The Global Business and Talent Attraction Taskforce is spearheading Australia’s global hunt for the best and brightest. We’re looking for people and businesses to help turbocharge our economy and fill critical skills shortages and supply chain gaps.
The Taskforce is targeting trailblazers and innovators with the drive to succeed, who can inspire cutting-edge R&D, create jobs, share ideas and build industry ecosystems.
Expand your business into Australia
The Taskforce guides top-tier international businesses looking to expand into Australia. It provides eligible businesses with:
- information on the regulatory landscape, relocation and lifestyle factors
- workforce and market information
- access to the Australian Tax Office’s New Investment Engagement Service
- insights and introductions into Australia’s Foreign Investment Review Board process
- major projects facilitation services and government approval acceleration
- coordination across and with the states and territories
- connections to essential industry networks including suppliers and customers
- connections to research partners such as universities, cooperative research centres and industry research centres
- detailed information about incentives, grants and funding pools
- priority access to 408 ‘beach-head’ visas with automatic border exemptions to rapidly establish businesses, and accelerated access to employer sponsored visa schemes
- information about competitive advantages within each prioritised industry.
Global Talent visa program
The ‘golden ticket’ of the Taskforce’s offering is the Global Talent visa program. It provides a streamlined pathway to permanent residency for eligible business leaders, and their immediate family members.
about the Taskforce and why Australia is the place to be.
Smoothing the path to Australia
The Taskforce’s support has influenced the decision of several international companies to expand their businesses to Australia. Here are three examples.
Brightmark
Global waste solutions company, Brightmark, announced its Australian investment plans at the start of 2022. The San Francisco-based company is a leader in the circular economy. It creates low-carbon fuels using cutting-edge technology in plastic recycling and transforms organic waste into renewable natural gas.
The Taskforce worked with the New South Wales Government to convince Brightmark to set up in Australia. The Taskforce:
- advised on navigating the regulatory landscape, visas, incentives and policy
- provided market information
- facilitated introductions to potential suppliers and customers
- organised site visits
- assisted with border issues.
Cognizant
The Taskforce also played an important part in helping US technology and consultancy firm Cognizant with its plans to open a new global delivery centre in Adelaide. The centre will create 1,600 jobs for Australian digital professionals and graduates. It will specialise in emerging technologies such as cloud computing, AI, machine learning and data analytics.
The Taskforce facilitated the relocation of Cognizant’s critical staff. It also provided advice on workforce planning and Australian Government services to help it establish the centre quickly.
Peloton
American exercise equipment and media company Peloton also benefited from the Taskforce’s assistance. The New York-based company launched in Australia in July 2021, marking its entry into the Asia-Pacific.
When Peloton was considering its options, the Taskforce provided support and regulatory advice, and assisted with travel and quarantine arrangements and visas for key staff.
The company has opened showrooms in Sydney and Melbourne and has plans to expand its brand across the country.
Attracting the best and brightest to Australia
The Taskforce has attracted many highly skilled professionals across several industries to Australia. Here are examples from two of Australia’s most important sectors.
Agribusiness research experts
Agricultural technology is predicted to become Australia’s next $100 billion industry by 2030. The Taskforce has attracted a number of agrifood and agtech experts. including.
- Bahare Mohamadzade (Iran) has been working on ‘smart’ projects such as wearable antennae for agricultural sensing networks.
- Hayley Richardson (South Africa) is applying her R&D expertise as Global Head of Product for international plant-based food company LiveKindly.
- Research scientist Solomon Maina (Kenya) worked with advanced diagnostic genomics technologies to strengthen grains biosecurity procedures at the Australian Grains Genebank.
- Dr Ella Hodder (UK) works at Vow, where she leads the biomaterials team in cellular agriculture, using tissue engineering and bioprocessing to generate meat products.
- Engineer Sakka Mohamed (Tunisia) is working on innovative and scalable solutions for the foodservice industry.
Mining movers and shakers
Mining – critical minerals in particular – is one of the Taskforce’s target industries. The combination of outstanding career opportunities and the Global Talent visa convinced the following to move to Australia to start a new life:
- Energy and mining technology expert Tamsin Gane (UK) is working at OZ Minerals’ Prominent Hill Mine near Coober Pedy.
- Dr Francky Fouedjio (Cameroon) is working for AngloGold Ashanti in Perth.
- Mining engineer and data scientist Dr Yasin Dagasan (Turkey) developed a software tool that incorporates artificial intelligence algorithms to augment the workflow of geologists and engineers.
