‘Top 10’ Important 457 Visa Elements When Making An Application

The subclass 457 visa program is the most popular temporary working visa in Australia. This is due to benefits such as the duration (up to four years), the fact you can bring your partners or family and that they can also work or study for the visa duration.

1) What are the stages to apply for a 457 visa?

Stage 1 - Sponsorship: An Australian business needs to receive approval to become a ‘standard business sponsor’ from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection.

Stage 2 - Nomination: The business who received the above approval then needs to nominate a suitable position and clarify the key features of the position.

Stage 3 - Visa: An overseas applicant for the approved position is selected for the job pending successfully receiving a 457 visa which has requirements from language to suitable qualifications.

2) Do Businesses Need To Train 457 Visa Workers?

Yes, there are two training benchmarks which require a business that hires a 457 visa worker needs to meet. They are:

Benchmark A = 2% of total wages must be paid in the last year to an ‘Industry Training Fund’

Benchmark B = 1% of total wages must be paid in the last year to train its Australian Employees

3) Can Any Occupation Apply For A 457 Visa?

No, a 457 visa job must align with the consolidates skilled occupation list. There are over 600 occupations on this list.

In 2014 the most popular occupations ranged from Cooks, Restaurant Managers, Marketing Specialists to Accountants.

4) Is There An Income Threshold?

Yes, there are actually two thresholds.

a) The Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold is the minimum for any 457 visa holder (currently set at $53,900 - December 2014). A 457 visa worker’s salary needs to be at least equal to this threshold.

b) The Market Salary is the rate that similar employees within the same occupation receive. If for example this is $85,000, then it over-rules the Threshold above and must be paid. If the amount is less then the threshold ($53,900) then the threshold will remain.

5) What Are The Skills & Language Requirements?

A 457 visa applicant must have the level of skills and qualifications required for the nominate position. If a trade occupation is nominated an assessment by the Trade Recognition Australia may be requirement.

The applicant also needs to meet English requirements unless they hold a passports from an English speaking country (eg Canada, NZ or the UK), earn above a salary threshold (currently $96,400) or have 5+ years full time study in English (Higher education or secondary).

The english requirement is for the applicant to score 5 bands in each module of the IELTS or a score “B” in each of four OET components.

6) What Are Some Of The Main Conditions Of The 457 Visa?

There are over ten different conditions for 457 visa holders during their stay in Australia. This ranges from maintaining adequate arrangements for health insurance (see 457 visa health insurance), working in the nominated occupation selected, working for the sponsor approved int eh application and maintaining work.

7) Can I Become A Permanent Resident From The 457 Visa Program?

Yes, after working for two years you can apply for the visa subclass 187 (permanent visa). The business sponsor must meet all the requirements if this is to be successful.

8) Was There Recent Report Recommending 457 Visa Changes?

Yes, the current Liberal government received a report with twenty two recommendations ranging from removing market testing, becoming more flexible with the occupation list to adjusting the way an applicants English is accessed.

These are only recommendations and have not being passed into legislation.

9) Should I Use A Migration Agent For My 457 Visa Application?

The 457 visa application can be easy and straightforward for some applicants but those with more complicated scenarios should use a migration agent. Applications for the 457 visa can take months to process and are expensive. A migration agent can provide peace of mind and speed up the process.

10) How Can I Apply For The Visa?

Just go to the IMMI Website. Make sure you have proof of overseas health cover and have completed other requirements which may be the English language test.

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