If you applied or held a 457 visa before 18 April 2017 which was subsequently granted, and you’ve worked for your employer for a minimum of two years in the last three years - you are lucky! You are eligible to apply for a permanent resident visa.
We strongly recommend applying for your permanent resident visa ASAP and before the legislation changes once again.
Keep in mind that if you lose your job or let your 457 visa expire, you will miss this golden opportunity for an Australian permanent residency.
Can ICT Project Manager living overseas still apply for a permanent visa?
As of March 2018 the legislation has changed, the occupation of an ICT project Manager was removed from the Employer Nomination Scheme 186 Direct Entry visa occupation list which means that if you had plans to arrive on a permanent resident visa, and work anywhere you like for an Australian employer, your options are now limited to rural areas only. (This excludes the opportunity to live and work in metropolises like Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane)
Currently, you can still apply for a Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme visa (subclass 187). It is a permanent resident visa allowing you to living and working in a rural area for a minimum of 2 years before you could move on.
Here you can find the locations which are considered rural in Australia
What are your options if you prefer the big city life?
Currently, an ICT project Manager with a minimum of two years’ experience has an option to arrive in Australia on a Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482). This temporary visa will allow you to work and live in Australia for a maximum of two years.
Since this occupation is included in the short-term stream, you could apply for another 482 visa before the expiry of the first visa, however, you won’t be able to move to a permanent resident visa while holding an ICT Project Manager 482 visa.
If neither of the above applies to you, we can advise for alternative pathways to staying in Australia.
LifeinAus, specialises in helping ICT Project Managers holding 475 visa apply for their Permanent Resident visa under the Employer Nomination Scheme 186 and finding successful pathways to those are on a different visa but wish to stay permanently in Autralia.
Get in touch today to claim your Australian Permanent Residency.