Apparently it is now!

[Cole]

Eyebrow, although there is nothing I can do to make your situation better, I do want you to know that I pray for you and your family. I think this experience will make you stronger than most (although in tough times one would prefer not to be tested, I know), and when you do feel hopeless, please remember that the rest of us on this forum have hope for you, even on days when hope seems far away to you. Hugs.

[RYLC]

I've done a custom search on Seek for 457 jobs:

http://www.seek.com.au/jobs/in-australia/#dateRange=999&workType=0&industry=&occupation=&graduateSearch=false&salaryFrom=0&salaryTo=999999&salaryType=annual&advertiserID=&advertiserGroup=&keywords=457+visa&page=1&displaySuburb=&seoSuburb=&where=&whereId=&whereIsDirty=false&isAreaUnspecified=false&location=&area=&nation=3000&sortMode=ListedDate&searchFrom=active+filters+clear+all+date+range&searchType=browse

I don't know which field you are looking in so can't drill down any more but perhaps you can. I really want to help you find something else. I'm known for my special skill of finding things online and I would move mountains to get you out of where you are now. If I can be of any help to you, please can you message me what industry you are in. I also specialise in optimising LinkedIn profiles (I don't charge because it's just something I do to help people.) I'm actually a bookkeeper so I'm not advertising any HR skills. I just think that between us all we could help you more directly. I'm happy to message you my LinkedIn profile so that you can see who I am etc.

[Mara]

I so look forward to the day that I see a post from Eyebrow saying "I have a new job and they are happy to sponsor me"! It just has to happen :ilikeit:

[Eyebrow]

I am on holiday and feeling better than I have been for a long time.

I can breathe again...

We are all in North Victoria tonight and will be in Canberra tomorrow until Monday. This IS a beautiful country!

[Batsie]

Enjoy your break Eyebrow

[TinaB]

Wow!

I've just read your posts for the last year and I'm exhausted and crying for you. (and a bit for me since we are just starting our Oz journey and have no idea what to expect).

All I can say is I am now VERY VERY happy to wait as long as it takes to get the PR 189 visa we've applied for. No more "if my husband gets a job and sponsor, we'll go" nonsense. I will happily wait for the PR visa.

Thank you though for your honesty and very real account of what you've been through. It really does help someone (read: pessimist) like me that just doesn't believe everything will be super once we land. After reading your journal it feels like I am just a tiny bit more prepared for how hard it really can be. And I'm delighted that your kids seem to be fitting in. After all, we're all doing this for them.

I truly truly hope you find some joy and a new job soon. My husband and I are both currently in jobs we are not loving, but we're hanging in there until we leave. And then who knows what we'll have to put up with just to put food on the table.

Hang in there. Your time will come. If we end up in Melbourne, I'll be in touch

[Eyebrow]

Today on the 30th Sept at 23.30 we will have here for one year... Wow. My hair has grayed and I have wrinkles that I didn't have before! Also I have gained 4kg from comfort eating.

It has been much harder than I anticipated. No, really.

I will have to see what the next year holds.

[Mel-B]

Keep going! I feel for you and your family, so much strain. Hope it gets easier somehow along the way - soon.

[Eyebrow]

367 days in Oz.

We have driven 2200km this past week through Vic, ACT,NSW. We ahve had to use savings from RSA, because my job doesnt pay enough to afford it. And I have been blown away by the sheer size and beauty of this country. As far as we go I am struck by one thought: I want to stay here!

But my OH and i have come to the decision that I cant stay with my current employer, no matter what. It is just not an option.

We will give it 3 more months of job searching. If nothing happens by then, we will leave OZ.

That is the hardest thing I have said on this forum... But I cant anymore. I am sorry.

[Mara]

Dearest Eyebrow, that is what saddens me, that you may have to leave Australia. I have never asked this before, but is there any chance of you applying for PR on your own, without the assistance of an employer? If you do not wish to answer on open forum, please feel free to PM me. If there is a possibility, and you can apply, if there is any assistance you need, I am happy to assist in anything I can do.

In the meantime, I will just keep on praying!

[RYLC]

Eyebrow please let us help you search. I'm known for being good at finding things online. I run a bookkeeping business and you can view me on LinkedIn to see that I'm not a stalker. Please PM me to at least do the searches for you. I so want to help.... It would give me great satisfaction too for you to be able to tell that miserable boss of yours to shove it! Let us help you. If you have been praying for help then this is it!

[AndreCarla]

My heart breaks for you Eyebrow. I pray that no gate remains shut and God goes ahead and levels mountains for you. Blessings.

Carla

[ottg]

But my OH and i have come to the decision that I cant stay with my current employer, no matter what. It is just not an option.

We will give it 3 more months of job searching. If nothing happens by then, we will leave OZ.

That is the hardest thing I have said on this forum... But I cant anymore. I am sorry.

You dont need to explain or feel ashamed of any decision you came too. Only you and your family can do that. There is a saying: "What others think of me (or my decisions) is none of my business"

You have to trust that there are people on this forum that would really like to help you - if they can! Since you came to the decision to give it 3 months - its a step in the right direction - what is next? (Necessity is the mother of all inventions) If it comes to it your employer needs to give notice say 30 days and you may then have 40 days to leave thus you have really nothing to loose. Selectively tell people what you are doing, what you are good at, how you can resolve problems for your new prospective employer where the forum can get more info and what visa restrictions you may have.

The average person knows at least 100 people. Each of them knows 100 other people. It's called entities of influence (the aim is to reach centers of influence). If you take this to the 3rd level of influence that is >1 million potential people looking out for you. Obviously everyone wont participate but is much better than keeping this all quite.......hope this will give you some inspiration and hope!

[Sunnyskies]

Eyebrow, do you think your employer will sponsor you? If so, you may want to hang in there til you can get your PR. I know it's another year, but I remember one of my first jobs, my boss and I simply couldn't see eye to eye and I often drove to work in tears. I was so desperate to leave but I needed two years on my CV, so I plotted and planned breaking the final year into bite size chunks, and as I edged closer to the magical mark I made my move and got another job. Funny thing was that as I handed in my notice so did my boss, and the people at my office worked hard to get me to stay. So I did and only left 13 years later to move to Aus.

What am I saying? Not that you boss will leave, but rather create your goals to make PR possible in as short a time period as possible. Your boss is using you, but likewise you must use him. If you can use him to get PR then use that as your goal.

Alternatively, look for another job accepting that it will stretch out your time on a 457, but if it doesn't happen in the next 3 months then keep the knowledge that you may return to SA as your trump card and push back like blue blazes. At the worst you get your marching orders, but then make him pay for your return to SA. But who knows, maybe if you challenge him he will actually think about what he is saying and doing and maybe change his ways.

Lots of strength, it's very tough.

[Craig01]

+1 what Sunnyskies said

I do not mean to sound simplistic here.

Take the time you have left until you have your visa, then work it out as a percentage of your entire life from Birth to expected Death ....... are you willing to sacrifice that tiny percentage (maybe 1.5%?) of your whole life to gain the opportunity to live in Australia forever - with all that this country has to offer?

I would take that 15 months and break it into 5 chunks of say 3 months each - have a reward/celebration of some kind after each chunk is complete

Consider the alternative of life back in South Africa. If you had to move back, you may end up kicking yourself after 15 months realising that if you had JUST stuck-it-out you would now have your visa etc...

One other thing that I have noticed, and that there are many of us out there that are not entirely happy in Australia - and many of us are in real tough situations ourselves....some of us just choose to keep it to ourselves (bad thing).

One example, I have a South African friend here in Oz who is turning 60 this year ...... he works for himself as nobody will employ him due, in my opinion to his age. He has to do physical installation work in the hot sun everyday (and he is not a fit person) to try and keep he and his family's head above water. He told me yesterday (this is genuine) that he has $400 left in his bank account with no other substantial income stream - wife freaking-out etc.. Two young kids and a mortgage ... eeish.

He has been in Oz for around four years.

Like has been mentioned before, let us all know what your qualifications/experience/work area is - don't put it in a PM - post it publicly - the more detail you put on here the more people will see it and someone may just be able to help

I truly hope you find happiness and make the right decision for you and your family - whether to stay or to go back ..... just make sure that you have exhausted all possibilities before you reach your decision.

Regards,

Craig

[Nev]

For those of you that may not have read the whole post, here is a summary so the advice can be relevant,

Eyebrow does not qualify for PR due to medical grounds with her youngster, so she cannot choose to stay, so no option for direct PR or via company sponsorship, hence the reason to look for a better 457 sponsor, there is also more drama getting a 457 sponsor with there being medical issues so she has also had trouble finding a new sponsor who will jump the hurdles.

My wife and I are thinking of you eyebrow, and if you cant find a new sponsor and cant take the abuse anymore from your current sponsor we completely understand you heading back, it is about the lesser of 2 evils

[joweni]

Eyebrow-I have just reread your posts. You have come so far, shown such tenacity -you have got what it takes not only to survive this idiot of a boss but to prosper in Oz if you can just get that elusive PR. I am a special needs teacher and I teach kids with ASD . Here in Oz there is a future for these wonderfully unique little people.

I feel for you and your precious family-so many of us can identify with what you are enduring -no surviving is a better word because that is what you have been doing and are still doing- and as hard as it is, the mental and huge emotional stress- you can do this sweetie! At this point you are saying -no.no I can't and I get it. When I was in the same position I felt like exactly the same . Things changed when I accepted help, my lovely doctor was my first step as I was in deep depression by that stage. Once that was under contro,l I could listen to what people were saying and really take I it on board . As awful as I felt at work I would bounce in every morning, greet everybody with a big can do smile ( most ignored me-a few would acknowledge) and get on with my job , but documenting everything and finding ways to be assertive in my position. My turning point has been the realisation that workers do have rights even on the dreaded 457. Your boss does not want any issues believe you me, he does not want Fairwork getting involved-too many worms he does not wAnt them to see ( unpaid overtime etc) and certainly not immigration-who knows what they could find. Think 7 eleven - did I read the CEO has just resigned!! My boss changed her tune when I said I was investigating my rights as a worker. She had no grounds to dismiss me as employers have to be able to prove that you have done something wrong-almost impossible as long as there is no substance abuse on the job and they have to go through a long dismissal process-warnings etc.

The prize is in sight-if you can do what Craig 01 has suggested and break it down into manageable chunks, accept all offers of help and believe in yourself the battle is almost won.

Take care and I wish you great strength. Xxx

[ottg]

@Nev - as I'm not familiar with 457 conditions etc for this special case, under what conditions can a PR be obtained? Give us all the different scenarios that this will be possible.

[Eyebrow]

@Nev - as I'm not familiar with 457 conditions etc for this special case, under what conditions can a PR be obtained? Give us all the different scenarios that this will be possible.

These are the only visas available to us...

https://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa/Heal/overview-of-the-health-requirement/visas-that-have-a-health-waiver-provision

[Eyebrow]

In my line of work, one either works for yourself, or for someone else on commission basis. (In Aus the split is 60/40 with worker earning 60%) Due to 457 criteria, and the fact that a 457 holder is not allowed to hold an ABN, my employer reasoned that I couldn't work for commission, and rather a fixed salary. This salary was then the lowest salary that one could possibly earn. (Lower than what I earned in RSA if one directly converts it). When I questioned this, he said he is taking a risk etc and I could later earn more. Keen to come over I took that at face value.

He also promised accommodation and car to compensate for lower salary. (This was all done verbally after he kindly invited me to dinner at his house when I came for my LSD. So take note prospective 457 holders. The key word here is "verbally'. When I asked about the accommodation a few weeks before arrival he emailed that the accommodation that he spoke of was on Philip island. HIS holiday house. Which is 140km from work! And the car was in for repair and stayed there for 3 months, because "nobody could figure out what was wrong with it". So no car and no house.

When I started work he kept shouting at me, that "you dont know what you are doing" and "when I hired you, and took a risk on you when no one else would, I at least expected someone who knew what they were doing". I was a wreck. My self confidence was in my boots. I questioned the move, my capabilities and my sanity! All that kept me going was that he treated all the others the same way. He kept telling me how he saved this one lady from Iran, because her father was a political activist and her whole family was under threat from their government. She, however, told a different story. She said to me in tears in the female toilets one day, that she would rather be in Iran than work for this guy but that her husband refuses to go back...

I cried to work, at work in the bathroom and on the way back from work. I shouted at the family for every little thing. My eldest son said to me in all innocence the other day that he didnt want to be an adult. Why? I asked. Because adults dont smile he said. Sure we do, I said. No you dont, I have not seen you smile in years, he said... REality check.

Anyway, he keeps promising us this "commission" when we have PR.

A lady from Sri Lanka started in the same job as I did. But about 6 months before me, she doesnt have the medical issues we do, but is very low on cash reserves. She is entitled to a direct entry PR. But because of the cost and having to do IELTS again and they have an elderly dependent mother with them who cant speak a word of English, it was slightly complicated. She approached him for a sponsorship two months ago, he put her off for 6 weeks, but eventually met with her. She had to sign contract to stay on current salary for another 2 years. This salary is working out on 25% on the amount that you bring in to the company. (Instead of the 60% the Australian workers earn). She said he spoke so much that she didnt get time to read the contract, and signed it without reading. He called someone in to witness the signatures immediately and took contact because it had to be scanned and uploaded to DIPB for visa immediately. She did not get a copy. And the next day, the hard copy was missing. He cant find it anywhere. She is stressed, because now she doesn't know what she signed for. I am not sure I believe that story...

Anyway. I have 15 months before I can apply and the turn around on PR with waiver is also 15 months. So that equals roughly 2 and half years in current position. And that makes the 3 month chunks hard to do. I did think about that, but dont think I will survive. I am profoundly depressed as it is...

[RYLC]

Eyebrow I have found a company who seems to sponsor 457 visa holders and then on-hire them to the company needing workers. Perhaps you can contact them and see if they can link up with the businesses you have recently approached who were interested in you but couldn't / wouldn't sponsor?

http://www.geoffreynathan.com/-323986/

Geoffrey Nathan Consulting Inc can assist companies in this position by sponsoring individuals for a 457 business visa and on-hiring them to the company.

There is a way forward for you - we can all work together to find it!!

Edited October 4, 2015 by RYLC

[RYLC]

I am profoundly depressed as it is...

Please see your doctor and get something to help with this. You don't need to suffer any more than is absolutely necessary to get to your goal. You CAN do this.

People in concentration camps survived (just) and you can make it through. 2 and a half years is only 3% of an 80 year old's life. We will help you. I know that we don't know you personally but I have wept at your treatment and know that there are many forumites who are just willing you to hang in there. You are still struggling up the hill but the view from the other side will be worth it. Take it from those of us who have heaved ourselves over the crest.

[RYLC]

A new thread just for you Eyebrow: http://www.saaustralia.org/index.php/topic/45757-encouragement-for-eyebrow/

[Eyebrow]

Eyebrow I have found a company who seems to sponsor 457 visa holders and then on-hire them to the company needing workers. Perhaps you can contact them and see if they can link up with the businesses you have recently approached who were interested in you but couldn't / wouldn't sponsor?

http://www.geoffreynathan.com/-323986/

Geoffrey Nathan Consulting Inc can assist companies in this position by sponsoring individuals for a 457 business visa and on-hiring them to the company.

There is a way forward for you - we can all work together to find it!!

Hi RYLC

Thanks so much for looking into this and trying to find a solution.

I have been in contact with them before. They are happy to sponsor me. They take 8% of your annual income for doing that. (They are the best company I could find too, becuase others go up to 18% of your income.)

They are perfect for someone who wants to get to AUs and have a job, but nobody to sponsor. It is then expected that as soon as you have enough points, you would then sponsor yourself.

The problem is, as an on-hire company, they are not allowed to sponsor a worker for PR.

So for me, who needs a sponsor that I can work for for 2 years to then sponsor me for PR, It wont work.

Take care! And thanks again!

[RYLC]

What a pity ^^^

So how about trying another angle: What sort of admin pack would you have to put together to make it easy for a new company to become a sponsor? Most companies don't know what it entails so they put it in the too hard basket and don't even look into it. What if you went to see companies with all the forms and info they would need to become a sponsor? What if it was just a form and a bit of a wait to organise and they aren't even looking at it because they don't know what they don't know.

Do you have time to put this together or should some of us help with the task? Just let us know.