The Australian Government has announced as part of the 2011-12 Budget that they will provide an additional $10 million of funding to the 457 visa program, in a bid to halve the average processing time for this visa class.

Recent data shows that currently, 457 visa applications take an average of 22 calendar days to process, but it is expected that with the extra funding this time will be cut to an average of 10 calendar days.

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) have stated that they will also establish a new processing centre in Brisbane, in an effort to further reduce processing times.

What is the 457 visa program?

The 457 visa program is demand driven and uncapped, and thus provides Australian industry and business with flexible access to overseas skilled workers to fill immediate and short-term vacancies in positions which could not be filled locally.

Why is the Australian Government providing more funding to the program?

Major resource projects in Australia, such as the mining boom and the reconstruction efforts resulting from extensive flood damage, have highlighted a skills shortage in some areas of the Australian economy and thus Australian businesses and employers increasingly need to access the required skilled labour for such projects from overseas using the 457 visa program.

DIAC predicts that the 457 visa program will continue to grow as business conditions improve.

The additional funding to the 457 program is intended to assist in the timely processing of 457 visa applications as the program expands.