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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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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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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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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Hiring Temporary Residents – Is Your Recruiter Compliant?

Under the Employer Sanctions Legislation of 2013, recruiters commit an offence if they refer candidates without appropriate work rights. In other words, recruiters should be checking visa conditions for any temporary residents they refer through to a business. Failure to do so can result in infringement notices of $15,000 or more – for each person

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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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Audit exposes serious flaws on tracking visa holders breaching their conditions

The Australian National Audit Office has released a report on the Department of Home Affairs’ ability to manage compliance with visa conditions. The report found that budget cuts had compromised the Department of Home Affairs effectiveness on tracking people overstaying and working in breach of their visa conditions. Recommendations in the report include: Improving the

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