As a 457 employee, 457 applicants must meet all of the following requirements:
- Be in an occupation that is listed on the 457 Occupations List
- Be sponsored by an employer to fill a nominated position
- Have skills, qualifications, experience and an employment background which match those required for the position
- Be eligible for any relevant licenses or registration required for the nominated position
- Demonstrate that you are to be paid at least the minimum salary level that applies at the time a decision is made on your visa, or market rate as from 1st January 2010.
English Language Requirement - Australian Work Permit
All primary applicants must meet the English language requirement of IELTS 5 MINIMUM score across the four test components unless they have been nominated for a position that does not require English language for licensing or registration and any one of the following exempted person categories apply:
- they are a passport holder from Canada, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom or the United States of America; OR
- their nominated occupation is within the highly skilled major groups 1-3 of the Australian Standard Classification of Occupations (ASCO), comprising managers, administrators, professionals and associate professionals except chefs (ASCO 3322-11) and head chefs (ASCO 3322-01) – applicants for these two occupations must still satisfy the English language requirement; OR
- they are to be paid a gross base salary of $81,040 (excluding all deductions and based on a 38-hour week) and the grant of the visa is in the interests of Australia. This salary is the minimum required to be paid for the duration of the visa; OR
- they have completed at least five years of continuous full-time secondary and/or tertiary education at an institution where instruction was conducted in English; OR
- they held a Subclass 457 visa on 14 April 2009 and are seeking a subsequent Subclass 457 visa that has the same or an earlier end date than the end date of the visa they held on 14 April 2009.
This last exemption category means that Subclass 457 visa holders may switch between employers onshore without having to satisfy the English language requirement provided they are not seeking to extend their stay past the end date of the visa they held on 14 April 2009
Skills Assessments for 457 Visa Applicants - Australian Work Permit
The Australian Immigration Department is progressively introducing formal skills assessment for 457 visa applicants from high-risk immigration countries in trade occupations and chefs. Other occupations do not generally require a skills assessment.
From 1 July 2009 temporary workers applying for a 457 visa in five trades from 10 countries must undertake a five-step skills assessment managed by Trades Recognition Australia. Skills assessments for the first five trades will be available immediately. Other trades and countries will be introduced progressively.
What are the countries involved in the service?
These countries currently require a 457 skills assessment in some trades:
- Brazil
- China
- Fiji
- India
- Papua New Guinea
- Philippines
- South Africa
- Thailand
- Vietnam
- Zimbabwe
What are the trades involved in the service?
The trades that currently require a 457 skills assessment are listed below with the Australian qualification an applicant will be assessed against.
Trade Equivalent Australian Qualification
412215 Welder (First Class) MEM30305 Certificate III in Engineering (Fabrication Trade)
421111 Motor Mechanic AUR30405 Certificate III in Automotive Mechanical Technology
451311 Cook/ Chef SIT30807 Certificate III in Hospitality (Commercial Cookery)
411211 Fitter MEM30205 Certificate III in Engineering (Mechanical Trade)
412211 Metal Fabricator MEM30305 Certificate III in Engineering (Metal Fabrication)
You will need to demonstrate that you have the necessary skills to perform the proposed activity in Australia. Where Australian registration or licensing with an Australian state authority is required to undertake the nominated position, you may be asked to provide evidence that you are eligible for the relevant registration or licensing.
Health & Character Requirements - Australian Work Permit
There are a number of health & character requirements that must be met by all 457 visa applicants. We will provide all application forms & instructions for completing these.
