New Migration Laws Will Help Protect Exploited Workers
In Australia, many migrant workers fear addressing workplace exploitation due to potential immigration repercussions. To tackle this, the Migrant Justice Institute and Human Rights Law Centre spearheaded a national coalition that proposed two significant immigration reforms. Their comprehensive plan, “Breaking the Silence,” was endorsed by over 40 organizations and outlined measures to allow migrant workers […]
Navigating Employee Visa Compliance in the Wake of Legislative Changes
Recent legislative changes in Australia’s migration laws are set to reshape how employers engage with visa holders. The Migration Amendment (Strengthening Employer Compliance) Act 2024, enacted on February 22, 2024, introduces significant adjustments aimed at enhancing employer compliance. Here’s what employers need to know about these changes and how they can navigate them effectively. Understanding […]
Ensuring Compliance: The Vital Role of Auditing in Labour Hire Companies
The Labour Hire Licensing Act 2018 has set out significant penalties for those who fail to comply with its provisions. It is important for all labour hire providers to be aware of their obligations and ensure they are fully compliant to avoid facing hefty fines. Providing labour hire services without a valid license, advertising labour […]
Immigration compliance Bill reforms
The government has announced its intention to introduce a new immigration compliance and integrity Bill to strengthen the sanctions against employer sponsors who breach their obligations under the Sponsorship Obligations. The Bill will also enable the Department of Home Affairs to collect additional data on visa holders for data matching purposes and enable it to […]
August Corporate Immigration Update – 457 processing times and benchmarks
457 processing delays and training benchmark changes The last 6 months has been a period of rapid change and disruption in Australian immigration, in particular for the Subclass 457 Temporary Work visa. Changes to the 457 program continue as the Department implements further alterations in preparation for the introduction of the new Temporary Skill Shortage visa from […]
New training levy to replace 457 visa training benchmark for business sponsors
Budget reveals new training levy on businesses sponsoring on the new TSS visa The budget announced yesterday has revealed plans to impose a training levy to raise $1.2 billion from businesses looking to sponsor overseas employees under the new Temporary Skill Shortage (‘TSS’) visa. The TSS visa will replace the highly politicised 457 program in […]
Changes to 457 visa program
A raft of minor changes to the 457 visa program have recently been introduced following recommendations from the independent panel’s report, Robust New Foundations. While more substantial changes have been foreshadowed for the financial year 2015-16 a number of these changes appear problematic due to opposition in parliament and the likelihood of these more substantial […]
March 2015 Immigration Update
Summary There were several significant immigration events in March, in particular the Federal government’s response to the earlier Independent 457 Integrity Report, Robust New Foundations. The Senate’s surprise establishment of a new 457 visa inquiry and the Federal government’s referral of permanent migration to the Productivity Commission which has the potential for several far reaching […]
457 visa holders must be covered by Workers’ compensation
Workcover NSW is reminding businesses to ensure that 457 visa holder staff are covered by appropriate Workers Compensation insurance policies. A recent investigation by Workcover found a Taiwanese company was employing staff without appropriate compensation insurance. Failure to comply with obligations can result in employers being liable to cover the cost of injuries and fines […]