All you want to know about Australian 457 Visa

Australian 457 is the most popular temporary work visa and the most common pathway for skilled migration to Australia. It’s an employer sponsored Visa that allows workers from overseas to work in land down under for a maximum period of 4 years.

Before, we move on to what’s required from you to obtain 457 Visa, let’s take go through what 457 allows you to do while living in Australia.

What benefits do you derive from 457 Visa?

Australian 457 visa allows you to live and work for the company which sponsored you for upto 4 years. You can travel in and out of Australia infinite number of times while you are on this Visa. 457 Visa holders can bring eligible dependents I.e spouse or de facto partners to Australia and they can work and study during their stay.

457 Visa holders can choose to apply for visa 457 renewal when the expiry date approaches closer; however, the best idea is to apply for Australian Skilled Migration Independent Visa (189). There are plenty of examples where people started with 457 visa and applied for Visa 189, couple years later. 189 Visa is for people who are not sponsored by an Australian employer, family member or Australian government.

Requirements For 457 Visa

To apply for Australian 457 Visa, you must be sponsored by an approved business entity. The position you are nominated for, must be on the skilled occupation list and you must have required skills to be nominated for the position. You must be able to speak vocational English. Registration and license obligations are also required to be satisfied by you.

Visa 457 Procedure

There are 3 stages of Visa 457 application procedure. We can assist you with these stages, if professional help is required.

• Stage 1
  Sponsorship- At this stage, the organization you wish to work for, will require to apply to become an approved business sponsor
• Stage 2
  Nomination- Approved visa sponsor will nominate a position for your sponsorship
• Stage 3
  Visa Application- At Visa application stage, you apply for 457 visa for the nominated position

Documents Required

You will require to furnish all necessary documents as per the guidelines, otherwise your visa application may get refused. Following are few of the important documents you need to provide while applying for the visa:

• English exam test results (Not applicable to US, UK, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland passport holders or if you have formally studied English for 5 years in a row). IELTS, PTE, OET, TOEFL and Cambridge CAE results are accepted; however, nowadays most of the applicants prefer PTE due to its world-wide acceptance and flexibility it offers. Find out why PTE is the most popular choice.
• Resume
• Health insurance along with meeting health requirements.
• Character certificate
• Medical examination

Who Else Can You Bring to Australia On Visa 457?

• Spouse or de factor partner
• Children dependent on you or your spouse
• Relatives dependent on you

To prove a de facto relationship takes lot more than proving a marital relationship. In order to prove a de facto relationship, you are required to produce evidence of you living with your de facto partner for a minimum period of 12 months which could include joint ownership of property, joint billing accounts, statement of a joint bank account etc.