I tell ya what Victor 2, you sound like a management type. Quite evidently you are not part of the fraternity of Australian pilots. What you are is a PENGUIN. You are involved in aviation, but cant fly.
457 visas open up the Australian market to low paid coolies, nothing more. These people come as indentured labor and undercut what should be the Australian market rate of pay for Australian Pilots. Or do you not feel that the Australian Government should have a social contract with its citizens that gives them preference for employment?
The difference between myself (an expat Pilot) and the 457 pilot immigrants is that in the countries where I have worked overseas, the companies have had to PAY MORE THAN LOCAL RATES to attract aviation talent. This in itself serves to improve conditions for local pilots. The mechanism for this is shown by local Pilots becomming more attractive to employ once they gain the requisite skill set.
What the 457 program will do is undermine local Australian conditions and make it less attractive for Australian pilots to remain in the local industry or in regional operations. If you were a Pilot, you would understand this.
If you are as good as you think you are, then you will have no worries getting good jobs here.
That's the issue, mate, we are good. We are experienced, but there are no "good" jobs in Australia. I wouldn't come back for what's on offer that's for sure.