Kevin McAuley

Hi Blossom, Thanks for the additional information. I guess that subconsciously I write for people like myself who are perhaps younger and single and forget to thing of those who have kids ect! Great feedback though. (Also not sure why it posted twice, thanks to Rupert for amending)

If you’re thinking of moving to the land of Oz, and you fancy yourself to be a bit of a skilled worker, the 457 visa may be your way to do it. What it is The 457 visa, is technically a subclass of something called the Temporary Skilled Work Standard Business Sponsorship. The Australian Government has been working over the past few years to reduce the processing times for 457 applications, which is great news for people like you and me! What it entitles you to – The 457 allows you to stay in Australia for a period of 4 years. After these 4 years are up, your employer can either renew your 457, or you can apply for Australian Permanent Residency after 2 years (I’ll be sure to come back give you a rundown of this process if I eventually end up doing this myself) Conditions of the visa – There are a few conditions of the visa which you need to meet to continue being eligible. · You must work full time (i.e. at least 35 hours a week) for the whole duration of your stay. If you stop working for that employer for whatever reason, you’ve got 28 days to find a new employer to sponsor you, or unfortunately, you’ll have to leave Oz. · You can only work for one employer at a time. So no part time jobs or freelancing. Is it the right visa for you? The 457 may be right for you if: · You have a skill you think would be useful to an employer in Australia (whether it be a technical, professional or manual skill) · You want to move to Australia temporarily, with the intention to move permanently. How much will it cost? $350 at the time of your application. Depending on your employer, they may pay this fee for you, but be prepared to pay it if you have to. Steps: 1. Before you go – Start scoping out the job market in Australia BEFORE you leave, and think about what type of industry you’d like to work in. It doesn’t hurt to test the waters and start emailing a few companies to see if they’ve got any jobs available. 2. Working Holiday Visa – My suggestion would be to apply for a Working Holiday visa, which is easy to do online. Some of people use this as a kind of “foot in the door” way to actually get to Australia, and allows them to find a job while they’re actually there, at it’s often easier if you can meet with employers face to face, rather than over the phone or email. Almost goes without saying, but make sure you’ll be financially able to support yourself during your job search! 3. Make it clear to your company that you’re after the 457 sponsorship – I made it clear from day one that my goal was to get the 457 sponsorship through the company. So be upfront and let them know you’ll be willing to work hard for it. 4. Apply through your company – If all goes well and your company is happy to sponsor you, they’ll first have to apply to be a sponsor (if they haven’t already). I was lucky in that my company had already sponsored quite a few people before, but check that your employer is willing to do so (it’s a $425 fee they’ll have to pay, plus $85 to nominate you specifically). 5. Gather your documents – If your employer has sponsored a few people before, like my employer had, there should be someone within the company who’s experienced in the process and should be able to help you out by starting the application online for you. Then you’ll just have to go in and fill in your parts of the form. You’ll need to upload authorized copies of things like your passport, birth certificate (most post offices can authorise copies for you). 6. Apply – lodge the application online. Theoretically it takes 22 days for processing, but like I said, this should be much shorter now due to changes in the Australian Government budget. Things to keep in mind: · As I’ve said in a previous post, be prepared to work your butt of in the job you find – your employer must see you as a valuable employee. · Consider travelleing a bit first if you can, this is something I didn’t do and regret to a certain degree. · You could do regional work to get a 2nd working holiday visa which could then give you over 18 months to find that sponsor. That’s it! I know this all seems kind of complicated at first, and as with any applications through the government, it can be! But I hope this has at least given you a bit of an introduction and summary As always, feel free to PM me with any questions you have – happy to share my advice =)If you’re thinking of moving to the land of Oz, and you fancy yourself to be a bit of a skilled worker, the 457 visa may be your way to do it.

Thanks Fleabo! Thanks moving 2... I have been working with your friend Serena Star Leonard recently? Go ahead PatrickG - Google me or go to my blog and hit me up anywhere you like (FB, LinkedIn Ect) I am not hard to find (Kevin James McAuley)

Hope it comes through for you!

Well... It's been quite sometime since I logged onto this forum but the reason I am back is because I know what it is like when you first start thinking about making the move, should you vs. shouldn't you and I remember getting some great information from other members of this forum that really helped me out. Honestly at the time I could not fathom how many things I would of experienced and how much has changed. Knowing what I know now I don't really think that you can grasp what it's like to take the plunge until you actually do it no matter how much great information you get from the people on here. That said, there are some things that you can learn and pick up that can make the transition easier such as knowing where to look for work, how to get a visa and technical things like that but your own individual experience will be yours alone and that is a good thing. I get asked a lot by friends at home now who see my photo's on Facebook what it is like here, if I enjoy it and how to do it. I managed to do it by getting sponsored with a 457 visa through my employer. Now while this option may not be the most appropriate for everyone or even open for all its probably worth looking into because there are still jobs that one can get without much experience previously and make it work, such as recruitment for example. How I managed to get sponsored is something I get asked a lot so here are a few simple tips that helped me that may help someone else: 1) Identify potential jobs that you would like that you get sponsored for 2) Start emailing directly for openings instead of waiting on job sites and state that you are planning on working in Australia for a long time 3) Use a working holiday visa to get to Australia and get your foot in the door (I know this isn't an option for all but it's what I did) 4) Work your butt off to prove yourself in the company (You may have to move into a new industry and learn quickly) 5) Enjoy Aussie life. I know that seems pretty simple but I did have to work hard in my jobs to finally get the sign off on the 457. If you are planning on trying the WHV to 457 route and have any questions feel free to hit me up in the meantime here is a little video I made in the Blue Mountains just outside of Sydney to whet your appetite for your move...http://youtu.be/er16vXbpXaw enjoy

haha, I agree with domestic godess. If it's going worse than Ireland then you's are in bad way!

Cool, Do you know if it works on iPhone so I can be a geek and watch Merlin!?

Hi Guys, Just wondering how many other people on here are trying to get a 457 visa? I am currently on a working holiday visa and trying to land the 457 with my employer. Is anyone else in the same boat?

Sounds like you need to get a new job if the guys that you for at the minute won't give you a permanent role. Or else they need to offer you a permanent position, if they won't then you don't really owe them anything! When I was applying for jobs in Sydney I was saying on my cover letter that I was looking to get sponsored. If you have been working in your last job for 6 months then I imagine that you are fairly decent at it and getting a similar role will be easy enough, just say you are looking sponsored. Let me know how you get on.

Thanks guys. Yeah we can't (not that would of) because they think we have Mad Cow Disease..... MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I would like to but there is not enough light at this time of year and even in the summer it would be a stretch to do it and make it to the city. If you worked in Cronulla it would be easy but the city in all reality by the time you walk to the station ect is over an hour away. Lilli Pilli... You must have some coin! good for you!

Well guys I started working on Tuesday and had a shocker the rest of the week was awesome got to see loads of other cool sites like Martyn place, went out with a few peeps from work to the Rocks and to Kings Cross... Then to top it off we had a BBQ and drinks on the roof on Friday Certainly beats the working week back in the UK don't ya think?

Well fellow Pomsinoz... I doubt that anyone here has made quite the hash of their first day in work as I managed to do when I started working in the city on Tuesday!

Hey, I currently live in Miranda with friends which is just down the road from Cronulla. But Cronulla is really nice, I was surfing down there this morning so yeah it is cool. There are a good few cafe's and bars but no where near as many as in the City area's. They are building a new suburb at the far end of Cronulla beach called Green Hills that might be worth checking out.

This is a great post mate. I am in a similar situation in that I have just been Sydney for over a month. The difference is I am 26 and don't have a lot of the same responsibilities and out lays that you have compared to myself. You do have to work hard Monday to Friday but for me, if I get to spend my weekends surfing and enjoying the nice weather then for me it's worth it. Hope it all works out for you mate. All the best, Kev