Temporary Work (Skilled) 457
The 457 visa allows skilled workers to move to Australia to work in a nominated occupation for an approved sponsor company for up to 4 years. The purpose of this visa is to assist companies struggling to find skilled workers locally by allowing them to tap into the global workforce. This visa can be a pathway to permanent residency.
On a 457, you can bring your family members, who are allowed to work or study. The visa allows you to travel in and out of the country when you like. You can apply for a 457 from inside or outside Australia, and must begin work within 90 days of arriving here.
How a 457 visa works – sponsorship & nomination
A business/company planning to sponsor one or more overseas workers must have the right to do so, and follow the rules of Labour Market Testing. Once the right to sponsorship is secured, a company can begin nominating candidates for a job/multiple jobs. Applications by nominated candidates are submitted to the government in order to issue a 457 visa.
Labour Market Testing Requirement (LMT)
In order to sponsor an overseas temporary skilled worker, a company must first ‘test’ the labour market to ensure there is no suitable local candidate for the position before a 457 work visa can be granted. The job must have been advertised within the 12 months prior to lodging the request to sponsor a 457 visa.
Good news for those of you from Thailand, Chile, and New Zealand – no LMT is required to hire you!
457 visa criteria
To apply you must:
- be nominated to work in an approved occupation on the Skilled Occupation Lists
- If the occupation you are nominated for is a TRADE, you may need to meet the skill requirements through an assessment, either through Trades Recognition Australia or VETASSESS. Learn more
- meet the required registration and licensing obligations – this information will come from the company that is nominating you.
- prove you have vocational English (English for your job) through tested by either IELTS (need to score Band 5 in each of the 4 skills) or an Occupational English Test (OET) (need to score “B” in each of the 4 skills). However, at a certain salary level applicants will become exempt from the English requirement. Learn more
457 Skills Assessment Program
For trade qualification assessments, two organisations are authorised by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC). It is your choice as to which one you use.
TRADES RECOGNITION AUSTRALIA
There are 2 skills assessment pathways available under the 457 Skills Assessment Program – 1 for applicants who DO NOT have a relevant Australian qualification, and 1 for those who DO have a relevant Australian qualification.
In order to get your skills assessed for a trade, the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) requires a passport from a nominated country and the skill to be in a nominated occupation. Learn more here
VETASSESS
VETASSESS also assesses trade qualifications for 457 visa applicants. Learn more here
English requirement:
For certain applicants, no proof of English competency is required if:
- your salary offer meets the English Language Salary Exemption Threshold (ELSET) of AUD$96,400
- you hold a passport from Canada, the US, The UK, Ireland, or NZ
- You have completed a minimum of 5 years of continuous full-time study in a secondary school or higher education institution (college/university), where the teaching took place in English.
If you do not meet the requirements above, you will have to prove you have competent English through one of the the following tests (The test result must be a maximum of 3 years old at time your visa application is submitted):
- score Band 5 in each of the 4 skills in the IELTS test, or
- score “B” in each of the 4 skills in the Occupational English Test (OET). This test is for health care professionals only.
Visit the Department of Immigration and Border protection website for more information on 457 visa rules.
