Changes expected for the 457 visa

Ah it's gonna be squeeky bum time for me. I've landed a job as a restaurant manager and they want to see me work for a while before they start the sponsorship process - which is fair enough. Although they have said that they have been looking for the right candidate for a while so that should protect me if the labour market testing rule comes in.. I hope.

I read this article a while ago as well - think it may be untrue if what Declan is saying is correct. Although only a couple of months ago the Western Australia hotels federation was over in Ireland recruiting due to the lack of staff in that region. I think that if they do increase restrictions for the 457 visa the hospitality industry will be up in arms. There is still a serious shortage of chefs everywhere in Australia

http://www.gettingdownunder.com/australian-457-visa-update-attract-hospitality-workers/

markymark21 wrote: »

Which company do you work for Declan? Do you guys work with any Victorian hospitality businesses? If the role I've recently taken up doesn't work out any contacts may help.

declan works for a very famous visa company a 2 second google will find his linkedin (http://ie.linkedin.com/pub/dir/Declan/Clune)

DeclanClune wrote: »

Hi guys,

Just to advise that DIAC are introducing price hikes to the visa part of the 457 application this July. The visa application fees will increase from AUD455 to AUD900 (100% INCREASE !!).

Fees for partners / dependents for all visa subclasses are expected to be introduced in July - nothing released yet.

If you are thinking of submitting an application, my advise is to get it lodged ASAP before you have to incur higher fees.

Thanks,
Declan Clune

Well the new immigration minister has completely succeeded in demonising 457 visa holders through the media.

http://www.partyforfreedom.com.au/2013/02/21/visa-457-foreign-workers-stealing-aussie-jobs/

http://www.theage.com.au/it-pro/government-it/employers-want-a-cheapie-just-arrived-off-the-boat-aussie-it-workers-told-20130315-2g515.html

Looking at some recent forums many now believe 457 visa holders;

- have arrived by boat, (they are called boat people here, not asylum seekers)
- are stealing aussie jobs
- are cheap labour
- should go back to where they came from

A lot of mis-information going out right now! Such a shame as only 1 year ago IMMI were recommending 457 being the best route to attaining PR.

And $455 --> $900 increase is shocking!

I cant understand why people are surprised there is going to be such high increase everyone knows there have been rorts in the 457, unskilled laborers dressing up their job to look like something more substantial, people in reality getting paid less than the TSMIT, paying sham companies to nominate them and the self sponsorship scams.

Its all here in the Ministerial paper attached

The will be an increase the amount and time of DIAC case officers/Investigative officers, they will probably spend twice as long checking information rather than give the benefit of doubt.

Also DIAC are now cross data matching with the ATO as far back as 2011 to see how much and exactly who has been paying temporary visa holders, of course the cost of all this has to come from the 457 pot.

But it's not a 4-year visa ... it's a possible 4-year visa.

All good and well if you're lucky enough for your employer to cover the costs but it's a sizeable increase for someone who has to fork it out themselves (which shouldn't happen but we all know does).

Thing is, this increase isn't going to deter the cowboy employers who are flouting the system. $500 is nothing to genuine employers so they won't mind paying but the dodgey ones will just pass on the increase to the desperate employees.

Hi Declan,
My company is ready to put in the 457 application as soon as I want to.
If I stay on a 417 until the end of the tax year will I receive more tax back?
Is there really a big risk in waiting until after 1/7/13 to apply if my company is willing to sponsor, I'm in a position as per my qualification with a reputable company in WA and everything is above board?
From what I've read on immi there doesn't seem to be any risk, also I have heard there can be some benefits after the 1/7 such as a 90 day period should you lose your job to find a new sponsor as opposed to 28.

Any info would be much appreciated.

Thanks

http://blog.entitysolutions.com.au/meet-the-new-one-per-cent-australias-457-visa-holders/

"Few topics are as politically divisive to Australians as immigration. It seems ever since Europeans first arrived here, we’ve been looking over our collective shoulder, worrying and arguing about who we should let in and under what circumstances. Even what should be innocuous immigration topics have the potential to set tensions running high. One of the best examples of this is the ongoing debate surrounding temporary employer sponsored workers entering the country under 457 visas.

In the past few months, scarcely a week has gone by without a story appearing in the media about the integrity of the 457 and other temporary work visa programs. Generally, the stories and many of the commentators approach the issue of work visas from a negative viewpoint, insinuating that Australian employers are somehow rorting the system and that the local workforce is suffering due to an influx of overseas workers. Before taking a position however, it is always a good idea to look beyond the headlines and try to understand the real situation.

The facts

According to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship website, the 457 visa is “for skilled workers from outside Australia who have been nominated and sponsored by a business to work in Australia on a temporary basis”. For a business to sponsor someone from overseas for a 457 visa, it must, among other things, “demonstrate their commitment to employing local labour”, and demonstrate a contribution to “the training of Australian workers by providing evidence of meeting the training benchmark”.

It is worth noting that at present, there is no requirement to show that the employer attempted to fill the position locally.

It is also important to understand there are currently around 105,000 457 visa holders in Australia. This roughly equates to just one per cent of the workforce. There are around twice as many student visa holders, many of whom will seek to remain permanently on completion of their tertiary studies.

Statistics have been used to show that 457 visa increases are tracking at a much higher rate than job growth. However, as the ABC 7.30 Report pointed out back in March, this does not take into account the number of workers exiting the workforce each year. Australia’s aging population and the ongoing global skills shortage mean we will continue to need to source skilled workers from overseas well into the future.

Businesses seek simplicity, not complexity

No business deliberately seeks out complexity. Organisations almost always prefer to recruit locally where possible as this reduces cost and compliance issues. The problem is, sometimes they just can’t find the skills they need and when that happens, a 457 visa may be the only way to bring those skills into the company – and ultimately, to transfer those skills to Australian workers.

On 1 July 2013 the Federal Government will introduce a number of reforms for the 457 visa program. Key among these are:

the requirement for the nominated position to be a genuine vacancy within the company;
the ability to take steps against sponsors who engage in discriminatory recruitment practices;
market salary rate requirements;
strengthened English language requirements;
new training obligations for local employees; and
a tightening of employment contracts for visa holders.
The net effect of these changes will be to add more layers of red tape to the 457 visa process.

These visa holders usually bring much-needed specialised trade or professional skills in the areas of health, engineering and construction. They are frequently deployed in remote or needy locations. Wouldn’t it make more sense to streamline recruitment processes, rather than making them more complex?

The 457 visa program should be designed to give all businesses the flexibility to source workers on temporary assignments, to bring in skills that are crucial when operating in an international marketplace where global mobility is the norm.

A pathway for permanence?

To take the program one step further, perhaps we should also be looking to provide a secure pathway for all 457 visa holders who have become valued employees and who wish to remain permanently in Australia.

The government presides over a migration program with over 129,000 skilled places available in the current migration program year. These skilled permanent residence visa holders enter the labour market eventually, so does it really matter whether they arrive on a temporary visa first or apply for a permanent visa offshore and look for work on arrival?

Australia is a great place to live and work. People are attracted to our climate and lifestyle. The global mobility of skilled talent means Australia must compete with countries that are also seeking to attract skilled workers from overseas. It’s a pity the continual 457 debate does little to instil confidence that Australia is the place to which they should commit their own and their children’s future"

Just sent all my info today..hope to god the agent gets it all lodged by July 1st!

purcela wrote: »

My company lodged mine yesterday...waiting game now.

Yeh mine got lodged today..such a relief. I've got the missus as a De Facto so hopefully there are no hiccups.

markymark21 wrote: »

Yeh mine got lodged today..such a relief. I've got the missus as a De Facto so hopefully there are no hiccups.

Same as. $450 instead of $1800, had to get it lodged before Monday!

rightyabe wrote: »

What if your employer lodged your nomination last week? Will they still have to adhere to these new laws?

Nah I think once you've lodged your application before July 1st your visa applications bound by the current rules