What is an Australian 457 Visa?

All JobContax Jobs come with Australian 457 Visas

All jobs in Australia on www.JobContax.com come with 457 visa attached.  Due to the shortage of experienced skilled Construction and Engineering professionals in Australia, suitable foreign national are being offered 4 year working visas (457) by employers. The 457 visa entitles the bearer and their family to live and work in Australia.

The 457 visa is the most commonly used program for Australian or overseas employers to sponsor skilled overseas workers to work in Australia temporarily. The full title of this subclass of visa isTemporary Business (Long Stay) - Standard Business Sponsorship (Subclass 457).

Requirements

Employers must be approved by the Australian government as an eligible employer. Employees must obtain a new visa and sponsorship if they wish to move to another sponsor.Holders of this visa may be employed for a period of between one day and four years and may bring any eligible family members, including same-sex partners, who have unrestricted work and study rights in Australia. Holders of the Subclass 457 visa have no limit on the number of times they travel in and out of Australia.

Employees must also meet minimum levels of qualifications and English language skills, in addition to character and health requirements. Whilst the employer can nominate a person for the particular position they are trying to fill, it is the Department of Immigration and Citizenship that assess and determine whether the criteria for visa grant have been met.

Conversion to permanent residency

457 visa holders can convert to Australian permanent residency status. It is common for 457 visa holders to apply for a permanent Australia residents visa with a view to permanently settle in Australia and become Australian citizens. There has been a recent increase in the number of grants of permanent residence visas to people who last held a Subclass 457 visa.  However there is Australian parliamentary concern regarding overseas agents falsely marketing permanent residency to Australia.

 

Australia - Skilled Migration Programme Overview

Australia’s skilled migration program is being updated as a result of government plans to attract the best migrants into the country. On July 1st the Australian government introduced the first stage of their new immigration program and it could mean significant changes for people who are interested in relocating to Australia. The changes, which represent a move away from the previous migration Occupations in Demand list to a new skilled occupation list is, according to Australia's Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC), “designed to select the best and brightest skilled migrants" and attract people into the country who have the skills that Australia needs to improve their economic outlook. "The target groups are engineering, medical profession, nursing, scientist etc," said assistant secretary of Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship Peter Speldewinde.

One prominent change in the migration program rules includes the inclusion of higher points for English language skills. However, this has received a great deal of criticism from many organizations, which claim that the DIAC is discriminating against candidates from none-English speaking countries. In addition changes in the skilled occupation list and English speaking requirements, the age limit on skill migration has also been increased: "The age limit for unsponsored applicants is being raised from 45 to 50 if they have the required qualifications and experience," Peter Speldewinde, assistant secretary, labour market branch, Australian department of immigration and citizenship, announced recently. Other changes to the rules include the recognition of degrees from colleges and universities outside Australia.

An expression of interest model that is similar to that in use in New Zealand will be implemented July 1st 2012 and interested applicants will be able to complete a self-assessment online followed by a formal expression of interest. Once this has been completed the candidates will wait to receive an invitation to apply if suitable vacancies arise for their skill sets. "The EOIs will be held on a register and people on that register will be ranked according to what point they score. Australian government would periodically issue advertisement about the job offers and those with high scores on the points test would be invited," Speldewinde said. However, speaking to UK newspaper The Telegraph, Catherine Burnett, a spokesperson for the migration consultancy Migration Matters, criticized this system: “Currently under the General Skilled Migration System, if you meet the legislative criteria you are entitled to the grant of a visa. With an expression of interest scheme, this removes that impartiality and also removes any possibility of appealing if your expression of interest is not selected.

“This is certainly politically expedient for a government under pressure from several directions regarding immigration, but whether this is ultimately of any benefit to Australia is a complex issue.” The Australian government is currently planning on admitting 126,000 people under the Skilled Migration Programme over the next year with this figure representing approximately two thirds of the overall migrant intake.