Australian 457 Sponsorship Visa To Be Cancelled

Please note that the status of the visa 457 is changing quickly. We are working to ensure keep our blog article content up-to-date to assure you get the right information. Please feel free to contact Go Study Australia via [email protected] for any enquiry or help with enrolling in a suitable college or university.

On the 18^th of April, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced the Government will be cancelling the 457 sponsorship visa and replacing it completely with the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa programme. The implementation of this reform will begin immediately and the 457 visa will be completely phased out in March 2018.

The Government stated that current visa holders will not be affected by the changes. However, for the thousands of hopeful candidates out there who were in the process of getting sponsored, this places them in a period of great doubt and uncertainty.

Watch the clip below to find out what these reforms are all about:

What are the key changes?

• The 457 visa will be reviewed and removed.
• It will be replaced with a new visa system requiring 2 years previous work experience and a high English proficiency to gain sponsorship.
• The new visa program will feature 2 year and a 4 year option which may offer a pathway to a permanent residence after 3 years.

What will be the consequences?

The 457 sponsorship visa currently allows sponsorship for approximately 650 job roles. This will be reduced by 216 jobs to meet the Governments skill shortages in key areas. Here is the link to see the list of removed occupations shared by the Government as in 19th April 2017.

The department will continue to implement changes until March 2018 when the 457 will have been replaced by a totally new visa.

Those people who were looking to get sponsored may need to revert back to a student visa, which will allow a person to study, learn new skills and enjoy the Aussie lifestyle for a number of years. Under a student visa, students have work rights of up to 40 hours every 2 weeks. However, if you already have a 457 visa you will remain unaffected.

If you have been affected by the changes to the 457 sponsorship visa and would like to discuss options for studying on a student visa – please contact us today.  Our expert staff can provide free advice on the best courses to meet your career and lifestyle outcomes.