Permanent residency from 457 visa?

As long as you have a permanent fulltime job here (need a letter from th HR of the hospital you are working for in Aust to confirm this), you are eligible to apply for PR. Yes, you do need ANMC to verify your qualifications for immigration purposes and they will also need QNC to verify that you have a clean registration record . At time of lodgement, DIMIA needs to have the reference number from ANMC. You have to pay some money to QNC to verify your registration and QNC will inform ANMC directly. No you don't have to get a solicitor but that is up to you. The process is simple enough to do it yourself. Can't comment on the processing time but DIMIA states on their website that nurses and doctors will get priority processing. Do look at DIMIA website, they are very informative.

Processing time can be a bit hit and miss, I know people that got theirs through in two weeks, but that was a couple of years ago, I think now it maybe closer to six months, but as with all gov bodies it can be hit and miss. The easiest thing is to see the boss in nursing services when you start, they will organise the paperwork for you, and hopefully, smooth the process for you.

You have options when applying for PR. You can talk to your employer about sponsoring you or you can do it yourself. Some of my friends spoke to their employers and opted to sign 2 yr contracts. As far as I know, the private hospitals are more willing to offer contracts and apply for your PR. The good thing about this is that you do not have to bear the application cost of approx AUD$2100.

I have chosen to apply on my own accord ( I personally don't like contracts) and have obtained a letter from HR confirming that I have worked and currently employed in a permanent fulltime position. My understanding is that it would take something like up to 6 months to process.

IP