Australia has opened a permanent residency pathway for 457 visa holders in any occupation.
Federal government will amend the migration act to open PR pathway for 457 visa holders.
According to the amendment proposed, any one who held a 457 visa on or after 17 April 2017 and was in Australia for 12 months between 1 Feb 2020 and 14 Dec 2021 will be able to apply for the 186 Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream, irrespective of their occupation and age.
This instrument amends the Migration (LIN 19/216: Exemptions from Skill, Age and English Language Requirements for Subclass 186, 187 and 494 Visas) Instrument 2019 to specify an additional class of persons for paragraph 186.221(b) of Schedule 2 to the Regulations.
The Temporary Work (Skilled) visa (subclass 457) was a temporary visa that allowed skilled workers to come to Australia and work for an approved business for up to four years after it was granted.
On 18 April 2017, the then Prime Minister Australia Malcom Turnbull and Peter Dutton MP, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, jointly announced that the Temporary Work (Skilled) visa (subclass 457 visa) will be abolished and replaced with the completely new Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa which would support businesses in addressing genuine skill shortages.
A new 482 visa was introduced for skilled workers. However the abolition of 457 visa had left many temporary residents disappointed.
Migration expert Chaman Preet says this is a welcome announcement for hundreds of temporary residents in Australia.
“It’s a really promising news for those who have put in a lot of effort to keep Australian businesses afloat for the last few years especially during the pandemic. The removal of age limit is even more reassuring. This announcement has reinstalled hope in a lot of prospective skilled workers who may be considering Australia as an option,” said Chaman Preet, director of Melbourne based Migration and Education Expert.
Follow NRI Affairs on Facebook and Twitter for latest updates. Support us on Patreon.
