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20 Dec 2017

How the 457 Visa Changes Affect Current 457 Visa Holders

As you may know, the current 457 Visa program will be replaced by the new Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) Visa in March 2018. The new TSS Visa will require applicants to meet more rigorous English language requirements and mandatory police clearances and in addition, the requirement for skills assessments will also be more likely.

You may be wondering how the changes may impact you if you already hold a 457 Visa. Here are our Frequently Asked Questions on what the changes may mean for you.

If I already hold a 457 Visa, do I need to do anything to transition to the TSS Visa in March 2018?

No – if you currently hold a 457 Visa, you can continue to hold your visa until its expiry. You won’t be impacted by the new TSS Visa requirements, unless you would like to apply for a new visa or change your position of work or employer.

If I want to change my position of work, how will the TSS Visa requirements impact me?

A new nomination will need to be lodged through your employer and the position nominated must be for an occupation listed on the skilled occupation lists for the new TSS visa. The skilled occupation lists are reviewed by the Government every 6 months to ensure skill needs across Australia continue to be met. We suggest seeking advice from a migration agent to understand the impacts on your particular case.

Will I still be able to transition to a Permanent Residence Visa?

Generally speaking, if your 457 Visa application was lodged up to or on 18 April 2017 or you held a 457 Visa on that date, you will be able to transition to permanent residence under the existing Temporary Residence Transition Stream arrangements if you:

– Are under the age of 50
– Have worked at least 2 out of the 3 years prior to your nominated position with your employer

If you applied for a 457 Visa after 18 April 2017, your eligibility for permanent residence will depend on the criteria set by the new legislation, which is still being confirmed by the Immigration Department.

To stay updated on further changes as they arise, request to join Immigracious’ monthly newsletter list by emailing hello@immigracious.com or contact us on 08 6263 4406.

To access a printable Fact Sheet of the above Frequently Asked Questions, click here.

Source:

Sheila Woods, Registered Migration Agent. MARN: 0533879

The Department of Immigration and Border Protection. 


Sheila Woods

Posted by: Sheila Woods

A very experienced migration agent, Sheila has always been fascinated by this field. Her university degree thesis was on Australia’s post-war immigration history (and it earned her first-class honours).


Filed in: Visas

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