I feel stuck on my Australian 457 visa, any thoughts?

My first question would be what do you do for a living? If you have a profession that would seem to indicate that finding another employer who would be willing to sponsor you, would be fairly easy, then it becomes easier to look at options. If on the other hand your job is not highly skilled or in demand and you have been very lucky to find an employer willing to sponsor you, then leaving that job becomes a more difficult and risky decision.

If you have just lucked in to this job and the possibility of permanent residency, you may not be attaching as much signifigance to that as you should be. There are millions of people who have no hope of getting permanent residency in Australia or any other country. So which group do you fall into?

1. Highly sought after profession which makes gaining residency in any country fairly easy.
2. Fair chance of gaining residency if and when you want to.
3. Unlikely to be able to gain residency due to lack of skills/profession.
4. Next to no chance of gaining residency on a par with winning the lottery.

If you are in group 4 and have lucked into a good thing, then giving it up might be the height of foolishness if you feel you actually would want to be able to stay and settle permanently in the country at some point.

Thanks for your insight,

I guess I sit in #4 and it was very very lucky to have someone sponsoring me. I work as a travel agent. No previous experience. So I know there is a big chance of losing it all and that is the last thing I want to do. However how far should you go to get what you want. On the other hand, here in the NT it is not so much the skilled they want, they need people to actually stay! Which would be the basis of my gamble.

Well you only need to stay for 3 more years to qualify and apply for citizenship. At 26 that might seem like a long time to you but it isn't really if you look at the bigger picture.

I think the key is to consider just how much you really want to be able to live in Australia permanently. To go to NZ or Canada might appeal right now but what about when that is over and done with? Where do you want to be 5 years from now for example.

I would not give up this chance at PR and citizenship if I was convinced I wanted to be able to make Australia my permanent home in the future. Also keep in mind that you could hit the road again at age 30 without any problem. You'd be a citizen by then.

If you have no real skills/profession, you have to understand that your chances of lucking in to another opportunity to gain citizenship are slim and none.

HI,

Thank you again. I have been over it and I love everything so far and the only thing that is not the best is the conditions at work. It's probably the feeling of not having another possibility that freaks me out a bit!

I will look at a brighter sight right now: I have 3 years to save of for a BIG trip :-) I also know that on my visa you can take an unpaid leave ( as my friend is doing that this very moment) and still have it valid. So i might even be able to take 2 months off next year and go to Africa..

Thinking about it going to another country I will have slim chances of obtaining a PR visa as well.

Thank you for putting this into perspective, I guess I'd already had a feeling that leaving is not a good idea. But sometimes you just need an outsider to tell you that as well!

One word: don't mess the thing.

I don't know if you noticed but it's getting increasly difficult to travel and LIVE around the world.
If you want to spend your money, you're welcome everywhere, if you wanna stay and live that's another story.
The future belongs to people who:
- have 2 or 3 passports
- speak several languages
- learn a trade that can be taken to every country (plumber, ESL teacher,etc)

You find yourself in a nice position, you have 3 years to wait,save and LEARN.
There's plenty of courses ( night and day or distance) that you can take through TAFE.
Perfect plan for you would be to take ESL training that would give you more options for the future.
Diving instructor could be another is you're more into action.
If you doubt it, take a 2 weeks trip all over Europe to see what the quality of life is right now and in which direction it will go !

Don't mess it and think about the thousands of europeans graduates that would dream to be you !!!

For sure, I realise that I am quite lucky to be in this position and funny as you say it I have been looking at the TAFE website! I would love to do another Uni degree but that is simply unaffordable since I am considered as an International Student. With a trade you seem to go much further around the world though.

Please do not think that I don't realize in what a good position I am, sometimes I cannot stop wondering what else is there. I guess I should be more patient and stop worrying so much and enjoy myself!

I just got back from Europe, I know that I don't want to go back and since I have my Dutch passport I can always go back if I really want to!

Thanks about that tip on ESL training, that is something i forgot was an option! Diving wouldn't work, I have my open water but I get claustophbic under water.
Cheers

Personally I think you'd be mad to look for another job. Unless you have some other really good skills you've got a really slim chance of getting about 457 visa, esp for a travel agent (no disrespect on that part either i'd love to be a travel agent).

3 years does seem like a long time, but honestly you can try and do other things so you're not feeling totally stuck. Indonesia and S.E Asia is only a hop away from the NT, take short holidays to that region. You could also do some short courses at night to get trained in another skill.

hi there, can you tell me whereabouts you worked in NT please, I am trying my hardest to get a 457 visa either as a travel agent with experience or a call centre manager with over 10/15 years experience also - and wondered if you could help - thanks very much

This thread is 5 years old gntjones. You would do better to start a new thread of your own on the Australia branch.