Getting from a 417 Visa to a 457 Visa!
Backpackers coming to Australia on the Australian Working Holiday Visa keep asking us this question…
What’s the best way to get PR (Permanent Residence) once I am in Australia and working?
Here Jill Noble, author of Backpack to Briefcase gives you a guide on the Backpackers Pathway to PR …
So you’ve landed yourself a job and your goal now is to stay in Australia and work towards getting your permanent residency. For most folk the first step is to get a 457 or long term business sponsored visa. This visa allows you to work and stay in Australia with one condition; the holder must work for that sponsor company only.
To be eligible for this visa you must meet a number of criteria, including having specific skills to do a specific job, having English skills to a specific level, pass a health assessment and provide character references. For most professionals the most difficult thing about this visa is finding a company who is willing to embark on the sponsorship program on your behalf, however if you are already working then chances are you have surpassed this hurdle also.
If you haven’t found work yet the easiest way to obtain a 457 is to commence work on a contract or short term basis with a organisation, prove yourself, make yourself indispensable and suggest that the company ‘sponsor’ you.
If you end up working for a small company or a company who despises paperwork and red tape contact an umbrella or salary management company who can facilitate the visa process for you. These third party companies provide excellent services which include full administration and processing of your visa, legal compliance and remuneration and tax effective strategies for ex patriots. The service will set you back a percentage of your hard earned contracting dollars (anywhere from 3 percent to 6 per cent depending on the service you require) and you may have to pay additional visa fees, but if you do want remain in Australia in the medium term then the costs associated are irrelevant.
Once you are on a 457 visa you can start looking into the points required for PR, they generally change each March. To ensure you are eligible do try to apply before you are 30 years of age and think about competing additional study in Australia as this can increase your points. Talk to your friends and networks and see if anyone can recommend a good migration consultant, they are expensive but priceless if calling Australia home is your goal.
Good Luck!
Are the following courses in the MODL list?
1) Hospitality Management
2) Community Welfare
3) Graduate Diploma in Teaching.
Rajesh – The MODL is a list of occupations in demand. It is not a list of courses. There is no restriction on people coming to Australia to do fee paying courses. Doing a course in Australia is not a guaranteed path to migration.