NBN Co chief executive Bill Morrow is confident he will be able to serve out his term, which expires in 2020, even though his four-year 457 visa expires next year.
The Turnbull government's shock abolition of the skilled visa last month means Mr Morrow will have to apply for a new skilled worker visa with a two-year term and a tighter range of eligible occupations to complete his contract.
The change comes at an awkward time for NBN Co, which is rushing to complete the rollout of the national broadband network amid criticism of delays, cost blowouts and uncompetitive high prices for slow speeds.
Despite the difficulties, an NBN spokesperson said, "Bill Morrow plans to apply to renew his visa when it expires and doesn't see any reason for concern."
The narrow list of eligible occupations for the new Temporary Skill Shortage Visa focuses on critical skills shortages and more stringent conditions. It is designed to address allegations of abuse of the 457 visa.
But the list is already being reviewed after universities, tech companies such as Atlassian, biotech firms CSL and OccuRx, and federal government agencies NBN Co, the Australian Energy Market Operator and Australia Post were blindsided by the changes.
Reassure
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton and departmental officials have rushed to reassure some of these organisations that their personnel are not the intended targets of the visa crackdown. But there is widespread apprehension that the government will not be able to repair all of the damage and stay faithful to its new "Australia first" rhetoric at the same time.
Subsidiaries of US companies - from oil and gas to pharmaceuticals - are caught up in the chaos. Petroleum drillers, biotech and life sciences researchers and production managers are among the occupations excised from Mr Dutton's list of eligible occupations.
"It's been raised diplomatically and the response is, 'you are not what we had in mind'," said Niels Marquardt, chief executive of the American Chamber of Commerce.
"But it's not written anywhere and it's hard not to feel targeted the way things are written."
Unintended consequences
A spokesperson for Communications Minister Mitch Fifield said the list was being revised to deal with "unintended consequences".
"The list will be updated on 1 July and thereafter twice annually, to ensure it reflects genuine skills gaps and to address any unintended consequences."
Jens Goennemann, chief executive of the Turnbull government's Advanced Manufacturing Task Force, came to Australia on a 457 visa in 2008 and took out citizenship in 2012.
"I came to Australia on a 457 visa and I would not be here without it," he said.
