I deleted two posts which were blatantly untrue.
To clarify a few myths and scare mongering............. Despite the Prime Minister's uninformed and untrue statements to the contrary, Sub Class 457 Visa holders employed in Australia are paid at least the same as an equivalent Australian worker - from the DIAC web site:
From 1 July 2012 , the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT), will be indexed by 4.2 per cent, in line with the Australia-wide increase in average weekly earnings. This will increase TSMIT from $49,330 to $51,400.
The increase to the TSMIT will apply to all nomination applications which are decided on or after 1 July 2012, regardless of lodgement date.
Standard business sponsors are required to pay their overseas workers the market salary rate. The increase to TSMIT means that where the market rate for a position is less than $51,400, the position cannot be nominated under the 457 program.
The TSMIT is set at this level to ensure that all Subclass 457 visa holders have sufficient income to independently provide for themselves in Australia.
However, the Sponsor must also meet
Market Salary Rate, not merely pay the TSMIT. If for example, a sponsor company wishes to sponsor an overseas qualified diesel fitter and is paying other Australian diesel fitters $30 per hour ($59,280 per annum), then that is the salary the overseas worker
must be paid.
If the sponsoring employer does not employ any diesel fitters, he must establish a
regional market salary from other employers that do employ diesel fitters in the same region and pay that to the overseas skilled worker.
DIAC require submission of original supporting payroll evidence with the 457 Visa Normination and Application.
I understand that 104 or 0.083%
possible Visa non compliances out of 125,000 457 Visas holders were investigated last year. DIAC did not reveal the number of prosecutions, but obviously less than 104?