457 Visa Australia: History, Updates & PR Pathways 2025

Thousands of skilled foreign workers used to live and work in Australia through the 457 Visa Australia program. Although the visa was formally eliminated in 2018 and substituted with Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) 482 visa, a considerable number of 457 visa holders remain in Australia, going through transition arrangements and considering permanent residency (PR) possibilities. In this guide for 2025, get all the information about the history of the 457 visa, its substitution, requirements, and further actions to be taken by its holders.

Latest Facts & News (2025)

• The 457 visa has been replaced by the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) 482 visa since March 2018, but thousands of 457 holders are still in Australia.

• Holders of the 457 visa can transition to permanent residency through the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) or the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (subclass 187).

• The Australian government continues to tighten skilled migration policies, impacting pathways for current and former 457 holders.

• Intra-company transfers now primarily use the 482 visa, but special provisions for international trade obligations remain.

• The 457 visa allowed employers to sponsor skilled workers for up to four years, with family inclusion and travel flexibility.

• English language and health insurance requirements remain critical for all employer-sponsored visas.

• The latest reviews suggest further streamlining for intra-company transferee categories under Australian migration law.

• The number of eligible occupations for skilled visas has changed, affecting transition options for 457 holders.

• As of June 2016, there were almost 95,000 primary 457 visa holders in Australia.

• The Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy now applies to employer-sponsored permanent visa applications.

Curious about what happens to 457 visa holders now? Discover how the 457 visa’s legacy shapes today’s skilled migration, your options for staying, and the latest changes that could impact your future in Australia.

What Was the 457 Visa Australia in 2025? (Overview & History)

The 457 visa Australia was a much-liked program through which skilled foreign employees could temporarily reside and work in Australia. Launched in 1996, it was meant to solve specific workforce gaps in healthcare, IT, construction, and engineering, where Australian employers could sponsor foreign talent where local employees were not found.

The 457 visa Australia had some notable features, which included:

• It required employer sponsorship, so the worker had to have a job offer when applying.

• It was good for four years and could be renewed or changed to permanent residency.

• With the visa, holders were allowed to enter and leave Australia within the period the visa was valid.

• The application could include family members (spouse and children) who enjoy work and study rights.

• It was a selective and organised program as the applicants were required to achieve English language proficiency, undergo health tests, and clear character tests.

• Despite its benefits, the visa was criticised for being taken advantage of by certain employers, resulting in underpayment and abuse. As a measure of this, the government replaced the 457 visa Australia with the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) 482 visa in March 2018, which has more regulations. The new system offered more restrictive conditions, fewer eligible jobs, and trained more local workers so that foreign labour would not be needed in the long term.

Today, despite the cessation of the issuance of the 457 visa, its holders still stay in Australia and move to permanent residence through the employer-sponsored visas subclass 186 and 187.

457 Visa Australia Conditions – What Holders Need to Know in 2025?

When you are still under a 457 visa Australia, you need to observe all the 457 visa Australia conditions to remain lawful and not get into problems with immigration. The visa is not issued anymore, but people who still have it are subject to its initial regulations unless they transfer to a new visa subclass.

The following are the key 457 visa Australia conditions:

• Behaviour: Work only with your sponsoring employer: You may not work with any other business unless you are re-sponsored.

• Inform the Department of Home Affairs when your job is finished: In case of resignation or termination, you should notify the immigration department straight away.

• Health insurance: It is essential to have valid health insurance as long as you are in Australia.

• Fulfill visa requirement 8107: This implies that you must not stop working more than 60 days in a row (unless you got your visa before 2017, in which case the limit is 90 days).

• Not permissible: Visa cannot be extended: 457 visa Australia cannot be extended. You must move to the 482 TSS visa or apply for permanent residence if qualified.

The inability to meet these requirements can lead to visa cancellation or loss of work rights, so you should act promptly in case your circumstances change.

Also Read: Freshers Job in Australia for Indian: A Comprehensive Guide

Current Work, Travel, and Family Rights Under the 457 Visa 2025

The 457 visa Australia offered numerous valuable facilities that enticed skilled workers and their families. These advantages provided that the owners of visas could work, live, and travel relatively easily but remained loyal to the conditions of visas. The benefits were:

• Work Rights: The visa holder could only work in the nominated job with the sponsoring employer, which provided job security, and the terms of employment were explicit.

• Travel Rights: The visa granted multiple entries and exits, meaning holders could travel in and out of Australia without applying for separate permissions and re-applying visas.

• Family Inclusion: Spouses or partners were allowed to work in Australia, and children were allowed to study at school or university, which helped dependent family members settle and integrate during their stay in Australia.

The foregoing characteristics rendered the 457 visa Australia particularly appealing to professionals, multinational company transferees, and families needing a flexible yet well-organised skilled migration program.

Latest Health, English, and Character Requirements for 457 Visa Australia

The entry and continuing requirements were imperative to sustaining and knowing how to get 457 visa in Australia until its expiry. The holders of the visas were required to maintain strict health, language, and character requirements, and failure to do so would jeopardize their status. The main prerequisites were:

• Health Insurance: Proper health insurance was required throughout the validity of the visa. This ensured visa holders could access essential medical help without straining the Australian healthcare system.

• English Language: The candidates were required to have a minimum level of English, an overall IELTS score of 5.0, no band score below 4.5, or an equivalent examination. This was necessary so the visa holders could comfortably interact in the workplace and society.

• Character Checks: All applicants who were 16 years old and above were expected to submit police clearance certificates from any nation in which they had resided. These checks contributed to the security and safety of Australia by preventing people with severe criminal histories.

Meeting these conditions is necessary, as not doing so may lead to visa cancellation or future visa application refusal, requiring holders to always remain compliant.

Australia 457 Visa Replacement in 2025 – The TSS 482 Visa Explained 2025

In March 2018, Australia 457 visa replacement was the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) 482 visa.

Key differences between the Australia 457 visa replacement and 482 visa include:

Current Transitioning from 457 Visa to Permanent Residency

Even in 2025, how to get 457 visa in Australia holders retain several pathways to permanent residency (PR) in Australia.

Key PR options include:

1. Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) Subclass 186

• Eligible after working for the same employer for at least 2 years

• Applicants must meet age limits, have English language proficiency, and meet relevant skill requirements.

2. Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) Subclass 187

• Available if the applicant is working in designated regional areas of Australia

• Offers a direct entry stream for those meeting specific skill and sponsorship criteria

3. Steps to apply for PR:

• Secure a valid nomination from your sponsoring employer

• Collect all required documentation, including employment, qualifications, and identity evidence.

• Apply for the subclass 186 or 187 visa through the Department of Home Affairs.

• Complete mandatory medical examinations, police clearance checks, and skills assessments as part of the process

Following these steps carefully can help 457 visa holders successfully transition to permanent residency.

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Latest Australia Intra Company Transfer 457 Visa – What's Changed?

This is how the Australia intra company transfer 457 visa and how things have changed now:

• The 457 visa Australia was very popular in intra-company transfers, where multinational companies could easily transfer skilled workers to their Australian branches.

• Intra-company transferees are now mainly backed by the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) 482 visa, which provides a simplified procedure for long-term inter-company transfers.

• Subclass 400 visa has become the most popular short-term work visa in cases of shorter assignments under six months.

• Some trade obligations and bilateral agreements continue to offer exemptions and special provisions to intra-company transfers.

Noteworthy modifications of Australia intra company transfer 457 visa consist of:

• Heightened government scrutiny of employer sponsorships is warranted to ensure bona fide labour market needs.

• Preference is currently provided to occupations on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) or, in other words, high-demand jobs.

• These changes demonstrate Australia's desire to exercise more control over skilled migration and, at the same time, address the mainstay business requirement.

How to Apply 457 Visa in Australia in 2025? (Historical Reference)

Though the 457 visa Australia is no longer open, knowing how to apply 457 visa in Australia can give insights into how current and past holders have moved through the system, particularly those still figuring out the PR options or shifting to the 482 visa.

The following is how to getting 457 visa in Australia procedure used to be before its abolition:

1. Sponsorship

The Australian employer was required to lodge an application and be granted approved sponsor status by the Department of Home Affairs. That guaranteed that the business fulfilled the requirements of being in active operation, non-criminal violation of laws, and that they required skilled labor.

2. Nomination

The employer would then suggest a particular vacancy that matched one of the listed skilled occupations. This Nomination showed evidence of the position and wage standards and demonstrated that the job matched the market salary rate.

3. Visa Application

After accepting the Nomination, a foreign worker (employee) applied for a visa by providing all the supporting documents. These included:

• Documents of qualifications and related work experience

• Results of English language tests (most often IELTS)

• Health and character clearances

• Health insurance evidence

This three-step procedure of how to apply 457 visa in Australia is worth knowing if you currently have a bridging visa, are moving to the TSS 482, or even want to have an Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) permanent residence.

Required Documents & Eligibility Criteria of 457 Visa Australia in 2025

Applying for the 457 visa Australia requires the applicants to fulfill the stringent eligibility requirements and provide detailed documents to prove their application.

Some of the primary eligibility criteria were:

• With a genuine offer of employment in Australia, with an employer who was a registered sponsor under the visa program.

• Having suitable qualifications and work experience that correspond to the nominated skill occupation.

• Functional English language proficiency, which is usually demonstrated through an IELTS result or any other approved examination

• Passing the compulsory health check-ups as a prerequisite to good health and falling within the necessary public health standards

• Passing character tests through police clearance certificates of countries resided in.

Candidates were required to make ready and present the following papers:

• An intact passport whose validity is adequate to cover the visa period

• A fresh and comprehensive resume mentioning education, proficiencies, and work experience

• Authenticated documents of educational and professional certificates are needed in work

• Documentation of work experience, regardless of the reference letters, contracts, or payslips, to confirm the skills and work history

• Minimum score Official English language test results

• Documentation of sufficient health insurance coverage according to visa requirements

• Character requirements are met by providing police clearance certificates from all countries that one has lived in

The documentation had to be done fully and correctly to facilitate easy processing and stand a good chance of getting the visa approved.

Also Read: What is COE Australia? A Complete Expert's Guide

Current 457 Visa Australia vs 482 TSS Visa: Key Differences in 2025

Direct comparison helps in understanding what changed:

The 482 visa is more structured, with pathways favoring occupations in national demand.

Also Read: Dentist Salary Australia: Average Pay, Trends & Insights

Latest Updates & Future of Employer-Sponsored Visas in Australia

Image: https://www.pexels.com/photo/red-and-white-map-chart-7009468/

The year 2025 introduced some new trends in skilled migration, which directly impacted the present and past possessors of 457 visa Australia and those planning to acquire TSS 482 visas or want to gain permanent residency.

The most important developments defining the skilled migration landscape are as follows:

1. Updated Lists of Occupations

The government amended Skilled Occupation Lists to more accurately relate to the present labor market needs regarding occupation categories with durable demand and minimize the routes to temporary or low-demand occupations.

2. Tighter Regulations Over Low-Skill Positions

Low-skill and casual jobs are being progressively left out of visa eligibility so that sponsored migration is linked with acute skill shortages rather than as a replacement for general labor.

3. Healthcare and Digital Jobs took Precedence

On the 2025 list are technologies, cybersecurity, aged care, and nursing positions, so specialists in these fields will find it simpler to receive employer-sponsored visas and PR options.

4. Safe Levies

The Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy is an obligatory employer payment, which will be utilised in training domestic workers and lowering the long-term dependency on foreign labour.

5. PR Streamlining

The government is also reconsidering the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) and the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (subclass 187) to develop better PR options for deserving skilled employees.

All these trends underline the move towards high-value migration, and former 457 visa holders must adjust to changing needs in case they want to stay in Australia or move to permanent residency.

Conclusion

Years after it was closed, the 457 visa Australia remains a valuable channel to permanent residency. As a current or former holder, you need to make sure that you retain a legal status on your visa, determine your eligibility for PR sponsorship in Subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme) or Subclass 187 (Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme), and, most importantly, your employer must be ready to sponsor you to get a PR. To ensure that you do not make mistakes or that your application is not rejected, it is possible to use professional migration advice services, as Australian immigration laws are regularly changed. To have a future in Australia, it is important to remain proactive and updated.

Contact TerraTern for more information on 457 Visa Australia.