Australian Immigration Minister Chris Evans Denys 457 Visa Holders additional time to find new sponsors
(c) 457 Visa Assistance Team
Under the current rules of the 457 Visa program, if temporary workers on a 457 Visa lose their jobs, they have 28 days to find a new one or risk being deported.
The Australian Government’s review of the program, headed by Barbara Deegan, recommended this be increased to 90 days to give workers more chance to find alternative employment.
But immigration Minister Chris Evans last week ruled out any extension of time for such workers.
He said it was not prudent to extend the time to three months, “I don’t think that moving to 90 days, was a sensible move,” he told the ABC. - The Australian Financial Review, July 07, 2009.
In April the monthly visa decline was just over 1600 workers and in March there was a decrease of almost 1500 Visas.
Bob Kinnaird, a retired public servant and authority on the skilled migrant program, said the acceleration in the decline of the stock of 457 workers was “consistent with employers getting rid of 457 workers”.
A Victorian engineer, David Richards, wrote in The Age last month that he was involved with a number of cancelled mining and petrochemical projects in which "people are being laid off due to lack of work.
David Richards said “My feeling is the 457 people should be the first to go, to protect local jobs."
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