Employee sponsorship

[kar-kier]

Hi all!

I have read on here that employee sponsored visas are quicker and easier to get - but how much quicker? What is the rough time scale for this?

We have flights booked and my husband has been told he starts work on the 19th Jan 09; they have booked accomidation in Perth for us from 12th-26th Jan 09.

They have told us that our visas will be 'processed in June' - what does that actually mean - is that the start, or the middle or the end? So confused!

Any advice would be great thanks

Kareena

[kaz101]

Hi Kareena,

For time scales you can look for the time scale thread that Dolly started or check out timeline

I would ask your husbands sponsor the rest those questions to get it clear from them since we'd just be guessing.

Regards,
Karen

[Alan Collett]

What type of employer sponsored visa is on offer, Kareena?

There is the long term temporary residency visa, subclass 457, which:

- ties you to the sponsoring employer (if the employment relationship ends you can expect to be required to depart Australia within a few weeks, unless you find a new employer who is happy to sponsor you for the grant of a new 457 visa)
- has relatively attractive tax benefits, such as the Living Away From Home Allowance (if the employer is amenable to salary packaging)

OR

- Permanent visas via employer sponsored migration, under the Employer Nomination Scheme or the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme.

Unless the tax benefits are compelling for you I would encourage you to push for a permanent residency visa under the ENS or RSMS (assuming you are eligible). Such a visa would give you comfort and relative independence from the prospective employer should the relationship not turn out as you might like.

Best regards.

[kar-kier]

Thanks for the reply.

My husband is being sponsored on a 457 by education dept in WA. We know that we are tied in for a couple of years, but they are offering us heavily subsidised housing and additional money on his wages as we will be in a wee town. We are hoping to use the school hols to have a look around the rest of Oz, so that when we get our permenant residency after 2 years we will know where we WANT to live.

Kareena

[Alan Collett]

What permanent residency visa is on offer after 2 years, Kareena?

Best regards.

[kar-kier]

We were told that he would be eligable to be sponsored for permenant residencey after completing 2 years of teaching in a rural school in WA.

[Alan Collett]

Sponsored by who in 2 years time, Kareena?

Why won't the WA Education Department sponsor you for p/r now? Is this not on offer?

Is there any reason why you can't pursue your own permanent residency visa application now (eg under the general skilled program)?

Re the 457 visa, note the increased minimum salary levels that were announced by the Immigration Minister on Friday:
Go Matilda - Your Gateway to Australia - News

This might be relevant to you.

As an aside I'd be interested to know whether the WA Government is looking to make use of the regional 457 visa salary concessions.

Best regards.

[Alan Collett]

PS. In regional Australia employers can sponsor under the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme, allowing for the grant of a permanent residency visa. More details are here:
http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/skill...rsms/index.htm

The eligibility requirements for the grant of such a visa are relatively straightforward: http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/skill...employee.htm#a

I appreciate you may not want to "rock the boat" if you have an employment offer on the table, but I have found over the last few years that those in Government often do not have a full appreciation of the do-able ...

[kar-kier]

Hey

Yeah, it's the dept of education that would be sponsoring for permenacy. They don't appear to offer any other type of visa. The main reason we are opting for this so that I won't need to work. We have 2 children, one 9 months and the other 10 years, and both my husband and i have been working full time to meet ends meet. By moving there and getting the subsidsed housing I won't need to work until the littlest starts kindergarten. I have been told by DET that at around that time they will be looking to recruit more primary teachers, so that would be ideal for us.

Thanks very much for your detailed responses - the truth is i don't actually know much about it.

Kareena

[Alan Collett]

Then please be aware that the 457 visa doesn't give you access to full Medicare (for example), and in fact exposes the employer to financial risk because of the obligations they sign up to as a 457 visa sponsor.

Why not ask them whether they will consider sponsoring you now for permanent residency? My hunch is that they will say words to the effect "because we can't", whereas in fact they could, but won't.

Best regards.