Employing Student Visa Holders?
There are well over 500,000 student visa-holders currently in Australia, many of whom work part-time or casual jobs to help with living costs while studying. They are an important part of the Australian economy and contribute vastly to the pedigree of Australian education.
If you employ international students, it is important to stay abreast of their visa statuses and conditions. This is especially true now that the Department of Home Affairs can levy infringement notices of $29,700 against organisations that engage a worker in breach of their visa conditions.
The new laws also expand the definition of “allow to work” to cover most commonly encountered contracting relationships. Businesses can still be liable for fines even if the worker is not a direct employee, such as contracted self-employed ABN holders and workers supplied under labour hire agreements.
Most student visas allow the visa holder to work for a maximum of 48 hours per fortnight while their course is in session. The Department of Home Affairs may, from time to time, apply various visa conditions. It is important that businesses regularly check the visa status and conditions of student visa-holders in order to ensure compliance with the new laws.
If you need help verifying visa conditions and work rights, talk to us at vSure. vSure can automate employee visa checks and alert your business to any changes and expiry dates, as well as keeping you informed of key visa conditions.
Here are some resources that you might find useful:
Do you have 10 or more foreign workers?
You need the vSure Work Rights app to automate your compliance with the Migration Amendment (Reform of Employer Sanctions) Act 2013. To automate the “reasonable steps at reasonable times” to check your foreign worker work rights, please contact us to talk about how vSure can protect your business, and arrange a trial.