30/01/2026
Visa compliance is one of those areas where intent doesn’t protect you, only process does.
Businesses should never assume work rights based on seniority, nationality, or past roles.
Best practice:
Verify visa type, conditions, and expiry before progressing too far
Use VEVO (Visa Entitlement Verification Online) every time
Re-check visa status at onboarding and diarise future checks
A big trap for employers.
Some visas allow work only for a sponsoring employer
Others cap hours, restrict role type, or prohibit ongoing employment
Educate your hiring managers and use Recruiters who are skilled and understand Visa risk
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A New South Wales resident has received a record $540,000 infringement notice – the largest ever issued to an individual under new laws – for serious breaches of the Migration Act, following an extensive investigation into an unlawful labour hire syndicate targeting migrant workers.
The NSW resident is alleged to have operated a large-scale illegal enterprise that employed temporary visa holders and unlawful non-citizens, provided overcrowded and substandard accommodation, and systematically underpaid workers across multiple companies and properties in regional NSW.
Over the past year, Australian Border Force officers from the Department of Home Affairs executed 12 search warrants at properties linked to the individual, uncovering evidence of 50 alleged breaches involving the employment of temporary visa holders and unlawful non-citizens. Migrant workers were reportedly housed in squalid conditions described as akin to modern slavery.
The investigation found the individual was targeting temporary migrant workers and visitors to Australia, whose visas were granted subject to certain work conditions, by falsely promising sponsored work visas in exchange for thousands of dollars. In some cases, fraudulent and invalid protection visa applications were lodged without the worker’s knowledge.
These individuals were subsequently referred to agricultural labour-hire companies across regional NSW, despite some being in breach of their visa conditions.
Since 1 July 2024, more than $3 million in infringement notices have been issued under strengthened employer compliance laws.
Australia will not tolerate abuse of its visa system or exploitation of migrant workers, who play a vital role in the economy, particularly in rural and regional areas.
Foreign workers and temporary visa holders are encouraged to seek help if they believe they are being exploited while in Australia.
If you have information about potential immigration offences, illegal work practices or the exploitation of migrant workers, make a report online through Border Watch: https://www.abf.gov.au/about-us/what-we-do/borderwatch
Reports can be made anonymously.