AUSTRALIAN IMMIGRATION NEWS

Changes to 457 visa programme

Friday, 3 April 2009

The Australian Immigration Department has announced a number of changes to the 457 Temporary Business Long Stay Visa, to ensure that prospective immigrants are suitably skilled, and are not being under-payed or discriminated against.

The 457 visa programme, which allows Australian employers to fill skills shortages that cannot be filled locally, has grown rapidly to cover widespread skills shortages in the Australian economy.

In a press release on Wednesday the 1st of April 2009, the Government announced certain measures that will be key to maintaining the integrity of the 457 visa programme . These measures include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The implementation of a market based MSL for all new and existing 457 visa holders from mid-September 2009
• Increasing the minimum English language requirement from an IELTS test score of 4.5 to 5 for 457 visa applicants in trade occupations and chefs
• Progressively introducing formal skills assessment from 1 July 2009 for 457 visa applicants from high risk immigration countries in trade occupations and chefs.
• Introducing a requirement for employers that demonstrate a commitment to employing and training local labour, as well as demonstrating non-discriminatory employment practices.

These initiatives are mainly going to put the faith and integrity back in to the 457 visa programme, allowing consistency across the field to ensure that the needs and best interests of overseas workers keep pace with the needs and best interests of local workers, without undermining local labour in any way.

Records from DIAC show that in the six months to December 2008, there were an average of 700 457 visa applications being lodged a week by people outside Australia. Due to the slowdown in the global economy, the average number of 457 visas lodged in the first three months of 2009 has dropped to 430 per week, showing the programme is responding to the changing economic environment.

If you are interested in Visas to Australia, contact Migration Expert for information and advice on which visa is best suited to you. You can also try our visa eligibility assessment to see if you are eligible to apply for a visa to Australia.