457 offer - questions

Davesh1

Hi,

I am based in Dublin & have been offered a job in Sydney with an offer so far as follows:

Package of AUD95k
STA
457 Visa Process

Looking for answers to:

- Does a 'package' mean Salary + Super?
- What is STA?
- Is AUD95k a good salary for a senior software test analyst position?
- Should I ask for more? Flights?
- Can I live on a aud95k salary in general (I will be moving there alone, with missus in Melbourne (she's Aussie))
- The missus is an Aussie in Melbourne, thinking of putter my primary address as hers - does this mean I can get the Living Away From Home Allowance? If so, how much is the allowance?

Thanks!

aido79

Davesh1 wrote: »

Hi,

I am based in Dublin & have been offered a job in Sydney with an offer so far as follows:

Package of AUD95k
STA
457 Visa Process

Looking for answers to:

- Does a 'package' mean Salary + Super?
- What is STA?
- Is AUD95k a good salary for a senior software test analyst position?
- Should I ask for more? Flights?
- Can I live on a aud95k salary in general (I will be moving there alone, with missus in Melbourne (she's Aussie))
- The missus is an Aussie in Melbourne, thinking of putter my primary address as hers - does this mean I can get the Living Away From Home Allowance? If so, how much is the allowance?

Thanks!

Why would you put yourself through the hassle of going on the worst visa to be on in Australia when you have an Australian missus?

Davesh1

To me it seems better because:

1. It now costs AUD7k to get a defacto
2. I would have no job to go to
3. This company will pay for Relo costs, Flights and Visa
4. It's a step higher in the career latter

What are the downsides to the 457?

Batgurl

LAFHA is gone years so no you won't get that regardless.

By the sounds of it 95k package includes super meaning your actual salary is probably around 85k.

Not sure what you mean about flights as you then go on to say they are paying your flights and relocation costs.

STA is I think a state travel allowance so depending on where in VIC you are based, this could be helpful.

Personally I'd negotiate but then again that's just me. Im sure you can live fine on what they are offering but it depends on what you are on in Ireland and whether you will have any dependents.

aido79

Davesh1 wrote: »

To me it seems better because:

1. It now costs AUD7k to get a defacto
2. I would have no job to go to
3. This company will pay for Relo costs, Flights and Visa
4. It's a step higher in the career latter

What are the downsides to the 457?

One of the downsides is that you are tied to one company. If the job doesn't work out then you would either have to find another sponsor or leave Australia within 3 months. I'm not sure what the salary level for the job you have been offered is in general but it is common for companies to pay people on 457's less than people who aren't sponsored. You will also not have access to Medicare.

d.pop

Personally I'd see a 457 as just a step above a whv in the whole scheme of things.

It's handy for getting in the door if no other option available and if you have no real long term plans to stay, some like it , as people can take their super when they leave but seems to me if one is coming here for more than 12-24 months you should invest in becoming a fully fledged resident. With immigration minister fond of shaking up visa's every few years you never know what's coming.

I saw a lot of young Irish engineers in WA on just over 50% of the salary package of permanent residents and citizens and they were stuck with that employer, 1 poor lad was on $70,000 a year on a 3:1 roster FIFO, his counterpart/back to back was on $120k, he ended up getting another sponsor and moving but he was def taken advantage of for a while there.
If planning on staying in Aus and you have The option of another "better" visa I'd take it.

You're never really settled in Aus while a temp resident and it really limits your career potential. Think about it...would you sign a contract with a company in Ireland, you never really met, saying you will Never leave them...? And if you mess up or get made redundant you have a limited time period to leave or find another employer to handcuff yourself to....

If you're just coming on a smash and grab for a year or two then a 457 is probably fine.

d.pop

Personally I'd see a 457 as just a step above a whv in the whole scheme of things.

It's handy for getting in the door if no other option available and if you have no real long term plans to stay, some like it , as people can take their super when they leave but seems to me if one is coming here for more than 12-24 months you should invest in becoming a fully fledged resident. With immigration minister fond of shaking up visa's every few years you never know what's coming.

I saw a lot of young Irish engineers in WA on just over 50% of the salary package of permanent residents and citizens and they were stuck with that employer, 1 poor lad was on $70,000 a year on a 3:1 roster FIFO, his counterpart/back to back was on $120k, he ended up getting another sponsor and moving but he was def taken advantage of for a while there.
If planning on staying in Aus and you have The option of another "better" visa I'd take it.

You're never really settled in Aus while a temp resident and it really limits your career potential. Think about it...would you sign a contract with a company in Ireland, you never really met, saying you will Never leave them...? And if you mess up or get made redundant you have a limited time period to leave or find another employer to handcuff yourself to....

If you're just coming on a smash and grab for a year or two then a 457 is probably fine.

catbear

d.pop wrote: »

I saw a lot of young Irish engineers in WA on just over 50% of the salary package of permanent residents and citizens and they were stuck with that employer, 1 poor lad was on $70,000 a year on a 3:1 roster FIFO, his counterpart/back to back was on $120k, he ended up getting another sponsor and moving but he was def taken advantage of for a while there.

If you're just coming on a smash and grab for a year or two then a 457 is probably fine.

I knew plenty of Aussies who struggled to get better than 3:1 roster but that pay scale sounds bad alright.
Agree about the smash and grab use of the 457 although I wouldn't do it now with the weaker $.

lg123

is $7k realistic for a defacto?

take the 457 while you have it and start a PR application, either defacto or independent, when you get here. the 457 is a $hit visa but it gets your foot in the door at least.

$95k package sounds like it includes super. its not a bad salary but its nothing to go crazy about either. my missus is on a little less than that and she cant save a penny, and she isn't going bananas on the piss every weekend...

Head The Wall

I'm not sure about the 7k cost, I applied for the partner visa in December last year and it was 1600 sterling, it was supposed to go up by 50% which would make it $5100 now

If you apply for the partner visa outside Australia you can't come here to work until you get it, waiting time is 10-14 months at least. An option you may have is to come here on the 457 and then apply for the partner visa, that's if it is allowed while on the 457. You have a lot more options if you apply for the partner visa when in Australia. The medical is also cheaper to do here, it's half the price of getting it done in London

lg123

its 3 years exactly since we got our PR, the old 175. from memory, the fee back then was around $3k. up to $5k in three years is a fair jump.

irishmover

My partner applied for defacto onto my PR visa in March. It was $6800 for the application.

Also to the OP. There is nothing really wrong with a 457. Its gotten a bad name from press here and people are jumping on the bandwagon. It served me very well before I got my 189 and I'm glad I went with it.

If you've an offer like that I think you should definitely take it. Commence reviewing the defacto requirements with an Australian citizen and the 189 requirements ensuring yiu cover your options but really I don't see the problem.

Good luck.

lg123

irishmover wrote: »

My partner applied for defacto onto my PR visa in March. It was $6800 for the application.

Also to the OP. There is nothing really wrong with a 457. Its gotten a bad name from press here and people are jumping on the bandwagon. It served me very well before I got my 189 and I'm glad I went with it.

was that independent or through an agent?

yes, there is nothing wrong with the 457 but the permanent visa's are significantly better.

irishmover

lg123 wrote: »

was that independent or through an agent?

yes, there is nothing wrong with the 457 but the permanent visa's are significantly better.

That was completed by myself ofcourse. 820/801

http://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa/Fees

Yeh that's better but the person can get a job and be in the country right now on a 457 so that is the completely logical choice whether the other is better or not is a mute point.

Head The Wall

That's news to me based on what I read, glad I got mine in when I did. Just gotta keep waiting now.

If your partner is here then definitely go for the 457 so you can at least be together

Davesh1

Thanks for the replies

I found out that they do also offer a one way flight and one weeks accommodation. They expect me to pay 50% of the 457 visa cost.

Funnily enough I tried to negotiate to go from a $95k package to $98,550 ($90+9.5% Super) but they said no and that the salary has now gone down to a $90k package.

For reference my package in Dublin is e60k + 5% pension + Top tier Healthcare + e20k worth of shares a year. A $90k package in Sydney sounds like a massive pay cut to me

Anyway it doesn't sound right that they lowered the original offer (punishment for negotiating?) so I'm going to stay at home for now and apply for the 301 Partner Visa which takes 5 months and $6800 to get

aido79

Davesh1 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies

I found out that they do also offer a one way flight and one weeks accommodation. They expect me to pay 50% of the 457 visa cost.

Funnily enough I tried to negotiate to go from a $95k package to $98,550 ($90+9.5% Super) but they said no and that the salary has now gone down to a $90k package.

For reference my package in Dublin is e60k + 5% pension + Top tier Healthcare + e20k worth of shares a year. A $90k package in Sydney sounds like a massive pay cut to me

Anyway it doesn't sound right that they lowered the original offer (punishment for negotiating?) so I'm going to stay at home for now and apply for the 301 Partner Visa which takes 5 months and $6800 to get

Much better option than the 457. It would be a big move to go to the other side of the world to work for a company that you haven't worked for with the possibility that it may not work out and you may be forced to leave Australia. I would imagine you may be able to negotiate a better salary package with a company on the partner visa and the visa cost will be outweighed by that. Best of luck with it.

punk_one82

Davesh1 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies
They expect me to pay 50% of the 457 visa cost.

As far as I'm aware an employer legally can't try and recover any of the cost for a 457 visa from the employee..

catbear

Sounds like the partner visa is the better option in your case. No point having an employer that would take advantage of the temporary nature of the 457 when a spouse visa would put you on level pegging from the start.

457 only made sense for short term money making when it was a lot cheaper to obtain and the dollar was stronger.

irishmover

punk_one82 wrote: »

As far as I'm aware an employer legally can't try and recover any of the cost for a 457 visa from the employee..

It is illegal.

From the sounds of it you may have dodged a bullet.

Just as a side to this, if you meet the skills assessment and points for a 189 visa it'll cost you a few thousand dollars less than defacto.

I believe $3665 for the application and whatever the assessing authority charge for skills assessment. Also approval time is considerably faster than defacto.

Davesh1

irishmover wrote: »

It is illegal.

From the sounds of it you may have dodged a bullet.

Just as a side to this, if you meet the skills assessment and points for a 189 visa it'll cost you a few thousand dollars less than defacto.

I believe $3665 for the application and whatever the assessing authority charge for skills assessment. Also approval time is considerably faster than defacto.

Thanks, I do meet the skills, in fact I come under many of the skills required (tech). I may look this up too but there are more hoops to go through such as the Skills Assessment and English test so might just be easier for the defacto

irishmover

Davesh1 wrote: »

Thanks, I do meet the skills, in fact I come under many of the skills required (tech). I may look this up too but there are more hoops to go through such as the Skills Assessment and English test so might just be easier for the defacto

English test is easy and skills assessment isn't too hard but varies on qualification.

It comes down to whether you want a visa in the next four to five months or a visa in 12-15 months.

It is probably easier for defacto but twice as long in processing time and over 1.5 times the cost.

Head The Wall

Davesh1 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies

Anyway it doesn't sound right that they lowered the original offer (punishment for negotiating?) so I'm going to stay at home for now and apply for the 301 Partner Visa which takes 5 months and $6800 to get

The 5 month waiting time is incorrect, your application is going through London and their website is stating 10-14 months. This caught me out initially and threw a spanner in my plans as well.

http://uk.embassy.gov.au/lhlh/immi_processing_times.html

I applied in December and was told not to take the medical or start police checks until May as they expire after 12 months, so what they are saying is that even that time scale is optimistic. As I have said already look up your options when on the 457 or other visas while here, if you apply for a partner visa while in Australia you have more options. Otherwise you can't come here until you get cleared

It all depends on how long you want to be apart but a potential 14 month wait is going to be tough. I have heard nothing back on mine yet and that was 9 months ago. I'm currently in Australia doing the three month in and out and working remotely for the UK company I was previously with so it's not an ideal situation but it's better than being apart

Davesh1

Hi Head The Wall,

Thanks for the info, I have cross-referenced it with another forum and you seem to be correct (can't post link as I'm n'ew' :-))


My options now I guess are either taking the job or looking into the 189 Skilled Visa

I had a chat with the HR Manager last night and I have two days to give them a response. It would at least be a foot in the door and also a good role with a Senior position. I could apply for the Partner visa from within Aus anyway. The only issue is living away from the missus and paying high rent in Sydney.

irishmover

Davesh1 wrote: »

Hi Head The Wall,

Thanks for the info, I have cross-referenced it with another forum and you seem to be correct (can't post link as I'm n'ew' :-))


My options now I guess are either taking the job or looking into the 189 Skilled Visa

I had a chat with the HR Manager last night and I have two days to give them a response. It would at least be a foot in the door and also a good role with a Senior position. I could apply for the Partner visa from within Aus anyway. The only issue is living away from the missus and paying high rent in Sydney.

Well. If you apply for defacto while in Australia you will be placed on a bridging visa allowing you to remain in Australia without work restrictions and will provide access to Medicare (i.e. the same rights as you would have if it was approved). I won't confirm the 189 visa allowing this as I just can't quite remember those rules but I'd suspect its the same as what my partner received.

So if this company turn out to be crap you could leave and apply for the defacto or 189 visa and remain in Australia with full work rights (no transfer of sponsorship free to work for whoever you like) while the application is being processed thus it becoming a minor inconvenience.

pete4130

irishmover wrote: »

Well. If you apply for defacto while in Australia you will be placed on a bridging visa allowing you to remain in Australia without work restrictions and will provide access to Medicare (i.e. the same rights as you would have if it was approved). I won't confirm the 189 visa allowing this as I just can't quite remember those rules but I'd suspect its the same as what my partner received.

So if this company turn out to be crap you could leave and apply for the defacto or 189 visa and remain in Australia with full work rights (no transfer of sponsorship free to work for whoever you like) while the application is being processed thus it becoming a minor inconvenience.

As Irishmover says, if you apply for defacto while here in Australia you go onto Bridging Visa A right away. Thats how it worked for me. Only restriction is you can't leave Australia on a Bridging Visa A and re-enter as you lose it. You need to apply for Bridging Visa B to leave and re-enter to maintain your Bridging Visa A. It makes no difference if you don't intend to leave.
My time from application and on Bridging Visa A to 820 was approx. 14 months.

Davesh1

I don't think you can just get a bridging visa and then leave the 457. You have to see the 457 visa out until the end. If you cancel then you have 90 days to find a new sponsor otherwise you have to leave Aus

Look at this link (sorry I cant post links as I'm new):

www .irishecho.com.au /2013/11/04/ how-to-switch-from-a-457-to-partner-visa /29585

pete4130

I'm talking about landing on a holiday visa or 417 visa and then going defacto and swapping over to the Bridging Visa until your 820/801 comes through. The 457 doesn't even come into it then and you'll still be able to work for any company, unrestricted without being tied to them.

Davesh1

pete4130 wrote: »

I'm talking about landing on a holiday visa or 417 visa and then going defacto and swapping over to the Bridging Visa until your 820/801 comes through. The 457 doesn't even come into it then and you'll still be able to work for any company, unrestricted without being tied to them.

Ahh I'm too old for a WHV!

So if I went over on an ETA Visa and applied for a defacto I could get a bridging visa after 90 days (when the ETA expires)?

irishmover

Davesh1 wrote: »

I don't think you can just get a bridging visa and then leave the 457. You have to see the 457 visa out until the end. If you cancel then you have 90 days to find a new sponsor otherwise you have to leave Aus

Look at this link (sorry I cant post links as I'm new):

www .irishecho.com.au /2013/11/04/ how-to-switch-from-a-457-to-partner-visa /29585

That is completely true and I forgot about that when I was going from 457 to 189.

New plan. Come on a 457 and apply for the 189 when here asap. 189 processing time was 3 months for me 18 months ago and 4 months for my partners brother 3 months ago.

189 is a better visa than being on defacto.

Batgurl

Davesh1 wrote: »

Ahh I'm too old for a WHV!

So if I went over on an ETA Visa and applied for a defacto I could get a bridging visa after 90 days (when the ETA expires)?

Be careful doing this. Immigration do not like this route (even though it's not strictly prohibited). If they stop you at the airport and think you intend to stay longer than 90 days or your true intentions are not to holiday, then can cancel your ETA. All it takes is one dick at the airport having a bad day...

Davesh1

Thanks for the info,

So I told this company that I'd accept the role and they have just turned to me and said that it was the assumption all along that I'd be coming over on a spouse visa and they are not able to sponsor me! Even though their last two emails mention an offer including sponsorship

So since the original offer they have gone from e95k to 90k to sponsorship with 50% of the cost to no sponsorship!

What a strange experience!

I'll be looking into the 189 now anyway

pete4130

I'd be staying well away from that company for sure.

irishmover

Davesh1 wrote: »

Thanks for the info,

So I told this company that I'd accept the role and they have just turned to me and said that it was the assumption all along that I'd be coming over on a spouse visa and they are not able to sponsor me! Even though their last two emails mention an offer including sponsorship

So since the original offer they have gone from e95k to 90k to sponsorship with 50% of the cost to no sponsorship!

What a strange experience!

I'll be looking into the 189 now anyway

Amateur hour.

Head The Wall

Batgurl wrote: »

Be careful doing this. Immigration do not like this route (even though it's not strictly prohibited). If they stop you at the airport and think you intend to stay longer than 90 days or your true intentions are not to holiday, then can cancel your ETA. All it takes is one dick at the airport having a bad day...

While you say this is technically possible what are the chances of your visa being approved if attempted this way? Realistically if this was a workable solution anyone could come in on a holiday visa and then apply and stay.

It wasn't something I was willing to chance as it's too serious an issue to be refused the partner visa

Davesh1

Yeah it sounds risky but it seems many have done it

I guess it's a worst case scenario if a 189 falls through, as I really don;t want to wait 9-12 months for a partner visa

cianboy

Senior Tester on a permanent salary is around the 90-110 mark package wise. So the offer isn't too bad but as others have indicated you could end up stuck.

I'd recommend that you contract, if it's money you want to be making then that's how you make it as a tester. That means coming over on your own steam (no 457). Day rates for a manual tester are 550+ and if you have automation experience you can add another 100+ per day on top.

Source: Been out here for 8 years working in IT in Sydney.

PM if you'd like any more info. Happy to help.