What do the new work visa rules for Australia mean?

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Posted by

on 21 Apr 2017

Hey everyone, I was planning on moving to Australia for work and have been in the process of looking for a job. But now I hear from a friend the work visa rules have changed. What does this mean for my future plans? Can I still move to Australia?

Anonymous (not verified) on 21 Apr 2017 - 13:33

Basically the Australian government has brought in a new visa system to replace the 457 visa. The new system has a lot more limitations - fewer occupations are eligible for this visa and it will be more difficult for foreigners to get permanent residency in Australia. You can get a good overview of the situation with this article: http://www.expatarrivals.com/article/australian-457-visa-reforms-what-you-need-to-know

I think it's important that you check the skill shortage lists on the Australian government's website to see if your profession is affected. Once you have a clearer picture of what's going on then you can come up with a plan, but unfortunately the gist of the situation is that you may well find it more difficult to move to Australia now. Good luck.

Anonymous (not verified) on 22 Apr 2017 - 03:28

Hi, I've been employed with a 457 visa for two years. I've changed employer once and my new employer was willing to sponsor me for the Regional Skilled Visa. However like a lot of people my job was taken off the occupation list. Is my application for Permanent Residency at risk? Will I fall under the conditions of my 457 when it was granted in 2015 or under the new reform? This is very overwhelming as I already spent a lot of money in police certificate, English test and medical check for my PR application. Thanks

Meagan on 26 Apr 2017 - 08:26

Hi there,

Unfortunately the new visa rules have been implemented quite suddenly – because of this, it's very difficult to tell what the long-term effects are going to be, especially for current 457 visa holders such as yourself.

I did manage to find a recently published article by the Huffington Post which you may find helpful. It details a case similar to yours. (Please click here to read the article.)

Hope this helps somewhat. Sorry I couldn't be more specific – in these situations it can be hard to tell what the long-term effects will be. Best of luck.

M

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