Free Call (Within Australia) 1800 449 858
[email protected]
Interstaff MigrationInterstaff MigrationInterstaff MigrationInterstaff Migration
Menu
  • Home
  • About
      • About Us
      • Why Interstaff?
      • Company History
      • Staff Profiles
      • Visa Agents
      • Immigration Agents
      • Visa Refusals and Appeals
    • Close
  • Businesses
      • Sponsorship
      • Temporary Work Visas
      • Permanent Work Visas
      • Complex Migration Issues
      • DAMA – Designated Area Migration Agreements
      • Supported Industry Sectors
    • Close
  • Individuals
      • Visa Extensions
      • Skilled Work Visas
      • Working Holiday Visas
      • Family & Partner Visas
      • Student Visas
      • Visitor Visas
      • Medical Treatment Visas
      • Complex Migration Issues
      • Visa Refusals and Appeals
      • Case Studies
    • Close
  • News and Info
      • Immigration News
      • Case Studies
      • Why Use a Migration Agent?
      • Visa Extensions
      • Australian Migration Services
    • Close
  • Contact Us
NextPrevious
Code on flat-screen monitor

De-bunking 457 visa myths

Immigration News | 9 December, 2016 |

There has been a lot of news in the media about 457 visas recently, especially with growing concerns over Australia’s unemployment rate and both political parties promising to tighten rules for skilled foreign workers on 457 visas.

As migration agents, we know first-hand that particular industries such as mining, oil and gas and IT/technology can have highly specialised work requirements, and skill shortages in Australia can mean these roles simply cannot be filled by local labour. Mike Cannon-Brookes, industry leader and co-founder of tech company, Atlassian, articulated this well in his recent interview with Radio National.

Here are the 457 visa myths he has helped to de-bunk, particularly in the growing tech industry:

Myth: Visa holders are taking the jobs of Australian graduates

Tech business leader, Mr Cannon-Brooke says, “We’ve got extremely talented here [in Australia] and we have extremely smart people coming out of universities. They just don’t have the experience we need.”

Technology is a growing industry in Australia, and while graduates may have the skills, they don’t have the senior, skilled technical experience built on a decade of working at the heart of successful, fast-growing tech companies.

“We don’t have a big technology industry here and we certainly didn’t have one ten years ago,” Mr Cannon-Brookes said, “So if we’re looking for people with ten years’ experience, they largely don’t exist in anywhere near the quantity that the industry needs. So we import that talent in order to train the graduates and other young people that we have here.”

Like many others in the industry, graduates are in fact recruited and 457 visa holders play a crucial role in helping to pass on their knowledge and skills to them. Atlassian fully funds ten scholarship positions at university level and has hired 80 graduates.

Myth: It’s cheaper to employ visa holders than Australian-born citizens

Mr Cannon-Brooke says the specialised skills demanded by roles filled by 457 visa holders are highly-paid for and can be difficult to acquire. He says it is a costly process which can sometimes take six months to convince visa holders to come because some have to move family.

“This is definitely not a cheaper option, but it is a good option for getting the skills we need into this country,” he says.

While you do hear of cases of unethical and unlawful employers exploiting visa holders with lower than award pay rates and placing pressure on the ability for Australian-born citizens to find work, it is generally incorrect to assume visa holders are cheaper to employ than Australian-born citizens. Despite this, the Government is considering introducing a significant training levy which would increase the costs to recruit overseas employees.

Myth: Tightening the 457 visa scheme is the answer to Australia’s high unemployment rates

Unfortunately, it seems political parties are using community concerns about immigration to build a case against 457 visas that will win them votes. It has become such a debacle that people are missing the fact that the campaigns fail to reference key, publicly available statistics about the 457 visa program.

Mr Cannon-Brooke points to the fact that the number of visas being granted has declined for several years – down from more than 77,000 a few years ago to 45,000 this year.

“It’s a very dangerous situation. None of them are talking about the statistics or the facts about what is actually happening with 457’s,” he said.

Listen to the full 8-minute Radio National interview with Mr Cannon-Brooke here.

For more on the 457 visas controversy, read our summary on possible upcoming 457 visa changes currently being discussed by the Government.

Source: InnovationAus and ABC

pexels-photo-113850

No tags.

Related Post

  • Interstaff workers within the migration agency HQ in perth

    Support for women seeking to migrate

    Today women around the world are celebrating International Women’s Day. It’s a day where the world recognises improvements in women’s rights, while also acknowledging that unfortunately in many parts of the world, there are still many women experiencing violence or inequality. The Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection recognises… Read More »

  • 2016 Migration Professional Seminar poster countdown

    See Us at the Skilled Migrant Professionals Seminar

    Interstaff International are proud to be Perth’s official migration agency sponsoring the Skilled Migrant Professionals Seminar held at Kim Beazley Theatre, Murdoch University on Friday 18 March from 5pm to 8.30pm. The Skilled Migrant Professionals Seminar is designed to provide networking opportunities between skilled migrants and employers, recruitment agencies, career… Read More »

  • Celebrating Australia’s Irish Past

    Did you know up to one third of Australians are of Irish heritage? Irish settlement played a formative part in Australia’s social, political and cultural background. At Interstaff, several of our team members are of Irish descent, including our Managing Director, Sheila Woods and Registered Migration Agent, Elain Flynn. On… Read More »

  • Exploitation problem facing Australian immigration authorities

    Australia has a large number of undocumented workers – some estimates suggest that the number may exceed 100,000 people. Add to this the massive international student population and temporary work visa holders and you have a big problem. Sadly this leads to exploitation by unscrupulous employers. These sentiments were published… Read More »

  • IT Professionals in High Demand in Australia

    More than 85 percent of new jobs for information and computer technology (ICT) were occupied by international workers for the year 2015, according to a report made by the Australian Computer Society. It is stated in the report that hiring overseas workers is now made a top priority in order to… Read More »

  • Visa-free ‘migration bloc’ supported by most Australia, Canada, NZ, & UK citizens

    Nearly 4,000 individuals from these 4 Commonwealth countries — Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom – have taken part in a survey and the results show that most of them strongly agree to have a Union-style system (that is similar to Europe) which would enable free movement among… Read More »

  • Interstaff stall at the 2016 Skilled Migrants Professionals Seminar

    Networking is Key for Skilled Migrants

    Over 150 people attended the Skilled Migrants Professionals Seminar on Friday 18 March at Murdoch University to access valuable networking opportunities designed to help skilled migrants compete in the Australian job market. Interstaff Visa Coordinator, Allieu Sesay said, “Seminars like the Skilled Migrant Professionals Seminar are great because they provide… Read More »

  • Woman holding her mobile phone and coffee cup with Interstaff International logo

    Exclusive offer for our Facebook fans

    Interstaff International are offering 30% off their Initial Consultation Fee to its Facebook fans for a limited time only. Simply access our digital coupon and then follow the prompts to share our offer on Facebook in order to redeem 30% off your Initial Consultation Fee. We will then validate your coupon at… Read More »

NextPrevious

Get In Touch

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
  • Home
  • About
    • About Us
    • Why Interstaff?
    • Company History
    • Staff Profiles
    • Visa Agents
    • Immigration Agents
    • Visa Refusals and Appeals
  • Businesses
    • Sponsorship
    • Temporary Work Visas
    • Permanent Work Visas
    • Complex Migration Issues
    • DAMA – Designated Area Migration Agreements
    • Supported Industry Sectors
  • Individuals
    • Visa Extensions
    • Skilled Work Visas
    • Working Holiday Visas
    • Family & Partner Visas
    • Student Visas
    • Visitor Visas
    • Medical Treatment Visas
    • Complex Migration Issues
    • Visa Refusals and Appeals
    • Case Studies
  • News and Info
    • Immigration News
    • Case Studies
    • Why Use a Migration Agent?
    • Visa Extensions
    • Australian Migration Services
  • Contact Us
Interstaff Migration

Free Call (within Australia): 1800 449 858
Email: [email protected]

Head Office: Level 1, 384 Rokeby Road, Subiaco W.A. 6008
Office Hours:
Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5pm (AWST).

Business Migration | Strategic Thinking.
© 2023 Interstaff.

Business Visas

  • Sponsorship
    • Standard Business Sponsorship
    • Labour Agreements
    • Training and Research Sponsor
    • Professional Development Sponsor
    • Entertainment Sponsor
    • Sponsorship Management Services
  • Temporary Work Visas
    • Employer Sponsored Work Visas
    • Short Stay Work Visas
    • Working Holiday Visas
  • Business Owner & Investor Visas
    • Business Owner Visa Stream
    • Investor Visa Stream
    • Significant Investor Visa Stream
    • Premium Investor Visa Stream
    • Permanent Residency As a Business Owner Or Investor
  • Complex Migration Issues
  • Permanent Work Visas
    • Employer Nomination Scheme
    • Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme
    • General Skilled Migration 
  • Supported Industry Sectors
    • Resources
    • Agriculture
    • Information Technology
    • Engineering & Construction
    • Trades
    • Health & Aged/Social Care
    • Restaurants & Hospitality
    • Education & Training
  • Business Migration FAQ's

Individual Visas

  • Skilled Work Visas
  • Working Holiday Visas
  • Family & Partner Visas
    • Partner Visas
    • Parent Visas
    • Child Visas
    • New Zealand Citizen Family Visa
    • Carer Visa Options
    • Remaining Relative Visa
  • Student Visas
  • Visitor Visas
  • Medical Treatment Visas
  • Complex Migration Issues
  • Individual Migration FAQ's
    • Boost Your IELTS Score
    • Settling In As A Skilled Migrant
    • Ask A Migration Agent 

Get in touch today

Contact Us

This content is not advice. It serves as a general overview of topics of interest. It is not exhaustive, and its accuracy is subject to change, therefore Interstaff is not responsible for the accuracy or timeliness of the information or any actions taken based on it. We recommend that you seek professional advice before making decisions or relying on the information provided – please enquire with our team of Registered Migration Agents for specialist advice so that your specific circumstances can be considered. 

Interstaff acknowledges that it is situated on Boorloo (Perth) - Whadjuk Noongar Country, and that Whadjuk Noongar people remain the spiritual and cultural custodians of their land, continuing to practise their values, languages, beliefs and knowledge. We pay our respects to Elders, past, present and emerging.

Copyright 2024 | Website & SEO by Start Digital