457 or 175 visa - which is quicker?

[Guest kerryspro]

Hi

 

It looks like I'm about to be offered a job, and the employer wants me to start ASAP. I've already started the visa process for the SOL (until my job got taken off) but I've got my skills assessment confirmation back.

 

Question is - which is quicker - the 457 or the 175? And by how much?

 

Also, I'm worried that if I give my notice in at work, what happens if I don't get the visa? I can't think of any reason why I wouldn't, but you never know. It's scary!

 

Thanks for any help/advice

[melbournegirlinny]

Hello. I am a bit confused by your question. The 457 is a temporary visa where the employer sponsors you for up to 4 years. There is another employer sponsored visa, the 121 ENS visa which gives permanent residency (PR) immediately. Are you thinking of that? At present, the 457s are being processed more quickly than the 121 visas.

 

The 175 visa, which gives PR from the beginning, is unrelated to employer sponsorship. If your skill is on schedule 3 of the new SOL that came out on July 1 and you have 120 points then you can apply. Current processing times are approximately 18 months according to DIAC.

 

A 457 visa can usually be processed in a matter of weeks.

 

Perhaps you are really wondering whether you can apply for both visas? You can. You could apply for the 457 visa and go and work for the sponsor but at the same time lodge your 175 visa application which hopefully would give you PR in 18 months' time.

 

How much notice do you have to give to your current employer? You should not quit your current job until you have the 457 visa and you would normally need to negotiate with the prospective employer that your start date has to fit in of course with the notice you are required to give to your current employer. Whilst some employers might grumble a bit about having to wait for a new employer, in my experience most employers will respect you and understand that you want to do the right and decent thing by your current employer.

[Guest kerryspro]

Yes, sorry. I get confused. I meant the 457 visa vs 121 visa. I started out trying for a 175, but then my job was taken off the SOL, so I decided to apply for jobs and see what happened.

 

I know there are advantages in having the 121 - ie PR immediately. But is the 457 significantly quicker?

Thanks

[melbournegirlinny]

Yes the 457 visa is a lot quicker, at the moment, than the 121 ENS visa (which should not be the case!). It is common at the moment for people with employer sponsorship to get the 457 visa first so they can start the job sooner rather than later and also apply for the 121 around the same time. That way they get PR since the 457 visa only gives temporary residency and is risky in that if you lose your job you have to leave Australia within 28 days if you do not find another employer to sponsor you.