457 questions.

[bigtoe1982]

Hi all.

just a few questions.

I am a machinist first class/ fitter turner looking for a company

sponsored 457 visa.

 

As i am hoping for a 457. Do i need to take a skills

test? Or will the employer request i do this after job offer? (company sort time/date out)

 

I know when applying for permanent residence, this has to be done etc.

 

Should i use a agent? Will this speed up the process?

 

Any info would be great, Much love. Bigtoe x

[bigtoe1982]

Also im only interested in a 457. As it will hopefully be faster.

Being made redundant in December. $$$$$

[ali]

You don't have to do the skills test, but your skills have to be on the lists. Not all employers are eligible to employ under this visa. It is important to remember that this visa is a temporary work visa and does not automatically lead to any permanent residency.. It you have children, there are also going to be additional fees for education..

[Give me a break!]

You have the same skills as my OH. No way would we have come on a Temp visa. PR is definitely a far better solution. The nature of the work can be very up and down. Also your wife ( if you have one ) may find it harder to get work on a 457. If your employer doesn't like you for whatever reason and dismiss you have 90 to find a new sponsor or leave the country. You have to pay $4000 per child for schooling on a 457 and you get no benefits whatsoever.

[verystormy]

No, you won't need a skills assessment for a 457.

 

It won't necessarily be faster than the skilled route as you need to find an employer willing and able to sponsor you. This can take a LONG time. Particularly for your sort of occupation.

 

If you decide to come on this, then do so knowing it is a temporary visa and there is a good chance you will be going home at some point. As Give me a break says, work in this industry is very up and down, the moment you lose your job on a 457 you have 90 days to find another sponsor or leave the country. Even if you don't lose your job and want to stay, then at some point you are going to have to obtain a PR visa anyway - the 457 will expire in 4 years. The big risk with this is that the occupation lists change all the time. There is no guarantee your occupation will be on there in the future.

 

If you have children then there are other negatives. First, there are mandatory school fees for 457 holders. Then, if they want to go to college / uni, they are an international student - tens of thousands in fees and no government help. Also, a PR holder may get benefits similar to the UK. A 457 can not.

[eddownarseup]

[h=4]Fee introduction delayed until 2015[/h]But state premier Colin Barnett has since announced on 17th September 2013 that the fees will not now be introduced until 2015. He also said that the $4,000 fee will only be paid for the first child of any one 457 worker. Each subsequent child would attract a fee of only $2,000. This will mean that the fees will now raise only half the $120m originally expected to be raised.Mr Barnett said that this was fair because 'this means that anyone who is already living here on a 457 visa or who has already lodged a visa application to come here soon will not have to pay unexpected fees for schooling next year. We are giving plenty of notice that the fees will apply from the year after next giving people time to make the necessary arrangements to pay the fees'.

But A Western Australian chamber of commerce has warned that the fees will still discourage much needed international workers from staying in the state. Australian broadcaster ABC reports Russ Clark, The Chief Executive Officer of the Albany Chambers of Commerce and Industry as saying 'The feedback the chamber has received is that people are looking at shifting out of WA and/or returning back overseas because it [staying and paying the fees] becomes unviable for them'.

[bigtoe1982]

Thanks everyone very much for feedback. much appreciated.

Will look into it now....

[verystormy]

If people are leaving, I suspect it is more to do with the economy. There are a lot of people around where I live who have left recently due to lack of work.

 

The fee is relatively small compared to other states which have had it for some years now. The $2000 for subsequent children has been dropped and so it is now $4000 per family.

 

Personally, I agree with the fee.

 

The introduction of the fee is now feb 2015. So only the next semester.

 

[h=4]Fee introduction delayed until 2015[/h]But state premier Colin Barnett has since announced on 17th September 2013 that the fees will not now be introduced until 2015. He also said that the $4,000 fee will only be paid for the first child of any one 457 worker. Each subsequent child would attract a fee of only $2,000. This will mean that the fees will now raise only half the $120m originally expected to be raised.Mr Barnett said that this was fair because 'this means that anyone who is already living here on a 457 visa or who has already lodged a visa application to come here soon will not have to pay unexpected fees for schooling next year. We are giving plenty of notice that the fees will apply from the year after next giving people time to make the necessary arrangements to pay the fees'.

But A Western Australian chamber of commerce has warned that the fees will still discourage much needed international workers from staying in the state. Australian broadcaster ABC reports Russ Clark, The Chief Executive Officer of the Albany Chambers of Commerce and Industry as saying 'The feedback the chamber has received is that people are looking at shifting out of WA and/or returning back overseas because it [staying and paying the fees] becomes unviable for them'.