Australian Work: 457 to be abolished

Australia has always been a country which is protective of its individuals and its environment. With growing concerns of an increased number of individuals from other countries moving to Australia for work and to start a new life, especially in the current political climate in other countries, the Australian government says it is looking out for the Australian nationals by cutting down the list of careers on the 457 visa list. This will be replaced with two shorter visas with limited possibility for the visa holders to apply for permanent residency, a significant change from the 457 visa. As such businesses will continuously be training new employees with their company specific protocols, filling skill gaps will become more difficult as fewer foreign nationals are now eligible to work in Australia.

One of the careers cut from the 457 visa list is that of Firefighter, one of the key rescue services aiming to assist in the safety and security of Australia. In a country rife with bushfires, removal of such a key component of this is sure to cause issues within Australia. Due to the physical nature of the Firefighter career, it is an oversight of the Australian government to restrict these careers.