An endless queue of multi-coloured cars crawls on Williams Rd. Inside a blue Kia, a middle-aged blond woman with her eyes closed rests for a moment.

The radio is off

While a gentle and fresh wind starts blowing from the ocean, a horn blast Raffaella suddenly to earth. “Every time, it takes me a hour to get home from work,” she says wearily. “But at least now I got a job which I’m qualified for!”

Although Australia is now the world leader in skilled migration – as reported in the Sydney Morning Herald on April 2012 – many qualified foreign workers are forced to work under the table while awaiting sponsorship and a permanent residence visa. “Most of them give up and come back to their country, while others wait for years till they start doing ‘their’ job” Raffaella says.

Since coming to Melbourne two years ago, Raffaella has born the cost of her courageous choice to leave Italy and her job as a marketing manager. She felt the need to start a new chapter of her life.

“I was aware of the risks when I left my country, but I didn’t expect it to be so hard,” she confesses.

Confused by the myriad kinds of visas, Raffaella applied for a 12 months “Temporary Business Visa” so as to find a sponsor. However, she was not allowed to work on a regular contract, and she had to leave the country every three months during that year to renew her visa.

“I had to work under the table. I’m a single mother and I needed money for my children and me,” she admits without shame.

“I worked as a waiter, as a dishwasher… I taught swimming, Italian, and cuisine lessons.”

When finally Raffaella found a potential sponsor after searching for a year, the situation got worse.

“That’s when the nightmare started,” she says raising her voice.

“He promised me the sponsorship, but he actually exploited me for three months!”

During that period, she was at the mercy of her future employer, who eventually did not pay her. In fact, several Australian job seekers hoping to get and fill out the countless documents required for the 457 sponsorship Visa, face a big risk of exploitation in terms of wages and conditions.

“The sponsor is only bound to pay your flight back home… and I didn’t have any energy to start over again,” Raffaella sighs.

But after two years of worry and confusion, Raffaella refused to give up.

“At the end, I was lucky to find immediately another sponsor…a trustworthy person,” she says with smiling eyes. “Now I got the permanent residency, and I feel like the struggle is over!”