Dr

[CarolynB]

Hi everyone

 

My husband and I started working in Australia on a 457 visa in Jan of 2018. We applied for PR (189) in Jan, and have been granted a bridging visa. We have since ceased employment at the sponsored work place, and were under the impression (based on what was explained to us by the home affairs telephone consultants) that the bridging visa would automatically kick in as soon as the 457 visa becomes inactive (i.e. when we cease employment with the nominated employer). 

 

We are now sitting with the situation where we cannot cancel/inactivate our 457 visa, and therefore cannot activate the bridging visa for our PR. Our previous employer has not bothered to notify the department that we are no longer working there. I do not know how to notify them of the change in situation from my side (there is no way of updating the visa on my immi account once it has been finalized, nobody at home affairs can tell me who to email or call). 

 

I have just spent the whole day on the phone with the department of home affairs, and everyone tells me a completely different story. The last bit of advice that I have received is that there is no way to inactivate the 457 visa, and we have to wait for it to expire for the bridging visa to come into effect (which will only be at the end of this year, and we cannot afford to not work until then). 

 

We have no idea what to do or how to try and fix this situation. We were 100% lead to believe that it would not be a problem ceasing employment with the nominated employer (especially as working conditions were awful and they were taking complete advantage of us), and that the bridging visa would automatically come into effect once we terminated employment.

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

 

 

Carolyn