457 for Truck Drivers

[Guest rosie]

Hi All

 

We came out to Queensland in the middle of June looking for sponsorship under the S457 visa as a "Truckie" Loads of vacancies for Drivers but just over a week after we arrived the Government decided to freeze the allocation of 457 visas for Truck Drivers while a "Working Party" looks into whether this is the best option to resolve the Truck Driver shortage! They're not due to publish their findings until the end of the year, it seems the Unions are the biggest opposers arguing that Foreign workers will drive the wages down. Doesn't seem to be aimed at Poms in general though aas they all seem to like our work ethics.

Now waiting to hear from an Agency down in Victoria if there's any way around the visas for us, as originaly the 457 was our only option for getting out here?

 

Has anybody else any experience of this or any suggestions?

 

One thing this is a Bloody big country, huge drives between the major towns but beautifully clean and tidy what we've seen so far. We're now up in North Queensland (Port Douglas) holidaying proper while we wait for news.

[Guest thekeg95]

You mite find having a look at WA worthwhile as the shortage seems to be worst there.

I don't know about the government side of things though

STEVE

[Guest rosie]

Thanks Steve

 

There seems to be no shortage of vacancies in Qld it's just the visa probs, mind you it does seem to put some prospective employers off when you start talking about sponsorship but a lot of it appears to be the fear of the unknown

Alan

[calNgary]

I read about this a while ago in the paper ,the goverment want to release trukie on the skills list but the dept of transport are worried that lots of immigrants (not uk) would not know enough english etc to understand the road rules,as well as the wages scenario,,the goverment normally win so hang on in there im sure it'll all come right in the end.

Cal x