Kinetic

OK, so that could nearly halve the costs if you are paying tax at 45%.

I hope for your sake that you are right, but judge it in two year's time rather than now.

I agree that you should give balance - as you have done. If anyone asked me about moving to WA right now, I would be advising them to be very cautious indeed. I know of at least one large company who have a recruitment freeze pending the election.

He isn't complaining about his visa, it's about the school fees being imposed with little notice. I think you are wrong to call him stupid.

Where in the UK are you based? Most of our work is within a 50 mile radius of London?

Of course there will, but after 4 months of looking and advertising in both WA and internationally, they had decided I was the best candidate...no one is indispensable though!

Chris, if that's the case, you would be better off in the UK. Most say that you need to be earning 2.5 times UK earnings due to the high cost of living in Perth. The sparks employed by my company here in the UK, earn a lot more than £20k!!

I would feel the same in your position. As a senior manager with 30 years experience, 15 of which with the same employer, they will just have to manage without me!!

Perhaps the poster meant 45% tax?

Just make sure you check out the jobs situation before you get too far down the road...

Agree, not easy and wont be possible for some, but as you say it is possible for others. I made the point as the poster was saying his wife was 52 and if she is earning enough, MAY end up OK, if that's what they are hoping for. If not earning at that level, then you might as well forget it...

Sorry to hear...

[h=2]Age exemptions[/h]On 25 June 2013 exemptions for age were expanded with a view to creating greater flexibility to applicants who meet the specified criteria for exemption. Applicants must be less than 50 years of age or exempt. Exemptions are now available to applicants who are either: nominated as a senior academic by a university in Australia nominated as a scientist, researcher or technical specialist by an Australian government scientific agency, including State and Territory government scientific agencies nominated as a Minister of Religion by a religious institution applying through the Temporary Residence Transition stream, who have been working for their nominating employer as the holder of a subclass 457 visa for the last four years and whose earnings were at least equivalent to the Fair Work Australia High Income Threshold* for each year over that period nominated as a medical practitioner (ANZSCO Minor Group 253) applying through the Temporary Residence Transition stream: who have been working for their nominating employer as the holder of a subclass 457 visa for at least the four years immediately before applying and whose nominated position is located in regional Australia who have been working for their nominating employer as the holder of a Subclass 422 visa before becoming a holder of a Subclass 457 visa for the prescribed period of two years in the four years immediately before applying and whose nominated position is located in regional Australia. [*]for the Direct Entry Stream: New Zealand citizens and non-New Zealand members of the family unit of New Zealand citizens: who hold Subclass 444 or 461 visas who have been working for their nominating employer in their nominated occupation for at least two years (excluding any periods of unpaid leave) in the last three years immediately before making their visa application; or [*]nominated as a medical practitioner (ANZSCO Minor Group 253): who have been working for their nominating employer as the holder of a Subclass 422 visa for at least the four years immediately before applying and whose nominated position is located in regional Australia who have been working for their nominating employer as the holder of a Subclass 422 visa before becoming a holder of a Subclass 457 visa in the four years immediately before applying and whose nominated position is located in regional Australia. * The current Fair Work Australia High Income Threshold is AUD 129 300, as at 1 July 2013.

Clearly they don't want people any more!

Not true, 4 years on a 457 can give PR for over 50. http://www.immi.gov.au/skills/skillselect/index/checklists/186-applicant-checklist.pdf

I feel for those already out there who haven't budgeted for this cost and those who are already on their way. If I hadn't turned down the job offer I had, I would now be faced with the dilemma of being $8,000 worse off or withdrawing. This has confirmed to me that I made the right decision. With the prospect that this fee will increase in future, there will probably be a rush of people pressing their employers for 186 or 187 visa support, so processing times may increase, albeit 457s must be well down. As has been said, it is a money raising exercise which at the same time deals with the perception that 457 visa holders are in some way less worthy. I wonder what statistics there are for how many 457 visa holders go on to be awarded PR? Although all the comments about it being a work permit are true, I suspect the people who move out there with children i.e. the ones affected by this fee, do intend to stay longer. Welcome to Perth - Not!!

Um er, didn't think it was that sort of forum...

Maybe, but with fewer jobs being created, there are probably more than enough people with PR visas going out there at the moment. How their skills align with what people are still needed, who knows?

Sorry Plim, it does suck.. How many children do you have? Could try asking your new employer to see how sympathetic they are??

But currently, isn't it the only one where age isn't a barrier?

Was the whole point of the 457, to enable employers to get people to Oz in a quick timescale? With the economy slowing, there are already fewer opportunities for 457 sponsorship anyway and now there is a financial "hit". I would say that for people already out there with school age children, it can only be see as unfair.

It is indeed, and whilst it has worked for some employees, the main beneficiaries have been the employers which, I would imagine, is as intended. The fact that under some circumstances, it provided a route to PR was a bonus to those who wanted to stay. As has been said many times before, if you go to Oz on a 457, you have to do it with your eyes open and understand the risks.

NSW already do. If I had ended up coming to Perth, the timing of that announcment would have been a kick where it hurts! Be interesting to know if the fees are tax deductible. If not, I would have needed to have earned another $15k to stand still.

Surprised about the tomatoes, thought you would be able to grow them for 9 months of the year. Could try burying some water retaining granules in the compost to see if that helps...

And if you look well into the future, when you draw your UK age pension, if gets frozen if you are out of the country, at the rate the it was when you first started to draw it...