DML

Daft question so bear with me

I am hoping to move to Aus in June on a 457. Have completed all professional registration stages and just passed my medical. Wife has hers this week. She asked me today "what does a 457 visa look like?" Stumped me - not for the first time in our marriage.

Is it a physical sticker in our passports (like previous Aussie visas I have held) that we have to send our passports away for or is it a "virtual" online sort of thingie?

msmyrtle

Australia uses an electronic visa system so there are no requirements for stickers anymore. If you elect to have one you have to fill out a form a pay a fee, I think its $70/sticker (there's a link at the top of the forum page).

DML

thanks - have forked out enough already so I'll pass on the sticker! Sorry for missing the info in the link

msmyrtle

I must say the sticker itself is rather uninspiring... no holograms or shiny things, just a dot matrix printer over a orange/red graphic.

DML

sounds like the one i still have in an old passport from 1995. Defo not worth $70!

msmyrtle

Hmmm... the thread was stickied for a while but it's not there anymore.

Anyway, here it is for reference: http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=781544

Enjoy your time in Oz.

Pollyana

You will get an email with all the details of the visa type and grant date and stuff. very uninspiring but you can print it and frame it if you like

Red_V_Roger

Might have changed now, but when we came 6 years ago, you needed to have the sticker in the passport when you went to register with Medicare.

But I know there are some rule changes with regards to private health cover on 457, so maybe its different now.

old.sparkles

I just took a printout of the grant notice to Medicare - works just as well

roaringmouse

Medicare have access to check for visa against your passport. They did with mine in 2007 even though it was still visa labels then.

DML

can you apply for medicare as soon as you arrive?

Pollyana

Yes, though it sometimes takes a couple of days for the system to update with your arrival details.