vSure Visa and Work Rights Compliance Blog

Cairns businessman jailed for running visa scam

A FORMER Cairns business man has been jailed for setting up a visa scam to exploit disadvantaged people wanting to move to Australia. Between January 2006 and June 2009, Sukhwant Sona Singh Bhela misrepresented himself as a registered migration agent and brought 43 applicants into the country through the elaborate visa scam. His offending included

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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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Immigration Secretary denies “militarisation” of Department

In a recent address by Michael Pezzullo, Secretary of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, to CivSec 2016: Border 21 International Conference in Melbourne, he denied the “militarisation” of the Department. Mr Pezzullo said the descriptions were not appropriate and it would be more accurate to say the law enforcement capabilities of the department had been strengthened.  He also said they want

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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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Who will step up & reform our workplace relations enforcement regime?

For months we’ve been inundated with reports of exploited temporary migrant workers across Australia. 7-Eleven has dominated the headlines but it is very clear that wage theft is rife across many Australian workforce sectors. Some of these unfortunate 7-Eleven workers are now finally receiving payment of their stolen wages through the independent Professor Allan Fels wage

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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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90% of international workers being underpaid in the Retail sector

A recent survey by the University of Sydney’s business school (of 1400 + students) revealed that 80% of international students working in restaurants across Sydney were being exploited, with up to 35% of students being paid as little as $12 per hour. Overall, 60% of international students living in Sydney were paid below the federally

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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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