The Turnbull Government is abolishing the Subclass 457 Visa for foreign workers and creating a new temporary visa restricted to critical skills shortages.
The Subclass 457 Visa will be abolished to ensure Australian workers are given the absolute first priority for jobs. The replacement Temporary Skill Shortage Visa will enable businesses to temporarily access the critical skills they need to grow if skilled Australians workers are not available.
The new Temporary Skill Shortage Visa programme will comprise two streams – Short Term and Medium Term – and will be based on a more focused occupation lists that will meet the genuine skill needs and regional variations across Australia.
Short term visas will be issued for two years, while medium term visas will be up to four years and issued only for more critical skills shortages.
The new visa will include a new requirement for a 2-year prior work experience. Additionally there will be tightened English language requirements for the Medium Term Stream.
The Turnbull government said it recognises that “migration is an integral part of the Australian story and its success has helped us become the world’s most successful multicultural nation.” The government statement added that “there is no doubt foreign workers have played a significant role in the remarkable economic growth of the nation.”
Implementation of the new visa will begin immediately, with full implementation to be completed by March 2018.
The announcement was issued jointly by the Office of the Prime Minister and the Office of the Minister on Border Protection on 18th April 2017. Full details on the new visa and an explanation of transitionary arrangements for current 457 visa holders and applicants is available on the Department of Immigration and Border Protection’s website at http://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Work/457-abolition-replacement
