457 vs 175

[gsaps]

i'm ready to decide about visa applications now (got my registration sorted in oz and hence my skills assessment) so would appreciate a few answers from members and a big thank you in advance.

i could apply for a 175 (occupation is one the MODL list but not the CSL list) but the time involved in this is daunting so i am considering an employer sponsored visa (is this a 457?). How quick are these and once i'm working over there is it difficult to change employer.

i understand with the 175 that you get permanent residence straight away, how long do you have to wait for it with the 457 and critically what benefits do you get with the 457 (medicare?)

i also heard that if you're not a permanent resident (175) then you can't buy an old house, it has to be a new one, is this true?

if you have a 457, can you apply for a 175 while you're over there?

sorry for all the questions, hopefully there's someone that can answer them for me

thanks again

grant

[kaz101]

Hi Grant,

Employer sponsored visas are quick but ONLY once you get a sponsor. You are tied to that employer for 2 years (usually) and cannot change employer unless the new employer is willing to sponsor you.

You can get permanent employer sponsored visas too (Skilled Workers Permanent Visa Options- Employer Sponsored Workers - Workers - Visas & Immigration) but I don't think they're as common.

You can apply for PR as soon as you get here - there are some previous posts on this (sorry I can't remember what the visa number is but there is a special one to convert from temp to PR).

Medicare - it depends where you are from. Some temp visas will still cover you on a temp visa because of the relationship between the countries (for example from UK you are covered but from South Africa you are not).

Houses - it's true that you cannot buy an old house (as in one lived in by an Australian) unless you can get FIRB approval and several members on this forum have been given FIRB. FIRB (Foreign Investment Review Board) is usually given if they know that you are going to live in the house. FIRB was set up to stop foreigners buying up a lot of property from aboard, so only a certain amount is approved to sell to foreigners at any one time.

Hope that helps,
Karen

[gsaps]

thanks Karen, it's looking like the 175 is the way to go, i'll just have to wait like everyone else

[kaz101]

Originally Posted by gsaps

thanks Karen, it's looking like the 175 is the way to go, i'll just have to wait like everyone else

It really depends on what you want....

We wanted PR so that we weren't dependent on anyone else and they couldn't get rid of us too easily

Others want the speed of temp visas and the 'security' of a job.

Yes patience is something you need tons of when moving countries! If only I could find a way to sell it I could make a fortune

[Dolly]

TBH, if you are lucky enough to have the choice, you would be better taking the hit on the timeline and applying for a 175. The wait is incredibly infuriating but at the end of it, it is so worth it.

Dolly

[tilla_07]

ok, I have a question that relates to this (sorry to butt in grant). What if you applied for offshore 175, but then you got a job offer in the time you are waiting for your 175 to come through? What would happen if you accepted the offer and got 457? Is it possible to work under 457 while still being processed for offshore 175? Would 175 still be processed or would it get cancelled?

[amaslam]

Hi Tilla:

It would be cancelled. You can only have one active visa being processed, so here is what would happen.

You'd start your 175
You apply for a 457
Your 175 visa app is cancelled and 457 is processed
You get a 457.

***
I came over on a 457 originally, and the PR route is 856 Employer Nominated Sponsor (ENS). This gets you PR as an 856 and is processed onshore.

In a good economy I would say get the 457 and then apply for 856 in two years or 175 if you want to get your PR ASAP. The two year wait has some advantages as you don't necessarily need an occupation assessment (I didn't and I work in IT, so no ACS assessment).

In a bad economy unless you are single and willing to take the risk of losing your job and having to leave the country quickly (28 days officially after losing your job) do not go for the 457. In that case try for a 176 state sponsored or employer sponsored visa. These take longer to process than a 457 but these days the risk is too great for families and I just wouldn't recommend that path if you could be retrenched at any time.

Originally Posted by tilla_07

ok, I have a question that relates to this (sorry to butt in grant). What if you applied for offshore 175, but then you got a job offer in the time you are waiting for your 175 to come through? What would happen if you accepted the offer and got 457? Is it possible to work under 457 while still being processed for offshore 175? Would 175 still be processed or would it get cancelled?