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Legislation Changes Migration |
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On 1 April 2009 the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship announced significant changes to the subclass 457 visa scheme. The much anticipated announcement includes important changes to the minimum salary level and the introduction other assessment tests: Changes include:
- Increasing the minimum salary level by 4.1% on 1 July 2009 (to approx $45,225)
- Changing the way minimum salary level is calculated from mid September 2009 to a market based minimum salary
- Increasing the English language requirement from 4.5 IELTS to 5 IELTS for 457 visa applicants for employment in trade occupations and as chefs.
- Introducing formal skills assessments for 457 visa applicants from high risk immigration countries for employment in trade occupations and as chefs
- Introducing a requirement that employers have a strong record of employing local labour and also have non-discriminatory employment practices
- Setting training benchmarks to clarify the existing training requirements
- Extending the labour agreement pathway to all ASCO 5 - 7 occupations.
The Department of Immigration and Citizenship has announced these changes to the subclass 457 visa program in an effort to ensure that local training and employment opportunities are not undermined.
Contact Macrossans Lawyers for advice on:
- Permanent residence options for workers
- Alternatives to using the subclass 457 visa scheme
- Renewal of your sponsorship approval
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