The distinguished talent visa (subclass 858) is a permanent visa for exceptionally talented people who are in Australia and have an internationally recognised record and outstanding achievement in a sport, the arts, academia and research or a profession.
This is a permanent visa. With this visa, you can:
Work in Australia
Study in Australia
Apply for citizenship if you meet the citizenship requirement
Sponsor eligible relatives permanent relative for permanent residence in Australia
Access to Medicare
To be eligible, you must meet the following criteria.
You must be in Australia at the time of application and when the visa is granted.
You must have an internationally recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievements in one of the following fields.
A profession
A sport
The arts
Academia and research
You are prominent in your area of expertise.
You would be an asset to the Australian community.
You can show that you would have no difficulty in obtaining employment in Australia.
You must be nominated by an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, or Australian organisation with a national reputation in your area of expertise.
Meet health and character requirement.
The Department will consider the following when deciding if the applicant meets the international recognition category:
The international standing of the country where the applicant’s achievements were realised.
The standing of the achievement in relation to Australian standards.
The standing of the achievement in relation to international standards.
For example, an individual who holds a senior position in a universally recognised international organisation would be likely to meet the ‘internationally recognised’ threshold.
This is not defined in the regulation; thus, the ordinary meaning of the words applies. Exceptional and outstanding achievement is the act of accomplishing something extraordinary that places the individual above the average.
Depending on the field of expertise, the Department will consider different criteria. This list is not exhaustive.
A profession
National and international industry awards
References from current and past employers
Statements from prominent industry peers and business
Academic degrees
Newspaper and magazine articles
A sport
National and international rankings
Membership of national sporting teams
Results in international tournaments
Newspaper and magazine articles
The arts
Awards received
Statements from national and international artistic bodies
Newspaper and magazine articles
Galleries in which works are displayed
Recognition by peers
The Department will look into some of the following indicators to assess the prominence of the applicant:
Information on recently completed projects
Information on recent publications
Details of currently held position in the organisation
Evidence of recent national or international awards
Reference letter from a university or employer
An applicant is likely to be an asset to the Australian community if they meet the criteria:
Increase Australia’s technical and/or academic standards internationally
Introduce and/or transfer skills to Australia
Elevate Australia’s competitiveness and reputation in sports and the arts; or
Make a significant positive social or cultural impact on the Australian community.
The Department can consider a combination of the following when assessing this criterion:
employment contracts or offers
evidence of self-employment or opportunities to establish a viable business within the area of achievement;
evidence of sponsorships, scholarships, grants or other payments intended to support the applicant
demonstrated track records of previous employment in their area of achievement
evidence of academic qualifications
evidence of high scores during the completion of the academic qualifications.
A nominator must be:
an Australian citizen; or
an Australian permanent resident; or
an eligible New Zealand citizen; or
an Australian organisation.
In most cases, it would be your industry bodies or peers with a national reputation.
If you need to apply for a visa and want the process as smooth of an experience possible, talk with one our Migration Experts. Alongside their expert knowledge about migration laws they will make sure your application goes through quickly so that all eyes can stay on what really matters you.
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