AUSTRALIAN IMMIGRATION NEWS

Fast tracked 457 visas for honest employers

Thursday, 8 February 2007

Changes to the controversial subclass 457 visa were unveiled this week by new Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews. The adjustments will introduce harsh penalties for those in breach of the sponsorship conditions and reward those who adhere to the rules.

The decision to toughen up the program follows a series of employer forums held in Sydney and Melbourne last week by Kevin Andrews and follows former immigration minister Amanda Vanstone’s bid to increase oversight of the scheme after audits for compliancy decreased.

According to the minister, employers who play by the rules will in time be given access to a streamlined process that can reduce application times to a few weeks as opposed to "an extended period of months." The change will hopefully act as an incentive for employers to do the right thing.

"If someone who has been using 457 visas for a number of years has done all the right things and has a good track record then what I would look to do for them is to streamline the administration of the process," Andrews said.

Previously employer’s who had breached the conditions of sponsorship were merely slapped on the wrist and banned from making any further applications, however the new changes will act to amplify the seriousness of the breaches with harsh new financial penalties.

"There are some cowboys out there and their behavior is not acceptable and I intend to crack down on them. It will cover anybody who is a sponsor of a person under one of these visas," Andrews said.

A number of high-profile cases met the headlines last year when some overseas workers were severally abused while in Australia on the 457 visa. The incidents sparked a Parliamentary review of the specific subclass 457 and related policies and legislation.

The changes are said to be a sign that the new minister is eager to address criticism of the 457 visa scheme, which Labour and the unions have claimed needs greater regulation. "The message is that this is a process by which people can obtain skilled labor in Australia but it's not to be abused," Andrews said.

The 457 scheme, which allows employers to hire skilled foreign workers temporarily, is very popular with businesses and the government to address critical skills shortages in Australia.