AUSTRALIA – 457 Visa Reform Recommendations Released
The Australian Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Scott Morrison MP, has released the findings of an independent, four-month review of the Subclass 457 Visa. The report contains wide-ranging recommendations for reform of this visa subclass, to ensure it is both more resistant to misuse and more responsive and efficient.
Main recommendations
The principle recommendations for sponsors to be aware of are as follows:
- No more Labour Market Testing;
- A ten percent variance in the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT), and the retention of the current salary minimum for two years;
- Current training options to be replaced by an annual contribution to a training fund by employers;
- More nationalities to be included in the exemption list for English language tests;
- Standard Business Sponsorship (SBS) to be approved for five years rather than the current three;
- End of employment notification to be extended from the current 10 days to 28 days;
- Applicants for the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) Visa to be employed by their sponsor for two years before applying;
- Greater emphasis on monitoring and sharing information with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).
Action Items
- Stay tuned for further updates and analysis when these recommendations pass into law and are implemented in practice.
This news alert was prepared using information provided by Visa Executive
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