Changes to the 457 Visa - and your hospitality recruitment

If you own or manage a restaurant you will either already have international staff working in your business, or you are at a point where you must consider overseas hospitality recruitment so you can run your business effectively.

In considering international staff, you will no doubt be aware of the changes to 457 visas announced by the Federal Government in April 2017. These changes are being implemented primarily to promote the hiring of Australian workers over international staff.

Key Visa Changes

The visa changes included a revision to the skilled occupation list and its division into two parts. A medium / long term skills list offering up to a 4 year visa and a short term list offering 2 years. And further changes are coming. As of March 2018, the Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) visa will be replacing the 457 Visa. The TSS Visa will be divided into two streams: the short term stream and the medium/long term stream (2-year visa and a 4-year visa respectively).

Key restaurant staff including cooks, restaurant managers and pastrycooks are now only eligible for a 2-year visa with the pathway to permanent residency also abolished.

The hospitality industry relies on overseas workers to a large degree and these visa changes - which mean some key staff now only qualify for a 2 year visa - have caused significant upset and uncertainty in the industry.

How to secure your overseas staff long term

However, although the pathway to permanent staff for those on a 2 year visa is now a little less clear, there is still an opportunity to secure your overseas staff long term.

Under the visa changes your trained restaurant cook can apply to come to Australia on a 2 year visa, they can also apply for a 2 year extension of that visa (once only).  Within this time, and while they are in Australia, if they are willing to upskill to a Certificate IV or BA they may then apply for a position with you as a chef. A chef qualification and employment position would provide them the ability to apply under the medium / long term stream of the incoming TSS which also provides a pathway to permanent residency.  

So although the path to long term hospitality recruitment is not as clear and certain as it previously was for business owners employing overseas restaurant workers, there is still a potential way to permanency for the dedicated. This process can actually provide you with even greater stability.

So choose your next overseas staff judiciously - make sure you recruit candidates that have the skills in the first place to pass chef training or with the talent to upskill. And make sure they have the ambition and work ethic that will see them dedicated to securing their long term future - and yours in the process.