The post-pandemic landscape is changing daily with new areas of business and opportunities opening for Australian tech organisations to scale quickly. Increased immigration and talent mobility is fuelling growth as savvy tech companies make the world their “talent funnel” in a bid to attract the best and brightest to Australia.
A phrase coined recently during a workshop with our partners at Folklore Ventures, a venture capital fund supporting Australian and New Zealand technology companies, this concept of a “talent funnel” is now a prerequisite for a company’s growth strategy in the new world, ensuring organisations have top talent at their fingertips to scale quickly.
The mass exodus of skilled migrants from Australia has left skills shortages in many industries, including the tech sector. Coupled with the fact that remote work is now deeply embedded in our work practices, technology is playing a key role in operations and talent can be found anywhere in the world. Scaling companies are being compelled to widen their search and view the world as their talent funnel.
Many businesses are familiar with marketing and sales funnels to grow, however in our view, global talent funnels will quickly become the driving force for organisations to scale up fast and deliver on their mission. Without the right people, a company simply cannot scale as quickly no matter how great the product or sales & marketing strategy.
In this blog we will cover:
- Current immigration landscape during COVID-19
- Easing of border restrictions
- Structuring a job offer to an international candidate
- Practical tips for employers
- Process, costs, timelines
Talent funnel: The current work landscape is changing rapidly
Almost all aspects of business changed in 2020-21 due to the pandemic. Now, as we go into 2022, we have more clarity on the immigration and talent mobility landscape, which means businesses can proactively plan and implement a workforce strategy that’s effective in this altered environment.
In summary:
- To date, the Australian and New Zealand Governments have taken a conservative approach to the health risks of Covid-19, with tight border restrictions.
- Tech companies could recruit internationally to fill highly skilled positions. In Australia, for example, there were streamlined exemption and visa pathways for tech workers however these pathways were not widely understood or utilised
- Whilst borders are re-opening, it will take time for mobility to normalise and moving staff to and from Australia and New Zealand can be expected to take longer.
- Australia is taking a phased approach to re-opening the borders with inbound travel resuming on 1 December 2021 to fully vaccinated temporary work visa holders, and less strict quarantine requirements.
Priority is being given to certain visa categories:
- Global Talent Visa
- Business Innovation & Investor Program (BIIP)
- Employer sponsored (particularly priority occupations and onshore applicants)
- Partner visas
Enlisting an immigration partner, such as The Migration Agency, will give businesses the best chance in having these visas granted.
Work visas for international candidates: AUSTRALIA
This table outlines and compares the types of work visas available to international candidates:
Border restrictions and exemptions: NEW ZEALAND
- New Zealand citizens and permanent resident visa holders are permitted to travel to New Zealand.
- Residence visa holders ordinarily residing in New Zealand may travel to New Zealand with a valid travel facility.
- The Trans-Tasman travel bubble has been suspended, Australians may only travel to New Zealand if they are ordinarily resident or if they have a critical purpose.
Travel exemption pathways for employees: New Zealand
The main travel exemption pathway for tech companies is the “other critical worker” pathway. This requires:
- Unique experience and technical or specialist skills not readily obtainable in New Zealand.
- Time-critical role.
- Benefit to New Zealand’s national or regional economy.
- For roles of more than 6 months duration, annual salary must exceed NZD$106,080.
Note: This is a higher standard than was required for an Australian travel exemption.
The employer must request a critical worker exception from Immigration New Zealand. A strong business case should be provided, outlining why the role is urgently required, why it is not possible to re-deploy New Zealand workers, impact if the exemption is not granted, why the role cannot be performed remotely.
Work visas for international candidates: New Zealand
This table outlines and compares the types of work visas available to international candidates:
NOTE: In mid-2022, the New Zealand work visa framework will be changed and the above visas will be replaced by a new Accredited Employer Work Visa. Under the new AEWV framework, employers must become accredited and nominate workers for the visa (similar to the Australian system).
READ THIS BLOG: To find out more about the Accredited Employer Work Visa
How to structure a job offer for an international candidate
- Step 1 – Visa eligibility assessment
Ensure your candidate is eligible for an Australian visa (and if applicable, a travel exemption). An immigration practitioner should confirm visa eligibility, a strategy for entry, and permanent residence options.
- Step 2 – Package the offer
Many international candidates are seeking to establish a career and life in Australia. Permanent residence provides candidates certainty about their long term prospects, and can be an attractive part of the job offer.
Consider what financial support the company will provide to the candidate, and structure the offer and immigration applications to achieve these goals.
Note: A company must not pass on the costs of sponsorship or nomination to a visa applicant.
- Step 3 – Relocation support
Consider what support the candidate will require to relocate to Australia. Any financial support provided to a candidate should be documented so that you are protected if they leave your company.
Recent Case Study: Public Relations professional approved
TMA recently worked to bring a talented public relations and communications professional to Australia from the US. By working with the company as their immigration partner, we were able to have the exemption approved, making this case one of the first of its kind.
What makes this case study unique is that public relations and communications is not of itself considered a critical skill, however, the industry in which the person was working was deemed by the government as a critical sector because the company helped support Australian tech companies to scale up and access international markets.
The candidate was based in Silicon Valley and has a very deep knowledge and experience in the tech sector and how to scale them.
Download our Global Mobility and Immigration Checklist
Now more than ever, immigration and creating talent funnels are hot topics for Australian businesses and HR professionals.
However, it’s not always easy to navigate the HR, legal, and business requirements, which is why we’ve created a simple Global Mobility and Immigration Checklist to help you successfully hire international talent to grow your business.
In this checklist, you will discover:
- A step-by-step guide for managing immigration and visa processes
- A place to track your budget
- Space to keep records of visa grant details and other key dates
- A compliance checklist for sponsoring staff on visas
- Ideas to support your culture throughout the process
- Special considerations to support planning for COVID-19 impacts
Make the world your talent funnel and download your free copy today.
Global Mobility and Immigration Checklist
