457 visa questions

[DesertDaisy]

We heard this morning, that my dh's potential employer (still haven't had an official offer yet) would bring him over on a 457 and would support him in applying for PR.

We are currently living in the Middle East, and visa things are a wee bit different. He is sponsored by his employer, and he then sponsors me. I am not allowed to work unless I have his permission.

If he goes over on a 457 visa, would I be allowed to work without any hassles, or would I be under restrictions?

[Dedrei]

There is no restrictions on spouses of 457 visa applicants. I am a spouse on 457 visa and have found qork. However, sometimes 457 spouses do have difficulty in getting suitable jobs in their trades.

Just be persistant and you'll definitely come right with a job. If they sponsor your hub for PR that would be even more great stuff!!

[sa2auz]

Hi there

You will probably have restrictions that you won't be able to work for goverment departments until you get PR. Also if you want to work with children or in a medical environment then you will be required to do a medical. On a 457 visa adults are not required to do medicals only X Rays and children under 12 only have to do X Rays and not medicals.

If the company is willing to sponsor PR once you are here you have landed with your bum in the butter, go for it. 457 visas are quick ours was 16 days from the day we got the job to the day the visa was in our passports.

[DesertDaisy]

Thanks for your encouragement. We are still waiting to hear for definite whether he has the job. But we are concerned about the visa thing as our situation regards getting hold of documents is complicated to say the least - we are currently resident in the Middle East, and getting documents via our local embassy can take up to six months! So I have given a family member power of attorney back home, and hopefully this will help if there are any documents we need from home. We are hoping that there isn't as we have a lot with us because of visa stuff here.

[Dreamcatcher]

Hi there,

Try www.bunnyhop.co.za, costly, but worth it if you need South African docs. It has been mentioned somewhere else on the forum as well.

Regards,

Dreamy

[Marius]

I am here on a 457 sponsored visa. My spouse can work pretty much unrestricted, government and state perhaps more difficult yes. My employer is also sponsoring me for PR and we are in the final stages of the RSMS ( Regional Skilled Migration Scheme ) application process, I should have PR in 2 months max . It is not often you get an employer sponsoring people for PR after the 457, so go for it. The employer sponsored PR process is also less intense and far shorter than the normal individual or "private"application as the government and state want to attract skilled people and therefore make it a bit easier for good companies to sponsor skilled immigrants. There are of course still some strict requirements in place which employer and employee have to meet.

As part of the 457 sponsorship arrangmeent the employer is also obliged to "pay reasonable travel expenses". Now this is a bit grey and subjective, but in my case my new employer volunteered to paid me back all our flight costs ( R 27,000 ) as well as our full container cost ( R 20,000 ) Other employers may not be so generous, but they still have to contribute to your travel expenses. They also have an obligation to pay some of or subsidise your medical expenses while you are on temp 457 visa. Again it is a bit subjective but my employer pays my full private medical insurance of $ 400 per month, other may differ but they must assit with certain medical expenses. After PR this of course falls away as we can go onto medicare and our private medical insurance will fall to only $ 120 per month in any case.The employee then of course have to work for the sponsoring company for a set period of time in return and perform the job on the visa.

Look at immi.gov.au and check out the section detailing sponsor and employee obligations under the 457. Then perhaps diplomatically ask your husbands employer how they will be complying to these obhligations they have. , maybe after all is signed and sealed.

Hope it helps. Like I said, not many get 457 and PR sponsorship, grab the chance.

[DesertDaisy]

Thanks for the info. As soon as we have a written job offer, we'll be much happier!

[chatterbug]

Hey Dedrei!!

I am a spouse on 457 visa and have found qork.

Is that what you guys call a job up there in Cairns - "qork"??? hehehe

Quirky BUG!

[Dedrei]

That happens when you are in a hurry and don't read through your post and check for typo's.

[FrancoisK]

Hi All, i am in the process of applying for my sponsored 457 application, just a question, in all the rush to get all the documents ready, does my wife also need to do the IELTS tests even though she will be crossing on my Visa?

 

Cheers

[Husky]

@FrancoisK

Your wife would only need to do an English assessment if you are claiming any partner points for her, which I don't think you do on a 457.