Foreign workers get less time to job hunt under 457 visa changes

The Federal Government denies the changes have anything to do with Opposition leader Bill Shorten’s recent push to crackdown on foreign workers “taking Australian jobs”.

Immigration and Border Protection Minister Peter Dutton put the changes to Parliament in October.

Under the updated settings, which come into force on Saturday, foreign workers will have 60 days to reapply for a work visa if they leave their current job, rather than the current 90 days.

More than 95,700 skilled migrants were in Australia on 457 visas as at September 30, with about 76,400 secondary visa holders (family members) accompanying them.

Minister Dutton said changes were about reducing competition for unemployed Australians and protecting temporary visa holders from being exploited.

“The Government values the contribution made by the many skilled persons who work in Australia on 457 visas, but where there is an Australian worker ready, willing and able to perform a role it is the Government’s policy that they have priority,” Mr Dutton said.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten claimed the changes as a win for Labor.

“Yesterday [Malcolm Turnbull] was out there panning Labor,” Mr Shorten said.

“But today he’s worked out that Australians, not just Labor but the Australian people, want to prioritise Australians getting jobs so now he’s saying he’ll be tougher on it.”

Labor extended the time foreign workers had to reapply for the visa from 28 days to 90 days when they were in Government in 2013.

Work Visa Lawyers principal lawyer Chris Johnston said the amendment would make it “practically impossible” for mose 457 visa holders to find a new position if they lost their job.

“The timing was already very difficult when only three months were allowed,” he wrote on the company’s blog earlier in November.

Originally published as 457 visas just got ‘impossible’