457 Visa - The real story
(c) The 457 Visa Assistance Team
457 Visa, well that small collection of numbers and letters sure has stirred up some people's emotions over the last 4 years!
What is the 457 Visa?
What was the 457 Visa designed for and why is 457 Visa Assistance helping so many current 457 Visa holders become Australian Permanent Residents?
The 457 Visa to use its most commonly used name is a temporary work visa for Australia, it was used extensively by Australian Companies looking to employ overseas workers.
There were many reported reasons as to why Australian Companies recruit overseas workers, depending on who you listen to it ranged from a skills shortage or shortage of labour in Australia through to a potential source of cheap labour from overseas, it really makes no difference as to what you or I think was the reason that Australian Companies recruited overseas workers, the fact remains, Australian Companies recruited overseas workers using the 457 Visa in their thousands, the actual numbers of 457 Visa's issued is on the public record and can be found at www.diac.gov.au
Based on public records there are over 250,000 people currently in Australia on a 457 Visa (this figure includes secondary applicants such as spouse and dependants).
The 457 Visa has a limited term and a 457 Visa is valid for a Maximum of 4 years only.
The 457 Visa does not grant the visa holder nor their spouse or dependants automatic medical cover in Australia, medical insurance should be acquired to cover the main 457 visa holder and any spouse and dependants (is the employer required to pay for the cost of medical insurance? You should take that question up directly with DIAC, take no chances where you or your health and medical cover is concerned).
If a 457 Visa holder loses his or her job, even if through no fault of their own, they are only given 28 days with which to find a new 457 Visa sponsor employer or technically the become an illegal, 28 days to find a new employer willing to sponsor them and gather and submit the required paperwork??? What were DIAC thinking?? Anyone reading this that is currently on a 457 Visa ask yourself, how long did it take to find your original sponsor and get the required paperwork ready to lodge your application.
Talk about stress.......
So there are major concerns for a person currently in Australia on a 457 Visa, no certainty of staying in Australia, medical cover issues and on top of this DIAC is constantly changing the 457 Visa requirements, from one month to the next applicants and employers wanting to hire a 457 visa worker are faced with additional requirement changes, I am not suggesting the changes are good or bad, just that they constantly changing, from increased level of English requirements (I bet the IELTS testing centres in Australia and in Asia loved that) through to employers having to now demonstrate "a benefit to Australia from employing an Overseas Worker on a 457 Visa" and most recently increased testing for certain skills from certain countries (check with www.diac.gov.au to see how these changes may affect you).
457 Visa applicants from certain countries and applying under certain skill classes are now required to meet the same level of certification and TRA as a person applying for Permanent Australian Residency!
So the 457 Visa holder or applicant has to meet the same requirements as a permanent resident applicant, yet gets practically zero of the rights, benefits or support given to Australian Permanent Residents!
I would imagine it's pretty hard for a 457 Visa holder and their family in Australia to make any kind of longer term plans, certainly there are a lot of workers that have returned recently back here to Hong Kong and also in other Asian countries there are returned 457 visa holders that did expect nor plan to be required to leave Australia so quickly.
457 Visa or Permanent Australian Residency, It's your choice!
Comment on this post
Khaled
November 14, 2011 02:35:46
My wife and I have been on 457 recently. We will be based in QLD soon. Can any body tell me if we are eligible for the AMEP classes? Many thanks.
Nigel
October 26, 2011 18:16:42
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Ranjeet
September 24, 2011 18:18:04
How can she 457 visa?
Sanjeev kumar
September 20, 2011 02:42:38
Hi.my self Sanjeev ,my visa was grant for two years from16th January 2008 and I have apply for extension new visa in 15thjanuary 2010 my visa currently in processing.so how much score I need in ielts.I am working as a cook in wa.thanx
belle ejan
September 16, 2011 05:34:49
My husband is in australia right now. He has multiple working visa (4years). He is planning to apply a residency there. One of the requirements is the ielts, but the problem is the original ielts lost by the agency who hired him. What will my husband do? Thanks for ur attention. Please help us to solve our problem. Thanks again :-)
Ashley
September 01, 2011 23:42:51
Hi I am just wondering do you have to be a fully qualified trades person to apply for a 457 visa as I'm been told you have too be
Louise Wolmarans
August 25, 2011 19:10:15
Good day,
Me, my husband and little girl are here in Australia on Student Visa's, things are not quite working out as we hoped it would. Could we change our visa? I am a hairdresser, but I dont have 2 years of experience yet. We really want to stay in Australia, I truly hope that you can be of great assistance to us.
Thanking you in advance
ajay
August 03, 2011 04:27:04
hi,i am since in Australia 2007 came as a student and i have 2 years part time experience in hairdressing and after that i got 457 sponoser visa and full time 1 year experience ,now am i eligible to apply my permanent residency or not ?
Waiting for your reply ,
warm regards
ajay
Pallavi
July 21, 2011 22:22:21
we r 1month old to australia.i am on 457 dependent visa, my husband works in software field. I wld like holding a 457visa can I work in australia I was working in india earlier.
I heard people who have PR can work not 457visa holders. Pls let me know on this.
xie xie
June 05, 2011 23:46:51
I hold 457 visa and the expiry is on 13 july,2011. now I have a travel to overseas for 30days, I want to know if I can return Australia on 11 july 2011?
My frend told me that one month before the expiry, I can not enter Australia. Is that the case?
Karen
May 13, 2011 09:38:12
My husband has been granted a 457 visa last year and my children and i have just arrived in Australia since 4 months. Please, I will like to know if i am eligible to attend the AMEP classes to improve my english? thanking u in advance...
faith
May 10, 2011 10:00:21
i would like to find out my rights as a 457 secondaray visa holder. i was sent offshore in 2009 only to discover that my partner has changed his secondary applicant and has practically dumped us with no income, job and or permanent place to stay. he is also holding my passports and valuable stuff. he now has a permanent residence with another family. how do i get the necessary help as i feel that somehow my rights have been violated in a big way.
sridhar
March 14, 2011 22:04:07
hi i am at 457 visa. i am working in Canberra last 2years. i have 7years exp. i am a chef. i want apply pr in Australia.how much ielts score required for me.please give me replay
thanks
sridhar
R.M.T Chandana
February 05, 2011 19:42:30
I've been working as a tradee in housing construction sector under 457 visa since november 2008.at present I've been working for my second employer since 2009 August.So kindly guide be to obtain Permanent residency.I'm a Tiler and stone mason in profession.
Thanks.
noyal
February 04, 2011 06:48:47
i am a tool and die maker and got work experience for 3 years, can i apply for 457 visa, and will you find the sponser for the visa.
thanks
md. khan
November 30, 2010 13:46:43
i am staying 457 as a chef in australia.up to visa expire i have 1 year 10 months 18 days experience. how can i apply for parmanent residence? can i apply for PR? how much i need ielts score? now my age 45+.
lesley
November 21, 2010 15:35:11
My husband is working in nsw on a 457 visa and thus I am on the same visa. I would like to open up my own business as I am battling to find employment. Can I start my own business on the 457 visa...
joseph sta ana
February 10, 2010 00:55:56
I am currently holding 457 business long stay visa and is now preparing for an application for permanent residency under ENS could you please tell me if my dependent wife should need to take the IELTS or just me as the primary applicant is required? and my kids had just taken medical health check for my 457 dependents last August 16 2009 can we still re-use their medical results for our application in permanent resident application? is there any validity period for their medical results? please let me have some idea...thanks
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