In our earlier article we explained that the South Australia (SA) State Government started its policy to impose contributory fees for each school child of 457 visa holders, following Western Australia (WA), New South Wales (NSW) and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). By January 2018 all 457 visa holders in SA will have to pay the contributory fees for each child in school. Depending on the number of children and your household income, the contributory fees can be in excess of thousands of dollars per year.

Key terms:  457 visa – labour agreement – employer sponsored visas – migration policy changes

The Fast Food Industry Labour Agreement established in 2012 has been scrapped by Immigration Minister Peter Dutton. This will result in significant reductions of 457 skilled visas issued to fast food businesses. More than 500 skilled worker visas were approved for fast food businesses over the past four years.

The 457 visa programme has been under the microscope of the Federal Government ever since the reported visa abuse of 7-11 workers. In our earlier article we talked about the possible scrutiny of specific industries for the employer sponsored visa programme, which includes:

• the 457 visa
• the Employer Nomination Scheme ENS subclass 186 visa
• the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme RSMS subclass 187 visa

We believe that there will be ongoing changes to the employer sponsored visa programme specific to a few industries such as hospitality (Café or Restaurant Managers) and low-level generic occupations such as Customer Service Managers and Project or Program Administrators.

Welcome to 2017! It was a year full of changes for Australia’s migration policies in 2016. Here is our recap of the significant changes to the migration programme for Australia in 2016 and some of the discussions and ongoing developments for 2017.

The Immigration News in 2016 has been dominated by employer scandals and crackdowns by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP).

While it may all sound like doom and gloom, the planning levels for permanent visas continue to be significant. 

The numbers of Australian permanent visas that are granted each year are controlled by planning levels. 

I am going to make comments below about news in relation to a wide range of visas including business, skilled, visitor and family visas.

Work Visa Lawyers has been in touch with an employer who is looking for an experienced motor mechanic to join his business. Please find details about the opening below:

• at least 6 years experience required (work references essential)
• Australian qualification Cert III or Cert IV or equivalent
• able to complete a TRA Migration Skills Assessment
• better than functional English ability

The position is located in regional South Australia and the employer is willing to sponsor under a 457 visa arrangement.

If you think that you meet the requirements above please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we will provide you with the employer's contact details. You will then need to contact the employer directly and undergo a standard interview process with the employer.

Work Visa Lawyers does not guarantee an employment or visa outcome with regards to this job opening.

Good luck!