vSure Visa and Work Rights Compliance Blog

7-Eleven Franchise Fined Heavily – Just the Tip of the Iceberg

This week a 7-Eleven store whose owners systematically exploited workers has been fined more than $400,000. This is one of the largest penalties imposed by the Fair Work Ombudsman in Australia. The 7-Eleven store owner, Mr Sheng-Chieh Lo and his company Mai Pty Ltd have been fined on the basis that the: underpaid 12 employees a total of $82,661 implemented

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New tax system for Backpacker’s on working visas delayed

A new tax system for backpackers on working visas was due to come into effect from July 1 this year. The changes would have seen working travellers taxed 32.5 cents from the first dollar they earned with a $18,200 tax-free threshold being delayed. Citrus SA committee member and citrus grower Mark Doecke said Australia’s horticultural industries relied

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Senate Inquiry Recommends Changes to Temporary Worker Framework

A senate inquiry has found significant numbers of temporary workers are being exploited by employers. The committee found exploitation by labour hire companies in particular. The report was entitled “A National Disgrace: The Exploitation of Temporary Work Visa Holders“, a clear indication that exploitation of temporary workers was very much of concern. Changes have been

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Short-Term Mobility Visa … no longer on offer

In December 2015, the Australian Department of Home Affairs proposed a new visa program to replace the existing 400 visa. The Short-Term Mobility Visa, which was to enable immigrants to work in Australia for up to 12 months without a 457 skilled migration visa. It now appears, according to The Australian, that this somewhat controversial

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Passport Visa Labels scrapped

The latest Migration Legislation Amendment by the Australian Government means that it is no longer possible to have a visa label put in your passport. Therefore, Employers can no longer rely on visa labels as being proof of immigration status … they need to be checking immigration status through an approved online service. Our cloud-based immigration

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“OUCH” Hefty Penalties for Hiring Unlawful Workers

The 2013 Employers Sanctions Act gives the Department of Home Affairs a wide range of possible sanctions which can be imposed on employers and agencies: Warning – generally an Illegal Worker Warning Notice (IWWN) will be issued on the first offence Infringement Notice – if the conduct continues, the Department can issue an infringement notice

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“Don’t do it” ~ The Immigration Blacklist

Most employer sponsored visas require the business to show that there is no “adverse information” or that the business has a “record of compliance” with Australian immigration laws for approval. If your business has been non-compliant, this can result in being locked out of employer sponsored visa programs. If your business has engaged staff in

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Australian immigration revokes almost 11,000 ‘non-genuine’ students visas

The Department of Home Affairs typically cancels between 8,000 and 9,000 student visas annually, however according to a report in The Australian (subscription required), based on the latest figures released for the year ending June 2015, there was a 30% increase in the number of cancellations. With International Education coming in as Australia’s fourth largest export

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Directors and Company Officers Personally Liable for Illegal Workers

Under the 2013 Employer Sanctions Legislation, Directors and Company Officers can be personally liable if their business is engaging illegal workers. The legislation extends offences to “Executive Officers” of companies where the business has committed an offence. Under the new legislation, “Executive Officers” include: Directors of companies Chief Executive Officers Chief Financial Officers Company Secretaries

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Employers face “No Fault” fines for engaging illegal workers

The Migration Amendment (Reform of Employer Sanctions) Act 2013 allows Immigration to clamp down on illegal work practices. The 2013 Act introduces a “no fault” system for civil penalties. This means that penalties will apply if a business engages workers illegally regardless of whether the business was actually aware of this. An “infringement notice” system

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