Jobs & Money Detail
Eligible temporary occupations removed from list
Occupations in the tourism, clerical and agricultural industries have been removed from Australia's temporary 457 visa programme with immediate affect.
Having recently announced that the 457 scheme would be reduced in an attempt to safeguard jobs for Australians, the government has stated that workers in industries listed under the groups five to seven on the Australian Standard Classification of Occupations (ASCO) would no longer be able to qualify for a visa through this scheme. Instead, potential employers of such workers now need to apply to the Australian government for a labour agreement in order to sponsor foreign workers on a temporary basis.
"This change will ensure employers using the 457 visa program to gain access to these occupations satisfy all their obligations under the program, including those on training," a spokesperson from Australia's immigration department said.
The cutting of these occupations coincides with an upgrade to the English language requirements for non-native English speaking temporary visa applicants.