News broke today that the Australian Government has put forward plans to abolish the 457 visa, currently the main immigration pathway for skilled migrants. The 457 visa will be replaced with a new Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) visa which will come into effect from March 2018.
Read the fact-sheet from the Australian government (opens in a new window).
Jim Godsal, Managing Director at Head Medical, stated:
"We’re reviewing all the information at the moment, but for doctors the differences between the 457 and TSS visas would appear to be minimal. Any major changes may come from the publication tomorrow (19th April) of a new list of skilled occupations that are valid for 457 / TSS visa applications.
It is unlikely that any medical specialties will be removed from this list, and they do not appear on the previously published list of proposed changes. We will provide updates on this as soon as the new list is issued on Wednesday.
The stricter requirements around English Language proficiency and character referencing are already incorporated into a doctor’s registration and licensing process. There may be some delays to registration processes during the changeover from 457 to TSS visas, but the message in the meantime is to continue as normal, and any doctors who have already submitted their 457 paperwork will not be affected by any changes.”
To find out more about proposed changes to the Australian immigration system, contact us on +44 (0)131 226 2200, or email info@headmedical.com