Every day I receive at least 2 enquiries from 457 visa holders who ask for help with applying for PR, because they have worked on a 457 visa for 2 years, and now want to claim their PR status, without their employer.

This myth has now evolved into 3 years, from the new announcement from the Prime Minister that start from March 2018, 457 visa holders who wish to apply for permanent residency down the track will have to work for 3 years in order to be eligible under the Temporary Residence Transition stream under the Permanent 186 and 187 visa subclasses.

So is this true?

Can you work for 2 years on a 457 visa and then just apply for PR at the end of it, with your employer?

The answer is no.

Working on a 457 visa for 2 years, makes you eligible to apply for the Permanent 186 or 187 visa subclasses, via the Temporary Residence Transitional stream. This means that your employer must still sponsor you for your permanent residency.

So the best approach is to have early talks with your employer (I suggest after working for 18 months on your 457 with the same employer) so that you can start to plan your Permanent Residency in advance. You can then start preparing for your application 3 months before your 2 year anniversary, so that when the 2 year mark passes, you can immediately apply for your 186 or 187 via the Temporary Residence Transitional stream.

For some lucky applicants, you do not have to work for 2 years on you 457 visa in order to apply for PR. There is another stream under the 186 and 187 called the Direct Entry stream. This stream allows you to apply for PR at any time (even before 2 years of working on a 457 visa) as long as you can get a (i) positive skills assessment, (ii) IELTS of all 6’s, and (iii) work references showing at least 3 years of full-time paid employment experience in your occupation (from any employer, in any country, as long as the work was done after you completed your formal qualifications).

If you require professional assistance with preparing your case, please email us at solutions@VisaOne.com.au.

If you have an urgent case matter which requires immediate assistance, please call us on 1300 61 99 77 (or +61 7 3181 5588).