Thanks V for sending little known facts about the 457 work visa to help Judy ownself check ownself™. Apparently it isn't that easy to get a work visa in Australia. After all this isn't some suka suka open leg place.
In some cases your employer will need to advertise your position and show that there is no Australian who is able to fill the position. Unless evidence of this accompanies the application, you will be refused
That is where this comes useful. Advertised in March, still looking for staff in July.
Also, this isn't applicable for all occupations. It is probably for another tier of vocations, such as engineers and nurses.
Just in case, Judy should check with the Mrs if she ever advertised elsewhere as where. If so, she should keep cuttings or screenshots of those.
The minimum salary level is $53,900, but if there is an Australian working for the business, you need to be paid at least the same as them
This requirement is to protect workers from being exploited by employers. That equates to $1,053 per week. IF Judy is to be paid $28/hr, she will need a minimum of 37.6 hours per week of work. That's going to be a problem, unless Judy will be employed as a full timer. However, "salary level" can be interpreted as the rate, rather than the annual salary, because it can be argued if an employer overwork a work at $14/hr doing 76 hours a week, the worker can meet $53,900 per annum too. I believe it is referring to the former. So Judy should be safe if she is hired at this rate or better (if she finds another job later)
457 holders are required to hold private health insurance during their stay. You'll need a special letter from the insurance company showing that you have the right level of cover to be granted a 457
No biggie.
To get a 457, you need to prove your English language ability. Usually this is by doing an English test, but you may be exempt if you hold one of the recognised passports, have studied in English medium or have a high salary level. Technically speaking, all applicants must show evidence of their English language ability. This would generally involve showing that you have at least Vocational English by doing the IELTS test and scoring at least 5 in each band.
If Judy is not able to get a 5 in IELTS, maybe she should roll back to Stand up for Singapore. Anyway, I think she will be able to get an exemption because her first language is English. No harm trying when (if) the time comes.
Some 457 applicants are required to do a formal skills assessment which can take months and cost several thousand dollars
Not all skills assessment require "several thousand dollars". Anyway to qualify as a trade, Judy will need a
Cert IV (minimum 1.5 years course) or
3 years of relevant work experience or
Cert III (including 2 years of on-the-job training)
This will be tricky. Even if Judy starts work right away, by the end of her Cert III course, she will have only accumulated 1 year of working experience. Without her student visa, how can she get another year of working experience to qualify?
That will be something we have to figure out.
Many 457 holders apply for permanent residence after working in Australia for 2 years. However, this is not necessary in all cases, and you may be eligible for permanent residence before working a day on your 457 visa
This is a favourable thing but don't have to worry about PR for now. She has to get a 457 first.
Certain business types and occupations are considered high risk, and make getting approval difficult
The Department of Immigration introduced a new "Genuine Position" requirement for 457 nominations in July 2013. Using their discretion under this new requirement, Immigration has targeted certain occupations and industries - requiring a higher level of documentation than is usually the case. This includes the following situations:
- Cafes and Restaurants: whilst it is possible to nominate workers for 457 visas in the occupation of cook, chef and cafe/restaurant manager, the Department of Immigration tends to have a higher level of scrutiny in these cases. In particular, Immigration often asks for evidence that the position is genuine and that the applicant is appropriately skilled. In the case of fast food restaurants, it is generally not possible to sponsor applicants for 457 visas.
- Start-up Businesses: in the case of a business which has been operating for less than 12 months, additional information will generally be requested to establish the business operations and that the position is genuine. Approvals for recently established businesses will generally be for 12 months rather than the usual 4 years for 457 visas.
- Family Businesses: if a family member is being sponsored, Immigration will general request evidence that the position is genuine and not creately purely for the purpose of securing entry for a family member.
Too many previous kengsters spoilt the market, so these stuff are being clamped down. However real gold no scared of fire. If Judy does her ground work, she will be recognised as a eligible applicant. Till then, let's see how it turns out. It's too early to know at this stage.
Not only little facts about 457 work visa (as the blog tittle says it) but it is definitely about huge and important things to do when we are going to get this type of work visa. People who want to work in Australia need to prove their English language ability by taking the International English Language Testing System or IELTS. They are also required to do formal skills assessment to know their ability for the work they are applying for and this will take months though. The 457 visa holder is required to get a private health insurance during his or her stay in Australia. The 457 work visa also is another way to be eligible for a permanent residence when you are willing to stay there for long time. Many important information are being discussed in the blog by providing experiences of what Ms. Judy will do.
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