HOW TO SPEED UP YOUR PERMANENT RESIDENCY
Insiders share the secret to jumping the queue!
By Simon Lane, Managing Director China HR Australia 1 November 2015.
Immigrating to Australia is a challenging prospect from
many perspectives. You have to find a new job, new place
to live, sometimes a new school for the kids, and deal with
a whole new culture and climate. But many people see the
enormous opportunities that Australia has to provide and
believe that these inconveniences will be overtaken by
significant advantages for them and their family over time.
So how do you get a Visa in Australia that allows you to work? Finding a reputable immigration
agent and having them assist you in processing your application is only one part of the
equation. To get a Visa that allows you to work full-time in Australia you have to find an
employer that is prepared to sponsor you. This is where it gets tricky!
Many of you would be aware that there are two dominant visas that are available to those who
want to genuinely work in Australia. The first of these is the 457 Visa which allows you to work
full-time for up to 4 years before having to leave the country or securing permanent residency.
The second and most popular Visa amongst immigrants who do not qualify as independently
skilled but are eligible to apply for Employer Nomination Scheme is the 186 Visa. This Visa
allows you to stay and work in Australia as long as you desire as it also bestows permanent
residency upon you. The regional version of the 186 Visa is the 187 Visa which also gives you
permanent residency status but requires you to initially work in a defined regional centre for at
least two years.
Let’s just focus on the 457 and 186 visas for the purpose of this discussion. The 457 Visa is
popular with sponsors because it only takes three months to process which means that new
employees can arrive and start in around four months in most circumstances. The 457 Visa is
less popular with immigrants because it does not give you a guarantee of permanent
residency, just the right to work for two years to four years.
The 186 Visa is popular with migrating professionals because of the permanent residency. To
qualify for the 186 visa you need appropriate levels of English, experience, and
required/desirable skills. Employers need to meet training requirements, market rate salaries
and other criteria and the Visa takes six to nine months to process. Add another month or so
and an employer is looking at approximately eight to eleven months before their new employee
will commence with them. In most instances that period of time is simply too long for an
employer to wait.
So we have this continual battle between migrating professionals who want permanent
residency and sponsors who want a quick start for their new employee. Many professionals
that I have personally spoken to have resisted taking a 457 Visa because they say “There are
no guarantees I will have a job for the full two years.” I always point out that even with their
current job there are no guarantees that their current job will be there two years from now.
However, I do appreciate that in this instance they are moving their whole family to another
country and so can be rightfully nervous.
Sadly, because of the fear that their potential job may disappear during their two years on their
457 Visa, many will advise me that they would rather wait for the 186 Visa and appropriate
sponsor. This usually means that they will wait for many years and in some cases have little
to no chance of immigrating to Australia.
However, there is another way to secure a sponsor quickly and gain permanent residency and
many of our immigration agents are working with us in this new model, and very successfully.
COMBINATION APPLICATIONS
The best way to secure a job in Australia is through a 457 Visa because of its speed. You may
be qualified for a 186 Visa but that does not help the employer. In fact it makes it more
complicated for them. You need the employer so here’s what you have to do.
Irrespective of your professional skills and language skill level (assuming that you qualify for
a 186 Visa) you apply for a 457 Visa and secure a great sponsor to start your journey. At the
same time you secure this Visa you secure an undertaking from the sponsor to act as your
186 Visa employer. Many reputable employers will be very happy to provide this undertaking.
Your immigration agent then processes your 457 Visa and
four months later you’re in Australia meeting your new
employer and starting your brand-new life. On day one of
your new career in Australia your immigration agent
commences the lodgement of your 186 Visa. As I stated
earlier, on average this takes around six months to
process. However, the Department of Immigration is in a
position where it is able to work more quickly if you already
have your 457 Visa because much of the information required for the 186 Visa will have
already been captured.
Reputable Australian employers will offer open-ended employment contracts that give new
employees time to prove themselves. Employees need to demonstrate that they are a good
fit for the team, are keen to learn, and have the same ethics and values of the organisation
that they have joined. It is highly unlikely that an
employee will lose their job in their first six months
unless they do something extremely bad (like break
the law or are very lazy). I have had many
employees say “What if the company goes broke?”
It is almost impossible for a company in poor financial shape to be able to afford recruitment.
Even so, companies like China HR Australia ensure that the employer is solid and reputable
so that the chances of this occurring are almost zero.
If everything goes to plan, approximately six months after your arrival in Australia you will be
awarded your 186 Visa and permanent residency. Your employer will be the same sponsor
that brought you to Australia on the 457 Visa to commence six months earlier. It means that
you will be a permanent resident within 12 months of arriving in Australia!
You would probably be aware that if you lose your job whilst on a 457 Visa that you have 90
days within which to secure a new sponsor. If your immigration agent has already lodged your
186 Visa application then clearly your current sponsor will no longer be of any value to you.
However, because you are already in Australia and have a 457 Visa approved, all you have
to do is secure a new sponsor on a 457 Visa within that 90 days and everything continues.
Again, reputable immigration agents working with companies like China HR Australia will
secure you sponsors who are prepared to support you in both your 457 and 186 visa
applications combined. This is a lot easier to do when employers know that you are already in
the country and are available for an immediate start. The risk is not as great as some people
make it out to be.
They say that “With great risks comes great reward.” I can say to you that you can get your
great reward, a brand-new life in Australia with a
legitimate job in a legitimate Australian organisation
furthering your career with less risk than you would
think. All you have to be prepared to do is jump the
queue! Talk to your immigration agent about a 457/186
Visa combination. Your new life in Australia may be only
two steps ahead!