Overseas students

Page content: Overview | Further information

Overview

If you are an international student wanting to work in Victoria after you graduate you might want to consider the 457 Temporary Visa. This visa allows applicants to be sponsored by an employer to work for up to four years in Australia. Applicants applying for the 457 Temporary Visa must do so before their student visa expires.

To apply for this visa you must have an employer willing to sponsor you. There are three steps to the process. First the employer must apply and be approved as a sponsor. They then must make a separate application to nominate a particular person for a job. The final step is to make a visa application which can accompany the nomination or be lodged afterwards.

More information regarding the process, requirements and the costs involved can be found on the Department of Immigration and Citizenship website.

In some cases, the employer may already be sponsoring other employees such as nurses and would already be familiar with this process. Potential sponsors can lodge the application before the student completes his or her university degree, in an effort to hasten the visa application process.

When lodged electronically, the entire application process takes approximately 1 month.

If the application process is successful, the employer and employee sign an employment contract as they would for an Australian citizen commencing employment. The visa lasts as long as the employment contract. The Temporary Visa is only valid while the employee has ongoing work with the sponsor. If the employee wishes to change employment, a potential new sponsor would be required.

Further information

Further information can be obtained by contacting:

General Manager Human Resources
Dental Health Services Victoria
Telephone: (61 3) 9341 1133

The Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs Business Centre
Telephone: (61 3) 131 881
email: E457.Melbourne@immi.gov.au

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