Curious

Bit of an update for those in a similar position to me... I don't know how valid the source is, but gives me some hope... Marina Brizar, head of corporate and private client at immigration law firm Playfair Visa and Migration Services, said there was a grace period for people currently on 457s to apply for permanent residency. The changes to residency eligibility will not kick in until March 2018, so 457 holders have until then to submit their residency applications. In a statement, the Department of Immigration and Border Protection confirmed this. "Existing 457 visas will continue to remain in effect until they expire. As is currently the case, a 457 visa holder who wishes to remain in Australia beyond the validity of their current visa, must apply for a new visa before their current visa expires," a department spokeswoman told HuffPost Australia. "Existing 457 visa holders and applicants as at 18 April 2017 will continue to have access to existing employer sponsored pathways to permanent residence. Further details will be published on the Department's website in due course."

Yeah that's a good point... My two years is in July of this year so I fall within that timeframe. Anyone outside of that should probably call Immigration for further clarification

Thanks for your response! I have contacted immigration and got a call back just now - they have confirmed your thoughts. She put me on hold and spoke to her manager and confirmed that the changes only refer to those wishing to enter via the direct entry scheme and not through transition to 186 - thank goodness for that, it was a sleepless night!

Hi, does this also apply to those who are sponsored under an occupation that has been removed from the list? Many thanks in advance

I'd love to know the answer to this too, especially since my 457 sponsorship category is being removed from the approved list as of tomorrow - anyone know the answer to this??