The Turnbull government has walked back its hard-line position on 457 visas, announcing visa applications in the pipeline will not to be subject to new restrictions on permanent residency set to come into effect in March. But migration agents are treating the...
457 visa delays hurting small businesses
The 457 visas won't be abolished until March but Simon Christie's business is already feeling the pinch from the federal government's changes to the visa system. Christie owns video production company Adventure Set Production and has spent the past two years trying to...
Subclass 457 visa applicants taking longer to process
What is the change? Processing times for subclass 457 visa applications are taking longer than normal to process in the final months before the category is abolished and replaced. What does the change mean? According to the most recent Government updates, as of 30...
Temporary 457 visa program still broken
The Turnbull government’s overhaul of the 457 visa system needs some serious tweaks if Australia is going to attract the best and brightest to these shores says a submission from innovation industry groups. Back in April the Turnbull government announced it was...
Australians…where are you?
Push to make it easier for migrants to come to Australia and take hard-to-fill jobs in regional areas SOUTH Australia should be the test site for a radical plan to boost the population in country towns and small cities with foreigners who want the jobs that locals...
457 changes to impact Australia tourism industry
Top chefs, including Neil Perry, say the 457 visa axing will cripple a key part of Australia’s tourism industry A key plank in Australia’s tourism marketing strategy is being put at risk because of changes to the 457 visa program and the country’s top chefs say...
CSL confident of rethink for ‘devastating’ 457 changes
Blood products giant CSL is confident the federal government will modify changes to 457 visas for foreign workers that in their current form would be "devastating" for the company and other biotech firms, a senior executive said. A CSL vice-president, Andrea Douglas,...
In defence of the 457 visa program
The Australian Government recently introduced changes into the 457 Visa Program, which means that when employment ceases, a person on a 457 Visa will only be allowed to remain in the country for 60 days, as opposed to the 90 days that it was previously. If a person is...
Labour market testing – a thing of the past?
Australian businesses are against labour market testing by employers who want to employ skilled labour from overseas jobs while trade unions believe it will just add an unwelcome level of red tape. The issue of labour market testing has been contentious for years,...
New bill to make payment for 457 Visa’s illegal
The Turnbull Government today introduced legislation to the Parliament to make it a criminal offence for a sponsor to be paid by a visa applicant in return for securing a migration outcome. Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Senator the Hon...