredited sponsor status

And the role/candidate generally needs to:

• Meet standard health, character and security requirements
• Involve no familial relationship with your directors or shareholders
• Be backed by qualifications and at least 3 years’ relevant work experience
• Have real capacity to develop skills in your Australian team
• Meet or exceed the Fair Work High Income Threshold in annual earnings

Startup stream

Built for tech-based and STEM startups (think digital, biomedical, agtech and similar fields) that need cutting-edge talent to help build Australia’s next generation of innovative companies.

• Sponsor up to 5 positions per year (each applicant and position must meet the criteria on every occasion)
• Access to 4-year SID visas with flexibility on certain visa criteria
• A transitional pathway to permanent residence after 2 years, with age cap concessions available
• Simpler agreement applications and faster processing
• If a sponsored position ends, the visa holder has up to 180 days to secure a new sponsor and visa, or depart Australia

To qualify, your business generally needs to:

• Show that access to GTES will create job opportunities and skills transfer for Australians
• Provide labour market testing evidence for the specific role(s)
• Be in good standing with immigration and workplace regulators
• Operate in a technology-based or STEM-related field
• Be assessed and endorsed as a genuine, viable startup by the independent GTES Startup Advisory Panel
• Have received at least AUD 50,000 from a registered Early Stage Venture Capital Limited Partnership, or an Accelerating Commercialisation Grant

And the role/candidate generally needs to:

• Meet standard health, character and security requirements
• Involve no familial relationship with your directors or shareholders
• Be backed by qualifications and at least 3 years’ relevant work experience
• Have real capacity to develop skills in your Australian team
• Earn at the market salary rate, with annual earnings of at least AUD 80,000 (equity can count towards this, provided the cash component meets the Core Skills Income Threshold)

How the process works

1. Confirm you can’t fill the role locally. Before approaching GTES, you need to establish the position can’t be filled by an Australian worker or through an existing skilled visa pathway.
2. Lodge your GTES agreement request.
   • Established Business stream:
   • lodge your request through ImmiAccount, supported by labour market testing evidence and all required documentation.
3. Startup stream: email the Department with your business details, the role you need to fill, and evidence of your qualifying investment or grant.
4. Assessment. The Department assesses your request — startups are also reviewed by the independent Startup Advisory Panel. Incomplete information can significantly delay a decision.
5. Sign your agreement. If approved, you’ll receive a GTES agreement to sign.
6. Nominate and sponsor. You’ll receive a unique Permission Request ID to use when nominating your overseas workers. Once nominated, they can apply for their SID visa online.

Processing timeframes for both agreements and visa applications follow current Skilled visa processing priorities, so preparing a complete, decision-ready application from the outset matters.

How Roam Migration Law helps

Building a successful GTES case means more than meeting a checklist — it means presenting a compelling, evidence-backed case to the Department that your business genuinely needs this specialist, and that sponsoring them benefits your Australian workforce too.

Our team works with employers to:

• Assess whether GTES — or another skilled visa pathway — is the right fit for your hiring need
• Prepare robust labour market testing evidence
• Build and lodge a decision-ready GTES agreement request
• Navigate the Startup Advisory Panel process for eligible startups
• Manage nominations and SID visa applications for your sponsored workers
• Negotiate favourable terms within your agreement, including age cap concessions