Nelliwoo

You can be sponsored on a 457 (or equivalent) as many times as required. You don't have to be PR. Maybe there is a reason why they are still on a 457 visa. I will advise her to get some professional help. Apparently you can be separated on a 457 visa if there are children involved and if you are not divorced. Thank you for your response.

Thanks for your response. Yes, I've advised her to get some professional advice, I was just wondering if anyone on here might have been in a similar circumstance. I'm not sure of the amount of time they have been separated.

Hi all I am hoping someone might be able to help with this query... I have a friend who came to Oz on the back of her husbands 457 Visa. They have been in Australia now for 7 years. However, they have been living separate lives for a while and have both met other partners. Is there a way of coming off the 457 visa and onto a partner visa (defacto) without having to leave Australia? Has anyone else experienced this situation? I am hoping to reassure her that there is a way, so any professional advice would be welcomed. Thanks.

Shelley, I just popped back on here to see how you were getting on? What's happening? Do you have your 457?

No, not if you're on the short list and don't get sponsored by the company under the Direct Entry scheme prior to March 2018.

Hi My visa is for the full 2 years.

Hey Rubel797 that's great news! Congrats! Your visa will already be electronically linked to you passport. There's no physical sticker that goes into your passport. The visa grant letter will have all your details on it and that's all you need. Good luck.

Thank you. oh the stress levels have been mega high! My 457 arrived on Monday and then the MA told me that I would have to get sponsorship and submit it for PR by March!! I was so embarrassed having to tell my company that I'd just received my 457 and now I need to apply for a 186! My husband is in New Zealand (we are from the UK) and he started saying tonight that if the PR makes the 457 invalid, then he's not coming over to OZ! So as you can imagine my stress levels went through the roof again! Ha! So to answer your question, yes I can apply for PR down the Direct access route and sponsorship as long as it's lodged before March. Thank you for putting my mind at rest, hopefully now I know my 457 stays in play regardless, my husband might actually come with me! ?

Hi Thank you so much for the response. Yes I can still submit an application for PR under the direct line of sponsorship as long as my application is submitted before March 2018. That is the cut off point for the short skilled list to be able to apply for PR. I received this information from a MA. However, I was really confused after someone told me that as soon as you apply for PR your 457 isn't valid anymore, so could potentially only be here for a few months! So I will stay on my 457 until a PR visa is granted or until the 457 expires? Is that still the case if the PR gets rejected? Would I still be able to see out my two years on the 457? Thanks for your help, really appreciated.

Hi I have just been issued with my 457 for 2 years under the new short term skills rules. My company are willing to sponsor me for a 186 visa and are willing to lodge the application before the March 2018 cut off date. What I'm trying to find out is, when the 186 application goes in, does that void my 457? What im afraid of is the 457 being invalid, the 186 not being granted and then I am left high and dry without any sort of visa to stay in the country. Can anyone confirm if this is what happens when the 186 gets submitted please? Thank you.

I know!! I can't wait!!!!

So now we just have to book the shipping company, find a house and away we go! Im lucky that I got a great relocation package from my job offer, so I just need to get that ball rolling now! ?

Thank you so much. Wishing you the best of luck too. Keep me posted. ??

Hi I applied from New Zealand. Everything went in on the 22 March and I heard back today (22nd May) that our visas have been approved. From what I can gather there has been a slight delay on the visa times. If yours only went in on the 3rd May I would think you have a few weeks to wait yet? Not sure if being onshore speeds things up or not. Sorry I can't help more.

Shelley My visa was approved 10 minutes ago! Woo hoo!! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you too! ???

OMG, it MUST be our week next week surely??? Fingers crossed! Xx

Congratulations Newintown17. I must have submitted my application around the same time as you (22nd March) and I am still waiting. I've also moved to the short term skill list. Well done, you must feel relieved to have your visa at last!

Of course I'll keep you updated. No problem at all. Sending you lots of positive vibes!

Oh man, it's so frustrating! Yeah it's really good to see some people are getting theirs now. I spoke with our agent last week, she said that the company she works for haven't seen any 2 year visas come through yet, they are only seeing the 4 year ones coming through at the moment! I had a look on the border website too and they haven't updated their processing times yet either! Let's hope this week is OUR week!

Shelley, Any news yet? We've still heard nothing! Ugggh!!!

Congratulations. We are still patiently waiting!!

That's because nobody actually knows! I would imagine it's a start to finish process, but can't be certain.

Well done, congratulations. You must be thrilled. My employer was already a Nominated sponsor and my 457 application went in on the 22nd March. I still haven't heard anything. So maybe it might be any day now? The waiting is so exhausting!!

Hi Jackie Wow sounds hectic! I'm not a migration expert at all, so I don't really know where you need to start? Perhaps best to make an appointment to speak with a professional. I'd hate to give any wrong info. i know some stuff about the 457 as that's what I am waiting for to come through. Basically on the 18th April the 'rules' changed. We used to get granted a 4 year visa if you were on the occupation skills list. However, this has changed and now the 457 has been split into two visas. One for short term skills occupations (there a list to check if you are on there) which gets you a visa for 2 years (if approved) and one for medium/long term skills list and if approved on that one you can come for 4 years and there's a possibility of applying for PR. There is no longer a pathway in the short term for PR after March 2018. Sorry I can't help more. Good luck. ?

You can still apply, good luck. ?