Australia cuts stay of 457 visa holders, Indians to be impacted

Foreign workers on a 457 visa will only now be able to stay in Australia for 60 days after their employment ends instead of 90. Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said, "From November 19, 2016 the period that a subclass 457 visa holder may remain in Australia after their employment ceases will be reduced from 90 days to 60 days. The change is expected to assist in ensuring that the 457 programme met its intent of acting as a supplement to, rather than a substitute for, Australian workers apart from reducing the vulnerability of 457 visa holders, who were only permitted to work for an approved sponsor and were not eligible for unemployment benefits, from entering into informal employment arrangements."

The minister said that the government was committed to ensuring that Australian workers have priority and to reducing the potential for temporary visa holders to be exploited. "This change is about reducing competition from overseas workers for those Australians who are actively looking for work," Dutton said. "The Government values the contribution made by the many skilled persons who work in Australia on 457 visas, but where there is an Australian worker ready, willing and able to perform a role it is the government’s policy that they have priority," he said.

The 457 visa is granted to foreign workers for four years and is designed to fill positions that are difficult to find Australians for. There are a range of different occupations on the list from different salary levels and different education backgrounds, including neurologists, midwives, cabinet makers and lift mechanics. In the last financial year, the largest amount of visas were granted to cooks.

The largest number of workers come from India (26.8 per cent), followed by employees from the UK (15 per cent) and China (6.6 per cent).