Current issues in the skilled temporary subclass 457 visa

There has been a sharp increase in the numbers of skilled migrants sponsored by employers on long-stay temporary entry visas (subclass 457). Several trade unions and the Australian Labor Party have asserted that some sponsoring employers pay below market rates to the migrants in question. This article examines this and other claims. It concludes that, on the limited evidence the government makes available, there is a basis for these concerns, especially in the ICT industry. Copyright. Monash University and the author/s